Preparing for tummy tuck surgery
July 18, 2012

While choosing a licensed, board-certified plastic surgeon is crucial to ensuring patient safety as well as a positive outcome, those pursuing surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures can do their part to help guarantee their success as well.
Preparing for a successful tummy tuck surgery - also known as abdominoplasty - involves being physically fit and as healthy as possible before going under the knife.
"The best abdominoplasty candidates are within 15 percent of their ideal weight," the website DocShop.com advises. "Abdominoplasty can lead to dramatic improvements in the appearance of people with small, but stubborn, fat deposits and loose, sagging skin around the abdomen. It is not, however, necessarily the best choice for seriously overweight patients."
Maintaining a healthy diet before surgery can also help ensure a faster recovery, as it helps keep the immune system stay strong. And while taking vitamins can also strengthen one's immunity, those preparing for any type of surgery should discuss what types of vitamin, herbal supplements and other medications they are taking with their physician, as certain substances can negatively affect healing.
"Vitamin E can interfere with the body's blood clotting response, causing increased bleeding during surgery," DocShop.com stated. "The same is true of aspirin and some NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). The use of birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy, and some forms of post-cancer treatment medication may also involve an increased risk of complications during or after surgery."
Additionally, those preparing for surgery should stop smoking in advance of their procedure to help aid healing.
According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), because the surgery is often done on an outpatient basis, it is important that patients have someone to drive them home and stay with them for a few days following the procedure. In addition, those who undergo the surgery should plan to get up and take short walks in the days immediately afterward to promote circulation.
Tummy tuck surgery is a good option for individuals who have excess or sagging skin on the abdomen that cannot be eliminated with exercise and diet. It works by removing excess fat and skin and tightening the stomach muscles.
ASAPS reports that tummy tuck procedures were one of the most common cosmetic plastic surgery procedures performed by member doctors in 2011. In all, more than 149,000 individuals underwent the procedure.
ASAPS reports the average cost for the surgery in 2011 was $5,278. RealSelf.com says that 95 percent of individuals who have undergone a tummy tuck procedure say it was "worth it."
The mission of the Aesthetic Society includes medical education, public education and patient advocacy. Plastic Surgery News Briefs are summaries of current stories found through various news and magazine outlets that relate to or mention plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures. The views expressed in these news articles do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Aesthetic Society, but are merely published as an educational service to our members and the general public. For additional information on these subjects and other plastic surgery related topics, please go to www.surgery.org
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The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, is recognized as the world's leading organization devoted entirely to aesthetic plastic surgery and cosmetic medicine of the face and body. The Aesthetic Society is comprised of over 2,600 Plastic Surgeons; Active Members are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (USA) or by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and have extensive training in the complete spectrum of surgical and nonsurgical aesthetic procedures. International Active Members are certified by equivalent boards of their respective countries. All members worldwide adhere to a strict Code of Ethics and must meet stringent membership requirements.
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