Tummy Tuck Q & A With Dr. Robinson
Should I reach a certain ‘goal weight’ before my tummy tuck?
Tummy tuck surgery (abdominoplasty) works best for individuals who have come as close to their goal weight as possible and have been able to maintain this weight for several months. Abdominoplasty is not a substitute for weight loss and diet and exercise are crucial for maintaining your results. Abdominoplasty is a rewarding surgery for many people and can help you get over the hump that exercise and diet can only partially provide.
The procedure will not only address any excess skin and subcutaneous tissue you have, but also tighten your abdominal (6 pack) muscles and remove some of your stretch marks.
How long after childbirth should I wait?
I do not recommend having the surgery until you are finished having children. Doing so would possibly effect the beneficial results you obtained from the procedure. Although there is no specific time when a tummy tuck should be done following pregnancy, 6 months is considered an appropriate amount of time to wait. At the minimum, 3 months might be considered safe.
The most appropriate time to have a tummy tuck following pregnancy is when A) you have decided not to have more children, and B) when you have lost your pre-pregnancy weight.
There are a few plastic surgeons (they are definitely in the minority) who will perform a tummy tuck at the same surgical setting as the delivery. The potential problem with this is the patient has not lost her pregnancy weight and when she does so, may experience less than optimal results.
Can I remove stretch marks with a tummy tuck?
Unfortunately, there is no good solution for addressing stretch marks other than their surgical removal. The amount of stretch marks that are able to be removed depends on the amount of skin that is able to be removed during a tummy tuck. Depending on the elasticity of your skin, you may be able to have some of the stretch marks removed that extend above your belly button.
