5 Great advances in tummy tuck surgery that everyone needs to know

After pregnancies, abdominal strength and contour change permanently. While some women are left with just mild weakness, others can have severe skin excess, stretch marks, separated muscles, and stubborn fatty deposits that will not improve with exercises. 

The good news is that the treatment options are better than ever. Here are the advances in abdominoplasty that every one affected by pregnancy or weight loss changes should know: 

#1) Not everyone needs a scar a scar around the belly button. 

Most tummy  contour procedures require some skin removal to tighten and tone up. While older procedures required a bulls-eye shaped scar around the belly button, that scar is no longer needed in many patients. If you are close to your ideal body weight, then removing skin, some muscle tightening, and lipo sculpting can all be done through a lower incision— same as a c-section scar, just longer. This makes a HUGE cosmetic difference. 

#2) You do not need an overnight hospital stay or hotel with a private nurse. 

With modern anesthesia techniques, recovery is faster than ever. For the past 8 years at the Rye Ambulatory Surgery Center, Dr. Suzman has performed over 2500 surgeries with patients safely going home a few hours after surgery. Complications can be lower with outpatient surgery. Patients walk sooner and more, take less narcotic medications, sleep better in their own bed, and avoid hospital infections. 

3) Liposuction techniques are gentler, safer and better than ever. 

Water assisted liposuction with the Body Jet system, developed in Germany, results in less bruising, minimal to no pain, and improved sculpting. There is also less chance of skin injury and contour problems versus laser liposuction or smart lipo. More gentle fat removal allows for what is called lipoabdominoplasty, where the abdomen areas are gently reduced of fat and then precise skin removal and improved tightening can occur. The best results in tummy tuck surgery require safety and artistry, and lipoabdominoplasty does just that. Dr. Suzman’s tummy tuck reviews confirm our patients' delight with this technique.

4) Fat Grafting from fat removed during a domino pasty can be used as the ultimate wrinkle filler, with long-lasting, superior results to office injectables. 

Who would've thought that all the fat removed from liposuction is liquid gold? Compared to Juvederm and Restylane fillers, fat transfer to the cheek and face area is near miraculous. It is your own living tissue, soft and natural appearing, restoring volume to areas that have sunken over time. Fat grafting is the ultimate in subtle, natural facial rejuvenation. Using the Body Jet system, Dr. Suzman performs liposuction to the upper and lateral abdomen and thigh areas or back rolls as needed. The fat is filtered, placed in small syringes and injected to the cheek, nasolabial folds, marionette lines, or even the breast for small augmentations. Most of the fat lives in its new site happily, and new blood vessels grow into the fat. Growth factors and stem cells result in improved blood supply and support to the skin, resulting in fewer wrinkles and dramatically improved skin contour and texture.

5) Breast surgery at the same time as abdominoplasty can be done in under 3.5 hours. 

Many tummy tuck patients request breast surgery at the same time to correct aging and pregnancy related changes. While combo surgery is not always possible, it can be safely done in healthy patients who are near their ideal body weight ( BMI - body mass index- under 30). The key to multiple area plastic surgery is getting a great result in the safest possible manner with the easiest possible recovery. Balancing these priorities requires a skillful, highly trained and experienced plastic surgery team. The mommy makeover procedure can be highly gratifying and safe, though prolonged surgery has serious risks. Dr. Suzman and his outstanding team will typically start tummy tuck-breast procedures at 7 AM and finish by 10:30, allowing for a safe discharge home early in the afternoon. This applies to both breast augmentation with implants and breast lifts and reductions.

Dr. Michael Suzman, FACS, is an American Society of Plastic Surgeons member who has strived for the highest level of safety and patient outcomes since 2002. To learn more or make an appointment, call us at 914-848-8880, schedule online at www.westmedgroup.com, or email us at [email protected]. 

Many patients ask about fees for plastic surgery, and they can vary based on the time and complexity of surgery. Dr. Suzman’s cosmetic surgery fees for body surgery, including anesthesia and operating room fees, can be as low as $6000 for liposuction to as much as $24,000 for advanced abdominoplasty and breast reduction surgery. Most procedures fall in the $10-15,000 range .  After you in person visit, we can offer more precise information about fees, outcomes, risks, and recovery. We look forward to working with you.