What You Need to Know About the Tummy Tuck If you have struggled with saggy skin in the abdominal area for years, whether it was due to weight gain or pregnancy, you are not alone. Even after you have done as many things possible to get those flat abs and somehow you can’t get the results you want, then maybe it’s time you consider a tummy tuck. Dr. Suresh Koneru, who has over 18 years of experience as a board-certified plastic surgeon in San Antonio, can help you get that flat stomach you have desired to have. Tummy tuck, also known as an abdominoplasty, is a highly invasive cosmetic plastic surgery procedure that flattens your abdomen by removing extra fat and skin and tightening the muscles in your abdominal wall. This procedure is very useful for mothers who have stretched abdominal skin and muscles as a result of pregnancy. As part of the tummy tuck operation, Dr. Koneru is able to tighten your rectus muscles so they return to their pre-pregnancy appearance. He can also remove any stretch marks below the belly button as part of the procedure. It’s no wonder patients who have a tummy tuck in San Antonio are so happy with the look of their new, flat belly. However, this type of procedure is not only reserved for women. Male tummy tuck surgery is on the rise. Abdominoplasty is often performed with general anesthesia, but it can also be done using a local anesthetic with a sedative. Some of you may ask, who is a candidate for such an invasive procedure like the tummy tuck? To be a candidate for the tummy tuck procedure, you should be in good physical condition, followed by a healthy diet, and exercise regularly. Some of the patients of Dr. Koneru have loose skin that just will not shrink on its own. Others struggle with a ‘spare tire’ which they cannot get rid of, no matter how hard they try. Dr. Koneru and his staff recommends that you wait until after any planned pregnancies and have reached your goal weight before undergoing tummy tuck surgery. This is because further pregnancies or weight loss can undo the results of your tummy tuck in San Antonio by stretching the skin. Another recommendation of Dr. Koneru is that your BMI should be less than 30 to decrease your risk of complications. What happens during the consultation? It’s simple, during your initial consultation, Dr. Koneru will discuss your cosmetic goals in detail, so he can tailor your tummy tuck operation accordingly. He
continues to consult closely with you at every stage of the process, to ensure that you receive the personalized care you deserve. The real question is what happens during the procedure? The surgery typically takes approximately two to three hours under general anesthesia. Afterwards, Dr. Koneru will make an incision from hip to hip, and then cut out all the skin between your belly button and pubis. During your tummy tuck procedure, Dr. Koneru will separate the skin from the rectus muscles, and then pull and stitch the muscle together, for a firmer abdomen and a narrower waist. He will then stretch the skin flap down and over the newly tightened muscles, cut out the extra skin, and reconnect the belly button. Dr. Koneru will usually leave a couple drains in place to drain any extra fluid. Other surgeons will have their own style of handling this procedure and results can vary. Unlike some other surgeons, Dr. Koneru does not force his patients to wear an uncomfortable tight binder after surgery. To help make your recovery less painful, Dr. Koneru injects a long lasting local anesthetic (Exparel) at the time of your surgery. The purpose of this anesthetic is to give his patients three days of pain relief so they can take fewer narcotics and return to feeling like themselves again. What is the recovery time for this procedure? Full recovery from a tummy tuck operation usually takes four to six weeks, although you may have the ability to return to work as little as two weeks, depending on your job. Dr. Koneru and his team encourages their patients to accomplish daily tasks of walking for 10 to 15 minutes every two hours after surgery. As well as spending the first week in a recliner. What are the results? With a good diet and regular exercise, results from your tummy tuck should be long-lasting. While the full tummy tuck will leave a hip-to-hip scar across the lower abdomen, Dr. Koneru strives to make the incision low enough for even a bikini to conceal the scar. Of course you’ll want to know if there are any risks to this procedure. No need to worry, post-operative complications from any surgery are possible, and include infection, blood clots, and poor healing which may require further surgery. You can minimize these risks by choosing an experienced surgeon such as Dr. Koneru, who can handle any complications and will give you the attention you need. If you have had previous abdominal surgery, your old scars could be raised, stretched, or generally more noticeable after the procedure. However, if your scar is below the belly button, it is likely that it will be removed with the tummy tuck operation.
If you’re curious as to what a mini tummy tuck in San Antonio, then you should know it is a good choice for patients who only need a small amount of excess skin and fat removed. The mini tummy tuck is similar to the full procedure, except that it uses a shorter incision, usually about 15 cm in length (similar to a C-section scar). With this short scar, much less skin is likely to be removed and the skin is only lifted to the belly button. The mini tummy tuck usually doesn’t remove many stretch marks and can’t correct muscles that have become separated above the belly button. Schedule your consultation with Dr. Koneru and call us at (210) 499-5900 to get the tummy tuck procedure you have always wanted.