Five Tummy Tuck Myths

By Larry H. Lickstein, MD, FACS

Elle Aesthetic Arts & Plastic Surgery

. https://www.elleaestheticarts.com/

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Five Tummy Tuck Myths

“Tummy tuck” is the common term used to refer to the surgical procedure known as an abdominoplasty. The procedure can be a very effective method to restore a smooth, flat tummy in patients whose fit appearance has been altered by pregnancy, weight change, or age.

1. If I work out enough, I will not need a tummy tuck

Simply put, life happens to all of us. We gain weight and lose weight. We may have a baby. We may have a few. We age and our muscles change. How (and where) we store fat changes, and how (and where) we burn off fat may change. Our skin ages and loses elasticity. While diet and exercise are critical to healthy aging, they cannot prevent or reverse all the changes life and genetics have in store for us. Consequently, abdominoplasty can be an ideal adjunct to a healthy lifestyle by removing excess fat and loose skin to regain a healthy, fit appearance.

2. Tummy tucks are only for women

Statistics confirm that male plastic surgery has been on the rise for years, as men recognize the importance of looking healthy and fit in their personal and professional lives. Furthermore, as men age they often struggle to obtain a flat belly, even with a fitness regimen, due to genetics. It simply is a “problem area” for men, much like outer thighs may be for women. More and more men are now recognizing that there may be surgical solutions, and with their abdominoplasties they are considering liposuction of the “love handles” for a more complete transformation.

3. Abdominoplasty is a
weight loss procedure

Tummy tucks, as with most plastic surgery procedures, are about shapes, contours, and silhouettes, not pounds and ounces. Consider that body weight is primarily water, then muscle and bone. Removing skin and fat from the abdomen can produce notable changes in appearance, but these tissues simply are not that dense, consequently producing limited affects on weight.

4. I need to wait to have all my children before considering a tummy tuck

While this statement may have had more validity years ago, in this age of bariatric surgery, many women are choosing to undergo procedures before having children. It is not uncommon to see relatively young female patients who have achieved weight loss exceeding 100 lbs. While proud of their accomplishments, many have replaced their concern and embarrassment about obesity, with concern and embarrassment about loose skin. More and more of these patients are choosing to address these concerns, and to embrace a better quality of life, prior to having children.

5. I’m too old to have
a tummy tuck

Fortunately, select older individuals may be candidates for elective surgery. Health problems need to be medically supervised and controlled, but most surgeons care more about a patients “physiologic age” than “chronologic age.” A 65 year old that walks the mall for an hour a day may be a better surgical candidate that a 45 year old smoker with diabetes.