Tummy Tuck Surgery

Tummy Tuck Surgery

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.

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 tummy tuck experience.

A large proportion of patients requesting tummy tuck surgery also benefit from the rejuvenation of the central body that occurs with the techniques employed at Guerra Plastic Surgery Center. For instance, in patients that developed extraneous amounts of excess abdominal skin from twins or significant weight loss, it is noted that the pubic area and lateral thighs sag excessively from the weight of the excess abdominal tissues. Use of the very low tummy tuck incision allows the surgeon to elevate the saggy pubic area, while reducing its size. This ultimately creates a shape and size that resembles a more youthful human figure, resulting in a pubic region that is tight and appropriate. The thighs are similarly elevated into a more youthful position and appearance. Take a look at our before and after tummy tuck photos.

Certified surgery centers with overnight care recommended.

The third, and most important, way that we differentiate our tummy tuck Arizona practice from others is by performing the procedure in an extremely safe environment. We provide only top-notch board certified anesthesiologists 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.

Latest pain pump technology to help you recover faster.

ON-Q Painbuster with ON-Q^® SilverSoaker™ gets patients back to normal faster by automatically and continuously delivering a local anesthetic, to relieve post-op pain. Explore more details about the state-of-the-art plastic surgery techniques to enhance the tummy tuck experience at Guerra Plastic Surgery Center.

3D Plastic Surgery Animation Videos

Learn more about plastic surgery with these informative 3D rendered videos.

Steps in a tummy tuck plastic surgery.

The standard tummy tuck surgery, at Guerra Plastic Surgery Center, involves an incision as low as possible on the abdominal area. The skin and fat which are judged to be excessive are then removed, via our Dr. Aldo's surgical techniques. This includes the release of the belly button. The abdominal six-pack muscles are exposed and if they are found to be weak and separated, then a suture technique is employed which can restore the muscles to their normal anatomic position and health.

Tummy Tuck Testimonial Video

Tightening of the abdominal muscles during a tummy tuck.

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.

Lipo or Liposuction to help create a smaller waistline for patients.

Over the last eight years, 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.