Full Abdominoplasty Sussex, UK

Tummy tuck aims to restore a more youthful, toned tummy which has been affected by ageing, pregnancy and weight gain that all take their toll on your shape, especially around the waist and hips. Skin laxity and extra fat contribute to the heavy abdomen and hips making it difficult to wear the clothes you want and sometimes contributing to lower back pain or poor posture. What is a Tummy Tuck? Tummy tuck is a plastic surgical procedure which removes excess fat and loose skin around the lower abdomen between the navel (belly button) and the pants line.  Skin from the upper abdomen is stretched downwards to replace the removed skin and the navel is stitched into position.  This greatly improves the abdominal contour. What is a Mini Tummy Tuck? A few patients have a very small skin roll which is confined to the lowest section of the abdominal wall.  In these cases is is possible to simply remove the small roll of skin without the need to reposition the navel.  This is a less extensive procedure, taking approximately half the time of a full abdominoplasty.  It leaves scar in the pants line, as does the abdominoplasty but no surgical scar is present around the navel.  It may be possible to do this as an awake ‘local anaesthetic’ operation although general anaesthetic remains preferable.  Other aspects of the surgery are similar to a full abdominoplasty - see below. Does the surgery require a general anaesthetic or hospitalisation? Tummy tuck surgery is done under general anaesthetic, as a day case or a one-night-stay procedure. How long is the procedure? Tummy tuck normally takes approximately 3 hours to complete depending on the complexity of the surgery. 

The results of Abdominoplasty (tummy-tuck) can be refined significantly if it is combined with liposuction to the upper abdomen and flanks; frequently patients may also ask to have the 'love-handles' treated and this gives a better aesthetic curve to the hips especially when viewed from behind.

What is Liposuction? Liposuction is the removal of fat from the layers underneath the skin.  Fat layer thickness varies considerably between individuals and in different zones of the body.  The shape of the body can be altered and improved by removing fat from selected areas.  Your contour in clothes will typically be improved but the appearance of your bare skin may not be smooth because the skin does not tighten predictably once the underlying fat has been removed by liposuction. How would I be helped by liposuction? If you would like to change the profile of your body and this has not been achievable with diet and exercise then liposuction may be helpful for you.  ‘Love handles’ above the hips, ‘saddle bags’ overlying the hips, inner thighs, inner knees, back rolls, neck, tummy and ‘man-boobs’ may all be reshaped with liposuction.  Although it is not essential to be at ‘ideal body weight’, liposuction is not intended as an alternative to being a healthy weight so it not appropriate for patients who are significantly overweight and looking to lose weight through surgery. Liposuction relies on your own skin being elastic enough to shrink once fat has been removed.  This effect is impossible to predict accurately.  If your skin elasticity is reduced, liposuction will result in wrinkles, folds or uneven skin - typically the skin loses its elasticity increasing age, sun exposure, cigarette use and stretch (pregnancy / weight-gain). Liposuction does not treat cellulite; in fact, liposuction can leave the skin with a slightly uneven appearance similar to cellulite. In summary, liposuction will definitely reduce overall bulk and change the outline contour but there are often imperfections in the flatness of the bare skin afterwards.

A classic full abdominoplasty is from anterior hip to anterior hip, whereas an extended abdominoplasty includes the skin around the flanks. 

Tummy tuck varieties increase from mini, to full or extended abdomionplasty, through to 360 abdominoplasty which goes all the way around to fleur de lys which involves a bikini line scar along with a vertical midline scar.