You can expect your Seattle abdominoplasty to be performed in our state-licensed surgery center. To begin, we will administer a general anesthesia to ensure your comfort and safety, before making an incision low on the abdomen that reaches from your left to right hip. Dr. Sajan will be sure to place this cut strategically, to ensure that you can easily hide the resulting scar with underwear.
Through that opening, Dr. Sajan will remove excess fat, trim excess skin, and manipulate the remaining skin and muscle as much as needed to contour them to a smoother, tighter appearance. An incision may also be made around your navel to facilitate easier removal of excess skin above the belly button. After the remaining upper abdominal skin is pulled down and sutured to the skin in the lower abdomen, a new opening for your navel will be created.
Dr. Sajan may insert temporary drainage tubes under your skin before closing the incisions and applying dressings or bandages. You may be asked to wear a compression garment for a period of time following surgery to help minimize the resultant swelling and support your abdomen during healing.
Dr. Sajan will provide a detailed set of instructions for you to follow. You will have important information on how to care for the surgical sites, topical and oral medications to help facilitate healing and your comfort, concerns to be alert for at the surgical site, and your schedule of follow-up appointments. Carefully following these instructions will optimize your recovery and results.
The results of your tummy tuck will be almost immediately evident. Swelling will take time to resolve and strenuous activity will be extremely limited for up to six weeks. You may need to plan on taking at least a couple of weeks of recovery before returning to work and follow Dr. Sajan's recommendations regarding what activities you may add back into your daily life, and when.