Tummy Tuck

We spend millions of dollars each year on exercise equipment, workout videos and countless diet products that promise to give us a flatter, firmer tummy in just weeks. Unfortunately most of these products prove to be more hype than help. For many men and women no amount of dieting or exercise can eliminate a bulging abdomen or sagging abdominal skin.

The tummy tuck or abdominoplasty, is designed to tighten loose muscle and remove excess fat and skin in the abdomen commonly caused by pregnancy and fluctuations in weight. Depending on the extent of correction required, surgery may involve a full tummy tuck a partial tummy tuck (often combined with liposuction) or the removal of skin and fat only.

What it can improve

The abdomen is known to be highly resilient. In time, however, pregnancy, fluctuations in weight abdominal surgery and gravity can take a tremendous toll on its ability to retain a youthful-looking shape. While following a good exercise program and healthy eating habits can go a long way in improving physical and mental well-being, they can't repair abdominal muscle and skin that has been stretched beyond the point where it can return to normal naturally. The only effective form of treatment is surgery.

A tummy tuck tightens weakened muscles and removes the adjacent fat that can cause the abdomen to protrude. It can also eliminate excess skin which, in some cases, forms an apron in the lower abdomen, causing rashes and infections. For the vast majority of patients, the end result of surgery is a flatter, smoother tummy than they have seen in years.

In as much as it can leave you with a shapelier waistline, the operation has its limitations. Unlike various types of gastric surgery, the tummy tuck is not intended as a means of weight reduction. It will not slim your hips or buttocks, and it might not leave your abdomen perfectly flat. Liposuction may be necessary to eliminate stubborn fat deposits.

Furthermore, a tummy tuck will not eliminate all stretch marks, cellulite or previous scars. These are conditions of the skin, and only those imperfections located in the skin that is removed during surgery will disappear. A tummy tuck can, however, dramatically improve your midsection, and this can help you fit into clothes better and feel really good about yourself.