What Is A Tummy Tuck?

You want to look great wherever you go, whether that be hitting the latest club wearing your “just in, right now” fashion, or at one of our local beaches in your favorite swimwear. Unfortunately, excess and sagging abdominal skin can cause some uncomfortable feelings while wearing tight shirts or bikinis. If you want to eliminate sagging skin around your midsection and are in West Hollywood or Hollywood, then a tummy tuck from William Bruno Plastic Surgery can help.

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A variety of common factors can cause your belly to be less than slim and trim, leading to sagging abdominal skin. Significant weight loss, which should be something to celebrate, often leaves men and women with excess skin that needs to be surgically addressed. For women, pregnancy can stretch the skin so much that it doesn’t bounce back the way nature designed it. Everyone’s favorite cause – genetics – can leave you with an abdomen you just don’t love. A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, can address these concerns and provide a more sculpted, attractive body contour.* William Bruno Plastic Surgery provides tummy tucks for our patients.

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Tummy Tuck Beverly Hills?

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Tummy Tuck Explained

BY DR.BRUNO

Why Choose Dr. Bruno?

When performing tummy tuck surgery, plastic surgeon Dr. William Bruno uses both his artist’s eye and his years of technical training to make you look like the absolute best version of yourself. First, he eliminates excess skin and fatty deposits from the abdomen. Then he repositions the muscles of the abdomen to create a flatter, tighter abdominal area. This approach can be especially effective in cases where the vertical abdominal muscles have weakened, often called separated abdominal muscles and medically known as diastasis recti, which often happens as the result of pregnancy or significant weight gain.

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*Individual results may vary

VIEW THE TUMMY TUCK GALLERY

Your Initial Consultation With Dr. Bruno

If you are near West Hollywood and you think you’re ready to take the plunge and get a tummy tuck to finally rid your abdomen of unwanted excess and loose abdominal skin, then it’s time to make an appointment at William Bruno Plastic Surgery. During this initial consultation, Dr. Bruno will examine your abdomen and take your medical history to determine if you are an ideal candidate for this elective plastic surgery procedure. He has strict criteria for potential patients to meet to ensure their overall health and well-being and determine if he can deliver them the results they desire. These requirements include:

  • Having a stable weight
  • Being in good overall medical health, sharing your full medical history with Dr. Bruno, and being able to pass a preoperative appointment with your general practitioner
  • Listening to Dr. Bruno explain the tummy tuck procedure to you and communicating back to him that you understand the basics of the surgery in layman’s terms
  • Communicating to Dr. Bruno that you have realistic expectations for your surgery based on your unique surgical treatment plan
  • Being in good psychological health
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Dr. William Bruno

BOARD CERTIFIED PLASTIC SURGEON

There’s so much more to being a great surgeon than just board certification. Not only is Dr. Bruno board-certified, but he also focuses on patient education and making sure you understand everything about the procedure of your choosing. Click the button to see what else makes Dr. William Bruno unique.

Meet Dr. Bruno

Your Experience On The Day Of Surgery

When the big day finally comes, you’ll arrive at your predetermined surgical center having fasted since midnight before, or at least 12 hours, whichever is longer. Fasting before elective plastic surgery is important, as having food in your stomach may negatively impact your experience with general anesthesia, the strong sedative that will put you to sleep for your tummy tuck.

When the time is ready, you’ll be called back to a preoperative room where you’ll change into your surgical garments, have your vital signs monitored by a team of preoperative nurses and medical technicians, and await your turn for Dr. Bruno to use his technical know-how and artistic skill on you!

How A Tummy Tuck Works

Tummy tuck surgery can take from two to three hours. When you first enter the operating room, you’ll be placed on your surgical bed and be administered general anesthesia by a licensed anesthesiologist. Throughout your surgery, your anesthesiologist will monitor your vital signs to ensure you are perfectly asleep and healthy during your procedure.

Dr. Bruno begins the tummy tuck by making an incision just above the pubic bone area. This incision travels horizontally over the lower abdomen, from one hip to another. Next, Dr. Bruno removes the excess skin from the abdomen, and then he addresses the abdominal muscles. He tightens the area using a series of specialized sutures, which gives extra strength and support to the muscles. The result is a firmer, flatter waistline.

Following a pregnancy, most women have a weakened abdominal wall. This means that the abdominal muscles are displaced toward each side which causes the lower abdominal bulge commonly seen in women. Permanent sutures are required to realign the muscles to provide a more flat abdomen. If the muscles are not tightened in this way, achieving a truly flat abdominal contour is impossible.

The procedure typically includes a few additional steps:

  • Bruno will reposition the belly button to give it a natural appearance on the new abdomen.
  • Tummy tuck patients may also receive liposuction in their love handles to get the narrow waistline they want.
  • At the conclusion of surgery, Dr. Bruno places plastic drains under the skin to prevent fluid collection (these are typically removed within a week following surgery.)

Factors To Consider For A Tummy Tuck

If you have excess skin and stretch marks, then you likely are a candidate for a tummy tuck at William Bruno Plastic Surgery. However, if your skin tone is good, then liposuction may be a better option. During your pre-surgical consultations with Dr. Bruno, he will conduct a medical examination so that he can recommend the best approach.

Tummy tuck patients from West Hollywood often want to know where their scar will be and how it will appear. Surgery typically leaves a horizontal scar along the lower pubic bone area. This location means that the scar is usually not visible above the bikini line.

A tummy tuck scar usually takes from six months to one year to fade and lighten in color to its final state. Each patient’s final scar quality depends in part on his or her skin quality, skin color, and ethnicity. Dr. Bruno recommends silicone gel and silicone tape to patients to improve the appearance of the scar.

