What is Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)?
Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) is a surgery to your abdomen to remove unwanted skin and fat, and repair muscles that might not be working well.
What Happens During Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck)?
- General anesthesia or intravenous sedation
- A horizontal incision will be placed between the pubic hairline and the belly button. Underlying weak muscles will be repaired, and excess fat will be removed.
- A second incision around the belly button could be necessary if there is excess skin to remove in the upper belly
- The skin above the belly button is pulled down and trimmed. The skin from the upper belly and the lower belly is stitched together down by the pelvis.
- A new opening for the belly button is created, and your original belly button is sutured into that opening
- Skin adhesives, tapes, or clips could also be used to close the skin incisions
What Can I Expect After Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)?
After abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) you will probably have tightness in the abdomen with some bruising and swelling. You might not have sensations in some areas because some nerves were cut.
As the skin heals it could feel itchy and look shiny.
Your body might look different from side to side.
You will wear a compression garment and have drains in place to remove excess fluid.
Many people will need the compression garment for about a month.
Most people will have the drains removed 1-3 weeks after surgery.
Your doctor will advise you.
By Eight Weeks Post-Op, you shouldn’t have any pain, scars should be healed, and swelling should be gone.
Who Needs Manual Hands-On Therapy After Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)?
Everyone needs manual hands-on therapy after abdominoplasty.
All surgery creates adhesions.
Everyone needs manual hands-on therapy after a tummy tuck even if they don’t have symptoms.
When Can I Start Manual Hands-On Therapy for Adhesions after Abdominoplasty?
You can start manual hands-on therapy for for adhesions from abdominoplasty when your doctor says it is ok.
That is usually about eight weeks post-op after the scars have healed.
What Will Manual Hands-On Therapy Be Like for Adhesions from Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)?
Manual hands-on therapy will involve working on your lymph system, your muscles, your fascia, your organs, and your blood vessels.
The therapy will be applied in a way that you are comfortable with.
Most people will require 10-20 hours of manual therapy to treat adhesions from abdominoplasty (tummy tuck).
Dr. Caroline Peterson will also recommend castor oil packs to help dissolve adhesions at home.
Castor oil packs will be applied 2 hours for 2 days, then take off a day.
You will probably need 8-10 hours of castor oil packs at home.
What is a “Mommy Make Over”?
A Mommy Makeover is a Tummy Tuck combined with a breast lift.
What is Involved in a Mommy Make Over?
In addition to the steps involved in the tummy tuck, you will have something done to the breasts. This could be augmentation, a breast lift, or breast reduction.
Breast Augmentation
- Sedation IV or General Anesthesia
- An incision will be placed either in your arm pit, around the areola, or under the breast.
- The breast implant will be inserted
- The incision will be closed with sutures and skin adhesive or tape will close the skin
Breast Lift/Reduction
- Sedation IV or General Anesthesia
- An incision will be placed either around the areola circumferentially, around the areola then vertically down, or around the areola vertially down then horizontal to breast crease.
- Your doctor will reshape your breast tissue, reposition the nipple and areola, and remove excess skin
- The incision will be closed with sutures, skin adhesives, surgical tape
Is Manual Hands-On Therapy Helpful After a Mommy Makeover?
After a mommy makeover (breast reduction, breast lift, or breast augmentation) all women need manual hands-on therapy for adhesions, and lymphatic drainage.
Because the breast surgery is so close to the area where all the lymph in the body drains, it is important to include lymphatic drainage with the myofascial release of adhesions.
Manual hands-on therapy for adhesions and lymph congestion from a mommy make over will take approximately 15-20 hours.
You will need to use the castor oil packs as with the abdominalplasty without breast surgery.
But you will probably need an additional 4-8 hours of castor oil packs on the chest.