Facts about tummy tuck after caesarean section

More women than ever before are now taking back control of their bodies following pregnancy and a caesarean section. Women are choosing to regain their pre-pregnancy tummy with the help of a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty). Below we explore what a tummy tuck actually is, how it can benefit women post caesarean section, and a few common questions about this cosmetic procedure. 

What exactly is a tummy tuck?

When you hear the phrase, tummy tuck, you might think that this is a fairly simple procedure. In fact, a tummy tuck is a complex and invasive cosmetic surgery procedure that involves the cutting and removal of skin, muscle tissue, and fat. This is why it's important to find a reputable plastic surgeon to carry out your procedure. 

Caesarean section and your tummy

When you have a caesarean section the surgeon will need to cut through your stomach muscles and tissue to access the womb. As a result, scar tissue can form and the skin can sag. Exercise will not help this excess skin to become firm. 

Benefits of tummy tuck following caesarean section

A huge benefit for women who have had a caesarean section is that the cosmetic surgeon can repair the damaged rectus abdominis muscles. This will help to strengthen your stomach and help to create a flatter looking tummy. Any scars can also be removed, as well as those unwanted stretch marks. 

Things to consider before having a tummy tuck post baby

Before being assessed for a tummy tuck post-pregnancy, it is important that you are physically fit and healthy, and that you are back to your pre-pregnancy weight. You will also need to have fully healed following your caesarean delivery. If you are fit and healthy and your body has healed, then you will be able to have a consultation. 

When should you have the tummy tuck?

So, how long should you wait after having your caesarean? It's important that you don't plan to have any more children, as there can be complications related to your tummy tuck with any following pregnancy. It's advised that you wait at least 6 months following delivery and have no plans for more children.

To learn more about the tummy tuck cosmetic surgery procedure with us here at the Belvedere Clinic, then please do get in touch with us today.

FAQ's Abdominoplasty - Tummy Tuck Surgery

ABDOMINOPLASTY FAQ’S

If you are considering Abdominoplasty, you likely have some questions. This FAQ will help answer some of the more common questions for those seeking a tummy tuck in the UK

ARE THERE ANY COMPLICATIONS WITH A TUMMY TUCK?

Complications with a tummy tuck are rare. However, there can be bleeding and infection, which is a risk with any surgery. There can also be fluid collection, poor scarring and an asymmetrical appearance. To reduce the possibility of complications, it’s important to follow your doctor’s instructions 100 per cent. Discuss each of them with your plastic surgeon to make sure you understand the potential complications and consequences.

ARE THERE ANY COMPLICATIONS WITH A TUMMY TUCK?

Complications with a tummy tuck are rare. However, there can be bleeding and infection, which is a risk with any surgery. There can also be fluid collection, poor scarring and an asymmetrical appearance. To reduce the possibility of complications, it’s important to follow your doctor’s instructions 100 per cent. Discuss each of them with your plastic surgeon to make sure you understand the potential complications and consequences.

WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE A TUMMY TUCK?

You will meet your surgeon to talk about why you want surgery and what you want. The surgeon will make a note of any medical history you have or have had in the past. They will also make a record of any medication you are on, including herbal remedies and medicines that are not prescribed by your doctor.
Your surgeon will examine your tummy, and may take some photographs for your medical records. They will ask you if you want to have someone with you during the examination, and ask you to sign a consent form for taking, storing and using the photographs.
The nurse will measure your height and weight at pre assessment to make sure that it is safe to do an operation. If you are overweight, pregnant or planning to become pregnant, your surgeon may suggest delaying your operation.

WHAT IS A MINI TUMMY TUCK?

Here, a smaller amount of skin and fat is removed from the lower tummy, though there will still be a long horizontal scar above the pubic hair. Sometimes the muscles will also be tightened. No scar is left around the tummy button, which may be stretched to become a different shape.
A mini tummy tuck will give less of an effect than a full tummy tuck.

The fleur-de-lis

For patients with lots of extra skin on the lower and upper tummy, a fleur-de-lis tummy tuck might be appropriate. Here, as well as the long horizontal cut of the standard tummy tuck, there is a vertical cut too, so the scar looks like an anchor.

HOW IS A TUMMY TUCK PROCEDURE DONE?

Generally, when a patient receives a tummy tuck, he or she, under general anaesthetic, gets an incision that is made above the pubic area from one hip to the other hip. An additional incision is made to release the navel from the surrounding skin, which is then released from the abdominal wall, revealing the fascia and muscles that are to be tightened with sutures.  Sometimes, liposuction is combined with a tummy tuck for further tightening.  A patient may receive a dressing and compression garment to drain any excess fluid.  A conventional tummy tuck typically takes three hours, and only one procedure is needed.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER A TUMMY TUCK?

Tummy tucks are usually carried out under a general anaesthetic (so you would be asleep). The operation usually takes about three hours, and you would usually spend up one days in hospital.
When you wake up from your operation you may have a drip to give you fluid while you are not drinking. You might be given antibiotics to keep the wound clean. Also, you may have drainage tubes in your lower tummy to drain away any fluid or blood. These tubes will be taken out when the fluid or blood has stopped draining, usually before you go home. Your tummy will feel tight and sore. Simple painkillers should be enough to keep you comfortable.

You will have some dressings on your tummy. You may need to wear a well-fitting support garment, usually for weeks after the operation. You will be asked to keep your knees and hips bent whenever possible to take the strain off your stitches.

WHAT IS THE RECOVERY TIME FOR A TUMMY TUCK?

You will be out of bed on the same day as your surgery, and doing light activities after two weeks. You should be back to normal exercise in six weeks. While you are in hospital, you will be given blood-thinning injections, and support stockings, to reduce the risk of a clot in the leg (DVT) or the lung (PE). Avoid strenuous activity for 10 to 12 weeks. Most patients take up to four weeks off work after the operation, depending on their job. Your tummy will be sore and swollen for weeks to months after the operation. Do not lift heavy things for several weeks, and avoid sex for at least three weeks. With all activities, start gently. Do not drive until you feel safe and are comfortable wearing a seatbelt. Check your insurance documents if you are not sure.

At first your tummy skin may seem too tight. This usually settles down within six weeks of the surgery. Most patients are pleased with the final result, but some find their new shape difficult to get used to. This may happen to you. You may have more or less sensation in the skin on your tummy, and this can change over time.

SHOULD YOU HAVE A TUMMY TUCK TO LOSE WEIGHT IF YOU ARE SEVERELY OVERWEIGHT?

Abdominoplasty procedure is not intended for people who are severely overweight to lose weight. There are other procedures that are more appropriate for serious weight loss.

DOES THE PROCEDURE LEAVE A SCAR?

Tummy tucks are usually carried out under a general anaesthetic (so you would be asleep). The operation usually takes about three hours, and you would usually spend up one days in hospital.
When you wake up from your operation you may have a drip to give you fluid while you are not drinking. You might be given antibiotics to keep the wound clean. Also, you may have drainage tubes in your lower tummy to drain away any fluid or blood. These tubes will be taken out when the fluid or blood has stopped draining, usually before you go home. Your tummy will feel tight and sore. Simple painkillers should be enough to keep you comfortable.

You will have some dressings on your tummy. You may need to wear a well-fitting support garment, usually for weeks after the operation. You will be asked to keep your knees and hips bent whenever possible to take the strain off your stitches.

AM I TOO OLD OR TOO YOUNG FOR A TUMMY TUCK?

Ethical cosmetic surgeons will not perform a tummy tuck on anyone under the age of 18.  As far as being too old, your doctor can access your health and fitness condition.

SHOULD I HAVE A TUMMY TUCK IF I WANT TO GET PREGNANT?

It is recommended that you wait until after your pregnancies to have a tummy tuck. If you are a woman who plans to get pregnant or have a series of pregnancies

WHAT IF I ALSO WANT TO GET BREAST SURGERY OR SOME OTHER PROCEDURE WITH MY TUMMY TUCK?

Although many patients combine liposuction with their tummy tuck surgery, additional surgery, such as breast augmentation, is in an entirely different area, and therefore, is subject to the condition of your health and the go-ahead from a doctor. Discuss this with your plastic surgeon to make sure you understand the potential complications and consequences.

Medical Benefits Of A Tummy Tuck

Healthy eating and gym visits may not always leave you with the body you want. Sometimes, you can’t get that belly bulge to disappear, no matter how much effort you put in. In fact, losing weight elsewhere on your body may leave your tummy more pronounced, leaving people disheartened about the way they look. There is, however, a solution.

