Tummy Tuck or Abdominoplasty

Many women and men ask me about how to hide the scars on an abdominoplasty, and how to prevent contour abnormalities in the abdomen specially the flanks and upper abdomen. In my hands, utilizing my technique, a perfect abdominoplasty is about carefully executing three components. The first one is placing the incision low at the junction of the lower abdomen and upper thighs. The scar should be hidden by the smallest underwear (bikini) that the patient has, so that it is hidden well, and not visible to the eye. The low incision technique along with the principles to minimize scaring (no tension, no gap, and placing the incision in a concave surface) creates a scar that is not noticed in most patients.

The second component is paying careful attention to the creation of the new belly button. Here is where the vision and attention to details of your plastic surgeon play an important and critical role. The female belly button is very different than the male belly button. They have different shapes, which create shadows that will either make the new abdomen look feminine or masculine. The creation of the new umbilicus should not be a “cookie cutter” technique that should be applied to all patients. This is an individualized component, and I spend a significant amount of time creating those subtle differences that lead to superior results. The other important component of the creation of the umbilicus is a technique that I call “scarless umbilicoplasty” in which the scars are inverted and hidden down to the abdominal wall. This technique leads to no scars around the new belly button, and can be done for both males and females.

Lastly, the third component is the adjunct use of liposuction to shape the flanks, the superior part of the abdomen, and the natural wave that creates the youthful hips on females, and the masculine tight abdomen on males. I take my time liposculpting the flanks and lateral aspects of your abdomen where the “roles of skin” always occur. By liposuctioning this area, I break apart the connective tissue that creates the roles of skin, I remove the excess fat, and at the end you end up with a flat and well-contoured side. I call this technique “abdominoplipoplasty”, and when used judiciously is safe, and can be the key component between good results, and a phenomenal one.

Liposuction can be harmful, and if the surgeon is not well trained, or does not know how to perform it safely can lead to disastrous results. There can be life-threatening problems such as bowel perforation or aesthetic catastrophes with ischemia and loss of skin in the abdomen.   These complications are avoided when liposuction is performed using sound principles, and understanding of the blood supply of the abdomen. In the sate of Florida, I cannot remove more than 1 liter of pure fat using liposuction, but the procedure is safe and very helpful.

Using the combination of the three mentioned components respecting key principles is the most powerful way to have outstanding results that cannot be matched with any other technique.