An abdominoplasty or “tummy tuck” removes excess skin from the abdomen and at the same time if required, tightens the abdominal muscles creating a tighter, younger looking abdomen.
This procedure is available at River Medical Dublin and River Medical Belfast.
An abdominoplasty or “tummy tuck” removes excess skin from the abdomen and at the same time if required, tightens the abdominal muscles creating a tighter, younger looking abdomen. Generally, patients will present with muscles that have been damaged as a result of the ageing process, lack of exercise, weight loss; and for women after multiple pregnancies.
An incision is made in the lower abdomen and the excess skin is pulled down and inward and is removed along with underlying fatty tissue. The muscles are tightened as required and the skin is then carefully re-draped and the incision closed. The incision is quite low down, on the bikini/groin area and usually goes hip to hip. Prior to a tummy tuck procedure patients must maintain a stable weight for 9 to 12 months.
A key aspect of preparing for any surgery is that Your surgeon understands your desires and expectations. At your initial consultation, your consultant will explain the tummy tuck procedure in great detail, discuss your expectations and what he/she can achieve for you. It is important for you to be fully informed and to have realistic expectations of the results.
Your surgeon will also want to evaluate your current physical health and health history, ensuring you are a suitable candidate for surgery. Because this is an elective procedure, you and Your surgeon will naturally carefully discuss the benefits and risks involved, as is the case with any surgical procedure.
An incision is made in the lower abdomen and the excess skin is pulled down and inward and is removed along with underlying fatty tissue. The muscles are tightened as required and the skin is then carefully re-draped and the incision closed. The procedure is usually performed under general anaesthesia, takes between 2-3 hours and is carried out as a day case procedure.
You will need someone to take you home when you are discharged by the Surgeon as you will not be able to drive. You may have bruising or swelling around the areas that were treated. Your surgeon will tell you more about the typical recovery process and may make recommendations based on your individual case but by and large expect to take between 2-3 weeks off work. If your job is physical you may require more time. Everyone recovers differently but you can rest assured that we will monitor you closely to ensure the swiftest, safest and most comfortable recovery.
Cost should not be a deciding factor with an elective surgery. Trust, experience and aftercare are absolutely key, and River Medical is widely recognised as the industry leader in Ireland. We are also proud to say that we adhere to the strictest of ethical guidelines and believe that only highly trained medical staff should advise on cosmetic procedures – be it surgical or non-surgical.
You will meet with one of our consultant plastic surgeons who will discuss everything with you including your expectations and desires, the tummy tuck procedure, the best type of procedure, the results as well as any possible eventualities.
You will need to take 2-3 weeks off work after your surgery. If your job is physical you may require more time. You may experience swelling and soreness of the abdomen after the procedure but this will be managed with the support of your consultant plastic surgeon and River Medical registered general nurse. We encourage patients to get back to their normal life as soon as it feels comfortable for them. We feel that this really promotes and aids a speedy and successful recovery. Everyone recovers differently but you can rest assured that we will monitor you closely to ensure the swiftest, safest and most comfortable recovery.
Your consultant will assess your suitability for abdominoplasty and recommend the best treatment for you at your initial consultation. Generally if you have excess skin and pockets of diet and exercise resistant fat then you could well be a suitable candidate.
Preparation will begin with an initial consultation with your consultant plastic surgeon, followed by a meeting with one of our registered general nurses. Each one will go through every aspect of the surgery in great detail. Prior to surgery you will return for a further comprehensive pre-operative assessment with your River Medical nurse. Your consultant will be available to you right up until your surgery should you wish to see him/her again.
Your surgery will be carried at our sister company clinic, the Fitzwilliam Private Clinic in Belfast, where thousands of procedures have been carried out for more than a decade
Our consultant plastic surgeons use very fine specialist stitching which minimises scarring. He/she will discuss this in great detail with you at your initial consultation. He/she will also show you actual photographs of similar incision sites that he/she has carried out on other patients
We are widely regarded as being the industry leader in cosmetic surgery. At River Medical, we never compromise on the level of care and attention we give each and every one of our patients, every time, and we are committed to you from procedure right through to your 24/7 aftercare.
Before and after pictures on websites can be misleading as they may not be patients of the surgeon who will be carrying out your surgery. As every person has completely different expectations and different treatment requirements, it is a much more valuable tool for your consultant plastic surgeon to show you pictures of surgeries that he/she has carried out and discuss similar cases to your own, as well as the results that he/she can achieve for you and your body..
At River Medical, we will always endeavour to provide patients with the best possible solution. With this in mind if there is a non-surgical alternative, this will be discussed with you by your consultant plastic surgeon. There is a non-surgical and non-invasive fat removal treatment called Coolsculpt and skin tightening treatment called Thermage which can be discussed as an alternative to a tummy tuck should you be deemed a suitable candidate.