Results And Recovery For Dr. Bruno’s Tummy Tuck Patients

Following surgery, you can expect to wear an abdominal binder or girdle for about four weeks; this helps define the contour of your abdomen and support the surgical site. The stitches Dr. Bruno uses will dissolve on their own; during one of several follow-up medical appointments, Dr. Bruno will remove the plastic drains.

After surgery, most patients take one or two weeks off from work. During this initial recovery time, you won’t be able to do any heavy lifting at all, including small children you may have at home. If you do have young children, Dr. Bruno recommends you enlist to help of family or friends to care for them (and you!) while you are recovering.

If you are employed in an office, you may be able to return after one week depending on how you feel. Most tummy tuck patients will take oral pain medication for about one week as well to manage any discomfort they may feel.

You should be able to see the results of your surgery immediately*. As the swelling goes down over the months that follow your tummy tuck, you will be able to enjoy a more sculpted, slender physique.

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Tummy Tuck Frequently Asked Questions

Tummy tuck surgery, or abdominoplasty, is a relatively common plastic surgery procedure for patients with hanging skin or fat on their stomach. The excess skin may be the result of losing a lot of weight. Also, women who have had children tend to have excess skin and stubborn fat deposits around their stomachs. They usually have soft, loose skin that hangs down over the pubic area. It can be a problem with hygiene and trying to find clothes that fit. If a patient finds themselves frustrated with their abdomen, then they may be a good candidate for a tummy tuck.

At a glance, candidates seeking a tummy tuck should:

  • Have a stable weight.
  • Be in good overall medical health.
  • Listen to Dr. Bruno and communicate an understanding of the surgery and its implications.
  • Communicate expectations of the surgery and listen to the possible outcomes.
  • Be in good psychological health.

If these apply, perhaps a tummy tuck is the correct choice. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Bruno today to find out.

A tummy tuck compression garment is a heavily elasticized cloth that stretches around your midsection, much like a girdle. It fits tightly, applying even and constant pressure on the abdominal region. The garment typically covers the area below the pectorals or breasts, and down to the hips or pelvic area — everywhere that was treated during the tummy tuck, including the immediate surrounding area.

Patients who have received a tummy tuck will be told to wear a compression garment after a tummy tuck because it helps quite a bit in the recovery after abdominoplasty. Dr. Bruno recommends wearing this abdominal binder for about 4 weeks post-surgery to help bind the area, protect it from damage, define the contour of the abdomen and support the surgical site.

In addition, a garment can aid in the circulation of blood in and around the surgical area. This better blood flow can increase the rate of healing and aid patients in recovering faster.

This is all in addition to the comfort gains of compressing the cut area. Incisions can hurt if they are stretched or pulled, the compression garment protects from those uncomfortable pains.

Dr. Bruno will consult with patients about their needs and what kind of garments they should wear post tummy tuck. With the right tools, recovery is fast, simple, and painless.

A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty surgery, can mean a large change in the lifestyle of patients for a little while after the surgery, and improvements for a long time after that. Patients, however, will often be concerned about the impacts on lifestyle that the surgery will pose. What can they expect to experience after a tummy tuck?

A tummy tuck generally removes and folds tissue to realign the contour of the abdomen. Like all surgery, it does include an incision. To bind the area, increase circulation, contour the body, and alleviate stretching pains, patients will be told to wear an abdominal binding girdle for up to 4 weeks post-surgery. This may or may not be slightly uncomfortable to wear, but overall the time is painless, and the binder is important for recovery.

Taking up to 2 weeks off from work is regular for tummy tuck patients. The disruption to daily activities necessitates some recovery downtime. Enlisting family and friends is important so that the patient can recover fully before straining themselves or the incision site. Office workers probably only need a week off but should be careful not to strain themselves.

Overall, patients who receive a Tummy Tuck from Dr. Bruno can expect to see their results within days and will enjoy their new physique once the swelling subsides around a month post-surgery. Once that’s done, patients can enjoy their sculpted body for many years afterward.

Tummy Tuck surgery, or abdominoplasty, can flatten the abdomen by removing loose, excess fat and skin and tightening muscles in the abdominal wall. It can also remove some if not all of the stretch marks in the lower abdomen. It is popular following pregnancy, massive weight loss or whenever a flabby abdomen with weak muscles impairs body contour. Most patients report improved self-esteem as a result of this procedure.

Of course, loose abdominal skin can be tightened with tummy tuck surgery. Whether the skin results from pregnancy, extreme or mild weight loss, tissue damage, or congenital defects, a tummy tuck can solve these concerns.

There are some confounding factors that may limit the effectiveness of a tummy tuck, however. The first and foremost is a concern that tummy tuck surgery is a singular surgery, and it cannot solve long-term reoccurring issues. Patients with weight issues will find that their weight will return, and the skin will stretch again if health is not prioritized.

Likewise, mothers who have children will stretch their stomachs again, and it is not guaranteed that the skin will return to its pre-pregnancy shape. In all of these cases, a tummy tuck can be undone.

However, for those patients with a commitment to health and looking their best, finding a good doctor for tummy tuck surgery is as simple as scheduling a consultation with board-certified Dr. Bruno today.

Schedule a Consultation with Dr. Bruno Today

Being unhappy with your body image doesn’t have to be a permanent situation. Even though there’s no way you can diet and exercise your way out of loose and sagging abdominal skin, a tummy tuck can resolve these issues for many qualified surgical candidates*.

Contact William Bruno Plastic Surgery today to talk to a tummy tuck doctor serving West Hollywood and Hollywood! Call (310) 461-3855.

*Individual results may vary

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