What it Is; What it Does
Abdominoplasty is done to remove excess skin and fat from the stomach area. It also results in tightening of the abdominal wall muscles. The result? This procedure can significantly reduce the protrusion of the mid- and lower-sections of the stomach.
Serious Surgery
While the euphemism 'tummy tuck' may sound benign, abdominoplasty is in fact a major surgery. Loose skin is removed, skin that has stretch marks may also be removed, and the abdominal muscles are tightened up with sutures. 2
Possible Side Effects
The surgery results in permanent scarring and carries risk factors such as suture rupture, slow healing, seroma, bleeding, 1 and adverse reactions to anesthesia. Serious complications, however, are fairly unusual for abdominoplasty.
Insurance & Costs
Since this procedure is considered an aesthetic one (for appearance's sake, not health), it is not generally covered by insurance. According to Smart Tummy Tucks.com, the average cost of the tummy tuck itself can range between $5,000 to $9,000, not including related fees. 3 The charges vary somewhat among individual patients.
If you are still interested in this procedure, talk it over with your physician and ask her to refer you to a qualified bariatric surgeon in your area. You may also wish to visit http://www.smarttummytuck.com.
Thanks for sending in your question. Good luck with your weight loss efforts!
1 Smart Plastic Surgery.com: http://www.smartplasticsurgery.com/tummytucks.html risks/complications, 14 October 2004.
2 Surgery.org: Tummy Tuck: http://www.surgery.org/public/procedures-tummytuck4.php, 12 January 2005.
3 Smart Tummy Tuck.com: Costs: http://www.smarttummytucks.com/costs.html, 18 January 2005.
