Tummy Tuck San Francisco

The best candidates for abdominoplasty are men or women who are in relatively good shape but are bothered by a large fat deposit in the lower abdomen or loose abdominal skin that won't respond to diet or exercise. The surgery is particularly helpful to women who, through multiple pregnancies, have stretched their abdominal muscles and skin beyond the point where they can return to normal. Loss of skin elasticity in older patients, which frequently occurs with slight obesity, can also be improved.

Full abdominoplasty usually take four to five hours, depending on the extent of work required. Mini abdominoplasty may take an hour or two. Most commonly, Dr. Rajagopal will make a long incision from hipbone to hipbone, just above the pubic area. A second incision is made to free the navel from surrounding tissue. With mini abdominoplasty, the incision is much shorter and the navel may not be moved.

For the first few days, your abdomen will probably be swollen and you're likely to feel some pain and discomfort which can be controlled by medication. Dr. Rajagopal will give you instructions for showering and changing your dressings. And though you may not be able to stand straight at first, you should start walking as soon as possible.

It may take you weeks or months to feel like your old self again. If you start out in top physical condition with strong abdominal muscles, recovery from abdominoplasty will be much faster. Some people return to work after two weeks, while others take three or four weeks to rest and recuperate. Your scars may actually appear to worsen during the first three to six months as they heal, but this is normal. Expect it to take nine months to a year before your scars flatten out and lighten in color. While they'll never disappear completely abdominal scars will not show under most clothing, even under bathing suits.