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TUMMY TUCK by Guerra Plastic Surgery Center

Tummy tuck surgery (abdominoplasty) is one of the most commonly performed plastic surgery procedures offered by Phoenix plastic surgery provider Dr. Aldo Guerra. A full or standard tummy tuck is designed to remove excess fat and skin in the abdominal area, as well as unwanted stretchmarks stemming from pregnancy and weight loss. This removal in the mid-central abdominal area creates an overall tightening effect to flatten the tummy, making you look healthier, thinner and in better overall shape. As an experienced Phoenix tummy tuck surgeon, Dr. Guerra has helped many abdominoplasty patients attain a trimmer midsection.

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Keeping the tummy tuck incision as low as possible.

One way our practice differs from others is that we use a technique called the very-low tummy tuck incision, which places the scar centrally a little less than 7 cm above the vaginal opening or penile shaft. The lateral portions (the sides) of the incision are placed at the junction between the thighs and tummy (in men we use a different technique on the sides). In most patients, this incision location is easier to hide and as it is located in an area where the body naturally bends at the hip, the scar is usually very pleasing and fades appropriately.

The remaining tummy skin is pulled down to meet the original low incision and closed using the most effective techniques currently available to reduce inflammation and achieve the most favorable (least noticeable) scar. A new opening is created for the belly button, and if the patient desires, the belly button itself may be downsized if it has become too large during pregnancy or weight gain. Dr. Aldo strives to create the most natural looking belly button after surgery. The effect is the creation of a flat and tight abdominal wall; one which can resemble the individual’s original shape and size, before the disfiguring effects of pregnancy or weight gain.

Another significant difference in our practice is that we tighten the abdominal muscles in several ways in order to achieve a better hourglass appearance and/or a natural abdominal muscular definition. The traditional six-pack muscle tightening procedure usually involves a double central row of sutures, a standard in most cases with separation of the muscles. We can add an additional row of tightening on the outer sides of the six-pack muscles in order to also tighten the oblique muscles of the abdominal wall, creating a more pronounced hourglass shape of the waistline, for individuals desiring this appearance. Additionally, horizontal sutures can be placed across the original vertical tightening for a greater tightening of the abdominal wall and to improve the muscle definition after surgery.

The third, and most important, way that we differentiate our practice from others is by performing the procedure in an extremely safe environment. We provide only certified anesthesia providers to deliver safe and effective anesthesia, certified surgery facilities with the potential for overnight stay with care administered by registered nurses, and patient controlled analgesia pumps to deliver efficient and appropriate pain control. We also provide a variety of prophylactic medications and devices that allow you to have the safest and smoothest tummy tuck recovery possible.

Tummy Tuck at a glance

Avg. Surgery Time

1.5 - 3.5 hours

Anesthesia

General

Location

Certified Outpatient Center or Specialty Hospital

Recovery

  • Back to work: less than 2 weeks
  • Full exercise: 6 weeks

Improving the Experience

Overnight Stay

Exparel® Long Lasting Pain Control

embrace® #1 Scar Therapy Treatment

Am I a Good Candidate?

  • Healthy
  • Non-smoker
  • No medical conditions that reduce wound healing
  • Have excess skin and fat in abdomen
  • Body Mass Index (BMI) Less than 25 - 35
  • Realistic goals and expectations
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Other kinds of tummy tuck

Actual tummy tuck patient before and after photo

Mini Tummy Tuck

The mini tummy tuck is performed at the Guerra Plastic Surgery Center in about three percent of patients. The procedure is designed to create a smaller scar, while removing less skin and fat than with the standard tummy tuck, and tightening only the very bottom of the abdominal wall six-pack muscles. The procedure can only be used successfully in patients demonstrating a small amount of excess skin that is isolated to the lowest part of the abdomen and is not associated with a major weakness in the abdominal muscles. Because less tissue is removed and less muscle tightened, the mini tummy tuck is associated with a slightly faster recovery than the standard tummy tuck plastic surgery procedure.

Extended Tummy Tuck

Extended tummy tuck procedures are designed to remove even more excess skin and fat than standard tummy tuck, while tightening the six-pack tummy muscles in standard fashion. There are several versions of extended tummy surgery, which can be ideal procedures for patients after major weight loss surgery (usually less than 80 pounds lost) and patients who developed unusually large excessive skin and stretchmarks from pregnancy (usually from twins).

The procedure usually involves an extension of the standard tummy tuck incision to remove the extraneous amounts of excess skin and fat, wherever it may be found. Lipo or Liposuction is recommended to improve the contour of the body and is usually performed on the hips, love handles and flanks during an extended tummy tuck plastic surgery procedure.

Actual extended tummy tuck patient before and after photo
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Liposuction

Guerra Plastic Surgery Center reception area
Guerra Plastic Surgery Center in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Over the last decade, we have employed liposuction or lipo during tummy tuck surgery in 99 percent of the cases to treat other areas in the body at the same time. Liposuction is a plastic surgery procedure that uses a suction device to remove unwanted fat tissue that is usually not treated during the tummy tuck, such as the hips and flanks. Liposuction can be carried out safely and appropriately during tummy tuck surgery to enhance the surgical results of the procedure. The most common locations where liposuction is applied include the fat pads in the upper tummy, hips, flanks and love handles. Liposuction reduces the volume of fat in the anterior and posterior hips, flanks and love handles to create a smaller waistline. We believe that patients will have much better results when tummy tuck is performed in conjunction with liposuction.

embrace before and after photo courtesy of Neodyne Biosciences
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