Tummy Tuck

The above patient has mostly loose skin that was removed and the abdominal muscles were tightened.

Who can benefit from Abdominoplasty?

• women who have excess skin and stretch marks which will not go away after pregnancy
• patients who lost weight and now have excess skin and fat that fails to go away with exercise
• patients with excess fat around their waist
• patients who suffer from skin problems in the skin fold under the abdomen

This woman had excess fat and loose abdominal muscles. Skin and fat were removed, the muscles tightened, and the result was a much flatter abdomen.

This patient lost a large amount of weight after a gastric bypass procedure, leaving her with a lot of excess loose skin on the abdomen, and some unsightly skin folds. A well planned tummy tuck turned her abdomen from a 60 y old -like to a 20 y old -like tummy.

An ideal candidate is a person who has loose skin which can be pinched.

An individual with a full abdomen which feels 'full' and doesn't have any loose skin may still be able to have a tummy tuck, but the abdominal protruberance will not be corrected.

For a person such as pictured above, weight loss prior to a tummy tuck would guarantee a much better result. Weight loss can be achieved either through a healthy diet and exercise, or through bariatric surgery. At Plastica, we have bariatric medicine doctors as well as bariatric surgery specialists who can help you loose weight before undergoing your tummy tuck.

Abdominoplasty after pregnancy

Abdominoplasty after pregnancy is the most common component of Mommy Makeovers, a group of surgical procedures designed to reverse the impact of childbearing on a woman's body. In these situations the tummy tuck removes the stretched skin that did not recover after your delivery. Stretchmarks are removed (beside surgery, there is really no laser or magic cream that can remove stretchmarks). Loose abdominal muscles are tightened. It's like turning back the hands of time!

The patient above gained 75 lb during her pregnancy! After the delivery and subsequent weight loss, she was unable to get rid of her 'belly pouch'. She tried working out, she's seen a physiotherapist, but no matter what, she could not tighten her abdominal muscles. Dr. Jugenburg was able to perform muscle tightening for this patient, resulting in a flat belly as seen the in the above right picture.

Abdominoplasty Surgery

Abdominoplasty or Tummy Tuck Surgery removes the excess skin and fat on the abdomen which can be easily pinched as seen on the above pictures. After that skin and fat has been removed, the remaining skin on the upper abdomen is released and pulled down, or redraped, over the open area to close it. In the end, skin is tightened, muscles are tightened (if needed), and the belly is flatter.

Weight loss

Abdominoplasty surgery is not the right treatment for those wishing to loose weight. If weight loss is your goal, we have certified dietitians who can advise you with an individual diet plan and exercise regiment. However, we understand that sometimes despite their best efforts, patients just can’t loose the excess weight and need the assistance of a surgeon. For those patients, Lap-Band offers an effective and lasting solution. Once you have completed your weight loss, you may become a candidate for a tummy tuck or a body lift.

Recovery from a tummy tuck

Generally, most people love the new look after they've undergone this procedure; however, you may not feel like your normal self for months after the surgery. You've gone through a tremendous amount to make this happen, both emotionally and physically, and it's very important that you follow proper diet and exercise to maintain your new look.

Smoking

Smoking is a major risk factor for wound healing and infection complications after a tummy tuck. Smoking, aside from causing cancer, is a poison that impairs your immune system and deprives your body of oxygen. For this reason, especially in larger tummy tucks, there is an increased risk of wound breakdown and wound infection following the abdominoplasty surgery. Patients who are overweight are especially strongly advised against smoking two weeks before and two weeks after surgery.

Does OHIP cover Tummy Tucks?

OHIP covers only medically necessary procedures. Body contouring such as Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) is not considered a medically necessary procedure and is therefore not covered. OHIP does, however, cover a procedure called "Panniculectomy" which is a surgical procedure that simply removes some of the excess skin. This procedure is not a cosmetic procedure and thus the outcome looks nothing like a real tummy tuck. To qualify for this, your plastic surgeon must request approval for funding. Only select patients qualify. To find out whether you qualify or not, you will need to be examined by Dr. Jugenburg who will then forward the physical examination findings to OHIP for considerations.