Tummy Tuck Question From West Palm Beach

Summer is coming, and in Florida, everyone wants to look their best for the beach! For us at Atlantic Coast Aesthetics, that means a sharp upturn in interest about tummy tucks and similar procedures. This week’s ACA Question of the Week comes from a Facebook follower in West Palm Beach. The viewer asks, “I have a tummy tuck scheduled for early June. The surgeon wants to do muscle tightening. Is that really necessary, and what’s the difference?” Our founder and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Thomas Pane, was interested in this question because it is a common question and the answer does have interesting ramifications for the outcome of a tummy tuck.

First, Dr. Pane explained, a tummy tuck where the overhanging skin is removed without muscle tightening is known as a pendulectomy. This is a more temporary measure than a tummy tuck with abdominal muscle tightening, primarily because of a phenomenon known as diastasis, or separation of the abdominal muscles. This occurs frequently to some degree in women who have had multiple pregnancies, but can also be caused by carrying excess abdominal weight for long periods followed by rapid weight loss.

A tummy tuck almost universally requires some form of abdominal muscle tightening, even if it is fairly minimal. The reason for this is that although tightening the skin can temporarily correct the problem, if the muscles are not tightened they will tend to slacken and bow outward not long after the procedure. Most patients find this counterintuitive to the contouring effect they were hoping for, for obvious reasons. In addition, if the muscles are too slack, they may require further surgical intervention later.

Any time a procedure has to be redone, there is always a risk of further complications resulting from the added insult to the tissues in the area. It is far easier, less time-consuming, less costly and less risky to simply perform the necessary tightening at the time the original procedure is performed. In addition, not tightening the muscles can actually cause the area to heal more slowly, extending recovery time and increasing the chance of postoperative complications.

Dr. Pane also noted that muscle tightening or the absence of same generally does not have any particular impact on the cost of the overall procedure, eliminating another concern from consideration. This is particularly true in cases where the tummy tuck is covered by insurance as a result of bariatric surgery or another medically necessary procedure. Of course, every patient’s body is a little bit different, so evaluating whether or not muscle tightening is or is not appropriate for a given patient without a direct in-person consultation and consideration of the patient’s physical needs and aesthetic objectives is difficult at best. Generally speaking, Dr. Pane said, he would guess that 90% or more of all cosmetic surgeons would be far more likely to proceed with the muscle tightening than not.

Cosmetic surgery is like any other type of medical procedure and does carry some risks. Working with a skilled and experienced cosmetic surgeon like Dr. Pane, who is double board certified in both cosmetic and general surgery, can greatly reduce but not eliminate every possible side effect and complication that could occur. In addition, following proper aftercare protocols given by the surgical and support staff and diligently adhering to any required medications or prohibitions on activity can also cut healing time and the likelihood of postoperative problems or further injuries. It is critically important that the patient stay in contact and let the surgical staff know at once if anything seems amiss, including excess drainage, swelling, redness or pain at the surgical site. It is far better to get checked out immediately and learn it was a false alarm than to overlook a potentially serious problem in the area of the procedure.

If you would like to ask Dr. Pane and the staff at Atlantic Coast Aesthetics a question about cosmetic surgery, we invite you to call us at 561-422-4116, follow our Facebook page or visit our website at https://acplasticsurg.com. Your question might be answered live on the air by Dr. Pane himself during a Google Hangout as part of our Question of the Week video series! At ACA, we believe that patient engagement information and education about the procedures they are interested in results in better results with fewer potential problems before, during and after surgery. Of course, the only bad question is the one you don’t ask!