TUMMY TUCKS, ALSO KNOWN AS ABDOMINOPLASTY, WERE ONCE CONSIDERED THE PROCEDURE OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS, BUT ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY COMMON AMONGST THE GENERAL POPULATION DUE TO THEIR AFFORDABILITY AND AMAZING RESULTS.

THEY ALSO HAVE SOME LESS WELL KNOWN MEDICAL BENEFITS TOO, MAKING A TUMMY TUCK A GREAT OPTION FOR EVERYONE.

1. IMPROVED ABDOMINAL TONE AND POSTURE

After pregnancy, or weight loss, the stomach muscles can become distended, which cannot be rectified by exercise and diet alone. In this situation, a tummy tuck will significantly tighten these weak muscles, as well as removing unwanted fat and excess skin, and flattening the abdomen. This has many medial benefits, as weak abdominal muscles are often linked with back pain and irregular positioning of the spine. Tummy tucks will result in better posture and improved back support, helping to prevent against all types of back pain.

2. REDUCES THE RISK OF VENTRAL HERNIAS

Ventral hernias occur when an organ, often a part of the intestines, breaks through the abdominal muscle wall, forming an obvious and usually painful bulge below the skin. These types of hernias have many potential causes, including caesarean sections, having your appendix removed or significant weight loss. As tummy tucks serve to increase the strength of the abdominal muscles, this reduces the risk of hernias being formed, saving you large amounts of pain and potential future surgery.

3. REDUCTION OF STRESS URINARY INCONTINENCE

For anyone who has given birth naturally, there is a chance of developing stress urinary incontinence. This is a bladder control problem caused by the displacement of the bladder, urinary tract and weakening of the associated muscles due to vaginal births, and will manifest itself through accidental and uncontrollable leakage from coughing, sneezing and laughing. A tummy tuck can help to restore the natural positions of these organs and muscles, reducing the risk of incontinence.

Now that you know a tummy tuck can provide medical benefits, as well as giving you more confidence in your appearance, it’s time to book one. For more information on this procedure please look at https://www.belvedereclinic.co.uk/female-surgery/tummy-tuck/, or contact us here https://www.belvedereclinic.co.uk/contact/.

Study finds tummy tucks can help resolve postpartum back pain and incontinence

A TUMMY TUCK HAS LONG REMAINED AN AESTHETIC PROCEDURE THAT’S BENEFITED EVERYONE FROM WORLD-FAMOUS ACTRESSES TO YOUR AVERAGE OFFICE WORKER.

However, a new study has outlined that the procedure doesn’t just visually improve the abdominal area and cause patients to become happier with their bodies. Instead, it also has a string of medical advantages for women who have recently given birth.

The research – published in the journal for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery – has discovered that a tummy tuck can actually go some length to aiding women who are suffering from chronic back pain after giving birth. In addition, it can also help those who are experiencing urinary incontinence since welcoming their child. This breakthrough finding means that a tummy tuck could now be perceived as an essential procedure for women who are struggling to adjust to parenthood.

Discussing the discovery, Dr. Alastair Taylor, a reconstructive and plastic surgeon with the Canberra Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Clinic in Australia, said: “Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) not only restores the trunk to its pre-pregnancy shape, it also restores the function, converting a moderate disability to a trivial issue that no longer dictates what can be achieved.”

All in all, 214 women were involved in the study. Between them they’d had an average 2.5 deliveries and were an average age of 42. Out of the participants, an incredible 85% confessed that their back pain had subsided following their tummy tuck. Meanwhile, a further 73% accepted that there had been an improvement to their incontinence problems.

One person who has praised the finding is blogger Kileen Valenzuela. Speaking about how the tummy tuck had changed her life for the better, she wrote on the blog site Little & Cute: “I don’t have back pain anymore, and I feel like myself.” Kileen was one of the participants involved in the research.

DO YOU WANT A TUMMY TUCK?

YOU DON’T HAVE TO HAVE JUST GIVEN BIRTH TO CONSIDER A TUMMY TUCK. THE PROCEDURE IS WIDELY USED BY MEN AND WOMEN FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, SO DON’T HESITATE TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION BY GETTING IN TOUCH WITH BELVEDERE.