![]() Again, New Yorkers are demanding consumers, and I need them to look good as fast as possible. The caveat is that I find patients with drainless tucks tend to stay swollen a bit longer than those who had the drain in place. My personal rule is that if there is no liposuction performed during the abdominoplasty, then I may use progressive tension sutures to close down the empty space below the skin and perform the operation without any drain at all. While I perform drainless tummy tucks on a regular basis, I also like to use some judgment and protect my patients from complications. In my before-and-after gallery, I hope you’ll notice that my tummy tuck patients have very natural-looking bellybuttons without the telltale quarter-sized or “stitched” in appearance that you might find elsewhere. Manhattan is a tough neighborhood, and if I do subpar work, my competition will exploit it happily. Some people ask me why my tummy tucks take longer than other surgeons, but I’m trying to do it right - this isn’t McDonald’s. Getting the umbilicus right is worth the 20 or so minutes it takes me. It has to be located right smack in the middle, level with the top of the hips, and just the right size. Once the abdomen is closed, it’s time to bring the original belly button back out through the skin that’s been pulled tight. Therefore, I consider the umbilicus to be sacred. If it doesn’t look natural, even the best tummy tuck can be obvious to the public. The belly button is the “crown jewel” of the abdominoplasty procedure. I have a video I made of a patient saying so on camera. That being said, the vast majority of women tell me the tummy tuck is easier than a c-section. The surgeon needs to split the muscles, open the uterus, remove the baby, and then put everything back together again. Does a Tummy Tuck Hurt More Than A C-Section?Ī C-section is a much more invasive operation than a tummy tuck. With less discomfort, patients are able to move more (to prevent clots) skip narcotics (avoids nausea and constipation), and recover faster with an overall better experience. Since the first 3 or 4 days after abdominoplasty is the toughest part of the recovery, this has been a game-changer in my practice and is a huge advantage over the old techniques. This helps not only during the operation, but the Exparel gives patients 3 days of pain relief after the operation is done. To that end, I started using a TAP (Transversus Abdominus Plane) block with a 72-hour local anesthetic called Exparel a few years ago. We are able to give you less anesthesia because I work with my anesthesiologist and give as much local anesthesia as possible so that he or she only has to use minimal amounts of narcotic and you have a smooth transition. This also dramatically reduces the risk of complications like pneumonia, or blood clots. That means you won’t need to be intubated or get any gas anesthetics, so nausea and headaches are almost unheard of in the operating room or after. ![]() While we have the ability to perform general anesthesia, it is extremely unusual for my anesthesiologists to use it. It is typically comprised of a combination of local anesthesia, nerve blocks, and sedation rather than general anesthesia for the overwhelming majority of patients. To that end, we try to use a better, more individualized approach to anesthesia. Your experience as a patient is the ultimate test of our performance as an office. With this done, I know the boundaries of where I am allowed to put my incision. I typically start by marking the borders of a bikini on the patient before the operation ever starts. ![]() The first step in controlling the results of your tummy tuck is to design an incision that will be below the bikini line. ![]() Most importantly, there is critical attention dedicated to creating a natural-appearing belly button, so the rest of New York won’t know you’ve had a tummy tuck. The markings, anesthesia and pain control, surgical technique, and post-op care are all choreographed and rehearsed thousands of times before you become a patient. A great result starts with the creation of a methodical plan. The true goal should be to look better in a bikini!Īt my practice in Manhattan, a flat tummy tuck result is only part of the equation. So, what makes one tummy tuck come out better than another? Flattening the belly and creating a straight scar should be the bare minimum that a plastic surgeon can offer.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |