Abdominoplasty, widely known as “tummy tuck surgery”, is a surgical procedure that involves removing excess skin and fat from the lower and middle abdomen and tightening the muscles of the abdominal wall, which can significantly improve the appearance of a bulging abdomen. However, you must keep in mind that this procedure will create a permanent scar on the abdomen, the length of which depends on the amount of skin and fat that needs to be removed from the abdomen, and it can be as long as from one side of the waist to the other. If you are considering abdominoplasty, the following will be a basic introduction to the timing of the surgery, how it is performed and what to expect from the surgery. However, not all questions can be answered because there are many factors that affect the results of abdominoplasty surgery, including patient and surgeon factors, so if you have questions that you do not understand, you can consult an experienced plastic surgeon in detail. A, those who are most suitable for abdominoplasty The most suitable for abdominoplasty are those who want to have a perfect body, but want to be a lot of fat accumulation in the abdomen or puffy belly troubled and do not want to diet or exercise men and women. For those women who have given birth to children, pregnancy has caused them to overstretch the muscles and skin of the abdomen beyond the limits of what can be restored to a perfect body shape, and abdominoplasty allows them to achieve a full restoration of normal abdominal shape. In some older patients, the skin of the abdomen has become so loose that even exercise or dieting cannot restore the shape of the abdomen, and abdominoplasty can be used to tighten the abdomen. For those women who plan to become pregnant in the future, they should consider having the surgery after childbirth because pregnancy can cause the vertical abdominal muscles that were tightened during the abdominoplasty to split again. Abdominoplasty can improve the appearance of your abdomen and increase your self-confidence, but it cannot completely change your entire body shape or make others treat you differently. Before you decide to have abdominoplasty, make sure you think carefully about what you want to ask for and discuss it with a plastic surgeon who has experience in abdominoplasty. Secondly, all surgery has risks and some uncertainties At LMI, dozens of abdominoplasty procedures are performed every year by plastic surgeons trained in body contouring who have stayed in Korea, and the results are usually quite satisfactory. But no matter what, there are always certain risks and complications associated with the surgery. Post-operative complications such as infection or blood clots are very rare, but can occur. Infections can be controlled with drainage and antibiotic treatment, but this will prolong your hospital stay. You may be able to get off the floor nearly as early as possible after surgery to reduce the risk of blood clots. Poor healing of the incision may result in significant postoperative scarring, which may require another minor surgery to remove the significant abdominal scar. Carefully following your surgeon’s orders before and after surgery will reduce the incidence of complications. Especially after surgery regarding when and how you should start activities and exercises. Plan your surgery When you first see your surgeon, your plastic surgeon will assess your health, the accumulation of abdominal fat and the degree of skin laxity. At this point you must tell your doctor about whether you smoke, are undergoing medical treatment, and are taking medications (including vitamins, etc.). Be very honest with your doctor about your expectations and your doctor will also be honest with you about the changes you can expect after surgery, the risks of the procedure and some of the changes that can and cannot be achieved. For example, if your abdominal fat is only accumulating in the lower umbilicus, you may just need an uncomplicated partial abdominoplasty, which can be performed in an outpatient operating room. Alternatively, if the abdominoplasty or partial abdominoplasty is then performed in conjunction with a tummy tuck, you will have better results in terms of shaping your abdomen. The surgeon will explain to you which procedure they recommend you should use, i.e. abdominoplasty, partial abdominoplasty or simple tummy tuck, which will most closely match the shape of your desired abdomen. Also the doctor will tell you what kind of anesthesia (general or local) should be used and approximately how much it will cost, etc., depending on your situation. The doctor will tell you how to prepare for the surgery, which includes your diet and certain medications. If you smoke, you should quit smoking for at least 1-2 weeks before surgery and not smoke for at least 2 weeks after surgery; if you have an infection or cold, you should also postpone the surgery to avoid affecting the wound healing and prolonging your hospital stay. If the surgeon chooses general anesthesia, you will be asleep during the whole surgery and will not feel anything. If you choose local anesthesia, you will be awake during the operation, but you will not feel any pain in the operation area, but you may feel some discomfort occasionally. VI. Procedure Depending on the extent of the abdominal surgery, a complete abdominoplasty usually takes 2 to 5 hours and a partial abdominoplasty takes 1 to 2 hours. Generally the surgeon will make an incision in the lower abdomen, above the pubic bone, from one hip to the other hip, and another circumferential incision around the umbilicus; in the case of partial abdominoplasty, it is not necessary to make such a long incision, nor is it necessary to make an incision around the umbilicus. The surgeon then lifts the skin of the abdomen by separating it upward to the rib cage, exposing the longitudinal rectus abdominis muscles and fixing them in their new position by pulling them tightly towards the center with sutures, which will make the abdomen firmer and allow tightening of the waist (for the purpose of abdominal reduction). The skin that has been lifted is pulled tightly downward, excess skin and fatty tissue is removed, and finally the incision is closed, drainage is placed and the wound is dressed. Some abdominoplasty surgery only separates the skin on both sides of the incision, then tightens the skin, removes the excess tissue and then sutures it. The first few days after surgery, the abdomen will swell and you will feel some pain and discomfort in the wound, which will be controlled with medication. Depending on the extent of the surgery, you may be able to leave the hospital a few hours after the surgery or stay in the hospital for a few days. Your doctor will tell you about when you need to change the dressing and when you can shower. Although you will not be able to stand up straight and walk immediately after surgery, you should get off the floor nearly as early as possible. The stitches in the skin are usually removed 7 to 10 days after surgery, and the stitches inside the skin will emerge on their own 2 to 3 weeks after surgery. After the stitches are removed, you can replace the dressing of the wrap with elastic pants. VIII. Normal recovery It will take about a few weeks or months after surgery for you to fully recover to the same level as you were before. If you are in good physical condition and have well-developed muscles, you will return to normal very quickly. Some people can return to normal work 10 days after surgery, while others need to rest for 3 to 4 weeks before they can return to work. Exercise will make your recovery better. Even people who have never exercised before surgery should start exercising after surgery to get rid of swelling as soon as possible, reduce the chance of blood clots and increase muscle strength. However, you should still avoid strenuous exercise until you have fully recovered. The scarring of the abdomen may be noticeable for 1 to 6 months after removal of the stitches, which is a normal physiological process. It usually takes 9 months to 1 year for the abdominal scar to flatten out and fade in color. Although the scar is hidden and can be covered by most clothing and even shorts, you must remember that the scar cannot disappear completely at any time. A new and perfect body shape Whether it is a complete abdominoplasty or a partial abdominoplasty, excellent results can be achieved for men and women who have sagging abdominal muscles and excess skin. The results of abdominoplasty can be maintained if you are able to exercise and control your diet after surgery. If you are realistic in your expectations and are prepared for lasting abdominal scarring and a recovery time after surgery, then abdominoplasty is the right choice for you to address the shape of your abdomen.