Can Your Stomach Come Back After a Tummy Tuck?

Most patients get a tummy tuck because weight loss or pregnancy did a number on their bodies. Your skin is stretched out for long periods during pregnancy or when you are overweight, making it harder to go back to your original body appearance. Even if you manage to lose the excess fat, you may be left with loose and excess skin in its place. After putting in a lot of time and work hitting the gym, it can be frustrating to have sagging skin where you expected a flat stomach. If you are looking to get rid of that loose skin, seeing an experienced tummy tuck doctor might be an excellent idea.

Can a Tummy Tuck Remove Stomach Fat?

The tummy tuck procedure is not meant for removing abdominal fat.  The surgery is intended to remove excess skin that comes about after prolonged stretching. However, sometimes a tummy tuck may incorporate liposuction to remove unresponsive fat from around your abdomen. Such a procedure enhances more defined results. Doctors recommend that you work towards a standard weight before undergoing tummy tuck surgery. If you are looking to remove excess fat, it would be best to pursue alternative surgical procedures.

Can Belly Fat Come Back After a Tummy Tuck?

After spending a significant amount of money on your tummy tuck procedure, it is only normal to expect the results to last forever. However, it is not that simple. It is advisable to avoid any lifestyle habits that could cause your weight to fluctuate. Tummy tuck results usually last for an indefinite period but like anything good, you have to maintain them. Gaining weight after your procedure could lead to more loose skin, necessitating another surgery.

The rules are the same if you undergo liposuction combined with a tummy tuck. Weight gain will cause nearby fat cells to grow and multiply which can take you right back to where you started. That is why doctors recommend putting off a tummy tuck procedure until you are certain you don’t want more children.

Combining a Tummy Tuck with Other Procedures

While a tummy tuck is sufficient to remove excess loose skin, some people prefer combining their tummy tuck with one or several correspondent procedures to attain dramatic effects. Such combinations also allow doctors to address several problematic areas in one surgical procedure. For instance, some women get the “Mommy makeover surgery” which comprises breast augmentation and a tummy tuck.

Other cosmetic surgical procedures performed together with a tummy tuck include:

• Butt lift
• Lower body lift
• Thigh lift
• Breast lift

Facts You Need to Know About a Tummy Tuck

It Won’t Help You to Lose Weight

A tummy tuck procedure is meant to be performed after you have attained your ideal weight. Although some patients lose some weight from the procedure, that is not its primary purpose. A tummy tuck helps you to regain your original body contouring instead of helping you to lose weight. It is also essential to note that while a tummy cannot remove stretch marks, they may appear lower in the body after the procedure. If your stretchmarks were prevalent on lower loose skin then you are in luck.

Resulting Scars

The location and size of your scar depend on the kind of procedure you need. For instance, most traditional tummy tuck procedures leave you with a scar from one hip to the other. No need to worry though. Your doctor usually does their best to ensure that the scar remains under your bikini line. There will be another scar around your navel because it is moved during the surgery. If you need a little extra skin removed with muscle tightening, a mini tummy tuck might do you good. In this case, your scar will be around the size of a C-Section car.

No Insurance Cover

A tummy tuck surgery, like most cosmetic procedures, is not covered by most medical insurance plans. Some may cover part of the procedure if your surgery rectifies another medical condition. You may also have to spend some money on prescription medication and certain medical supplies before and after the operation.

Everyone deserves to feel comfortable in their skin and if yours is weighing you down, why not get rid of it. We recommend getting your procedure done by a qualified and experienced doctor to avoid infection or botched surgery. While you may not be able to perform your daily activities normally for a few days, the results will certainly be worth it.