When you’ve lost weight or had a baby, physical reminders can still linger around your midsection. Stretch marks, excess skin and gravity have made too much of an impact on your body. New Yorkers contact Aristocrat Plastic Surgery & MedAesthetics daily with concerns about their appearance. We understand how the look of stretch marks and excess skin can make you feel and we’re here to help. If you’re looking for the best New York City has to offer in tummy tuck procedures, look no further than Aristocrat.
The tummy tuck procedures we perform in our New York City accredited facility include:
- Lateral Tension Abdominoplasty (LTA) that uses a bikini line or low incision to withdraw stubborn fat.
- A Mini Tummy Tuck uses smaller, lower incision, and the navel is not moved, as in a full tummy tuck.
- The Extended Tummy Tuck is a technique used for those who have significant loose skin in the midsection.
Decision #1: Choosing your New York Plastic Surgeon
The first and most important decision to make before you begin your preparation for tummy tuck surgery is choosing the surgeon you want to perform the procedure. Whether you’re in New York or Great Neck, things to consider are:
- Are they a board-certified New York plastic surgeon?
- Do they have the adequate experience you’re looking for?
- Will you be able to have your surgery performed at an accredited facility?
- Do you have access to before and after photos of previous patients’ procedures?
- Is the doctor familiar and experienced in the different tummy tuck procedures available?
- Throughout your consultation, do you feel at ease with them and confident in
what they’re telling you?
Asking these questions will ensure you’ll have greater peace of mind as you get ready for your tummy tuck. You should feel confident about the abilities of your surgeon and comfortable with the procedures he or she recommends. You should also feel good about the staff, and that they’re qualified, friendly, professional, and compassionate.
Preparing for a Tummy Tuck — Tips to Know before You Go
Two Weeks Before Surgery
Tummy tuck surgery or abdominoplasty is a major procedure that you have to prepare for ahead of time to ensure your surgery goes smoothly and to lessen the possibility of postoperative complications.
- Blood Work: The first item to take care of on your list is to get a series of blood tests. You’ll need to have your hemoglobin, electrolytes, creatine, and INR (blood clotting capability) checked to make sure everything is within normal levels. You won’t have to fast before taking the test.
- ECG/EKG: If you’re over 50, an electrocardiogram will be required to make sure that your heart functions normally, and that blood levels are within a normal range.
- Home Support: About two weeks before your surgery, enlist the support of close family and friends who can spend time to take care of you during your recovery at home. You may experience extreme highs and lows, or mood swings that can affect your emotions. You should also arrange for childcare or pet care if necessary.
- Get a Lift Home: Have someone you know drive you home from the surgical clinic on the day of your surgery. Driving yourself home is not permitted immediately following your procedure.
- No Drinking: Alcohol can thin your blood which can have an adverse effect on your healing and increase the likelihood of bruising. Keep your body hydrated by drinking water instead.
- No Smoking: Not only will the nicotine in cigarettes stretch out your recovery, but it can also increase the chances of complications. It’s recommended that you try to quit completely to prevent any future health problems.
- No Aspirin or Ibuprofen: These drugs should be avoided in the weeks preceding your procedure as they can interfere with the body’s ability to form blood clots. If you need relief from a headache or other pain, use a product with acetaminophen like Tylenol.
- Cook Ahead: At least a week before your surgery, prepare, cook, and freeze meals so that they’ll be ready to simply reheat and eat while you’re in recovery at home. Make sure they’re healthy meals, rich in protein. Plan a shopping trip to pick up these items or similar products:
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- Antibacterial soap, like Lever 2000 or Dial.
- A laxative or stool softener. Don’t use narcotic pain medication as it might cause constipation.
- Front-button shirts.
- Your most comfortable robe or pajamas.
- Entertainment to keep you occupied while you recover at home, like books, magazines, and movies.
- Healthy foods such as fruit, prepared meals (if you don’t wish to cook), soup and saltine crackers, gelatin or pudding. Be sure to choose foods that are low in sodium as well to prevent swelling and fluid retention while you recover.
The Night Before Surgery
There are things you should do the night before your surgery, which are considered among the most important tasks in your preparation.
- Clean Up: Give your hair and body a good cleansing with antibacterial soap.
- No Food & Drink: In the final eight hours before your surgery, refrain from eating or drinking anything. If you go into surgery with anything in your stomach, the possibility of your regurgitating while you’re under general anesthesia could happen, and that might lead to food or water entering your lungs. Not even a sip of water or chewing gum should be consumed.
Eating or drinking within eight hours prior to your surgery can cause the surgery to be canceled. - Say Goodnight: Get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow is the beginning of a new you!
Recovering from a Tummy Tuck — Tips to Know after You’re Home
Getting back to your normal self after an abdominoplasty is a very individual process and depends on the type of tummy tuck procedure you had. In most cases, in about a week your body should have recovered enough so you can return to work. From some patients, this could take two or three weeks. Regardless of when you return to work, take advantage of some of our recovery tips to help make your recovery smooth and free of complications:
Recovery After Surgery
- Recliner Chairs Help: If you have a luxurious recliner at home with a push-up button, it will be one of the most utilized pieces of furniture in the house. Use it to relax during the day, and when you need to get out of the chair, just push the button and watch it give you a “lift” to help you get up and out of the chair. This is extremely useful as your stomach muscles recover.
- Create a Space: Make wherever you’ll be spending most of your recovery time a special place by setting up a table next to your bed where you’ll have essentials like water, medications, a clock, and other necessities you’ll need. It will help prevent you from having to get up and down to retrieve something you need.
- Walk a Little: Get up and walk around for about three minutes, four to five times a day. It’s a good movement exercise to keep your limbs active as well as your body.
- Sex Talk: Plan to have no sexual activity for at least one week after your tummy tuck. Your body needs ample time to heal following an invasive plastic surgery procedure. While sex is usually safe after about a week, you should avoid any strenuous positions. Consult with your doctor if you have any questions.
- Compress Yourself: You’ll be given a compression garment to wear for the first two weeks which allows the perfect amount of pressure on the surgical site to speed up healing by preventing swelling and fluid buildup.
- Light and Easy: Maintain a diet that’s low in sodium for at least the first week to minimize bloating. In your second week of recuperation you’ll feel better eating more normally, but your stomach is still recovering. Just make sure to eat plenty of protein and fiber. The key is to stay well-hydrated by drinking plenty of water…six to eight glasses a day!
- Commit Yourself: Be prepared to see yourself through all phases of the recovery process as it will involve at least one to two weeks of stationary positions, and then several more weeks to allow for swelling to subside completely before you might feel “normal” again. Recovery is a journey and a healthy, sustainable recovery is the goal.
- Healthy Relaxation: Get yourself involved in healthy relaxation activities for the first two weeks following your tummy tuck procedure, such as reading books, magazines, watching movies in the comfort of home, and surfing the internet. Try not to return to work too early and maintain a relaxed schedule for several days.
- Stay in Touch: Keep close communications with the plastic surgeon who performed your surgery should you experience any abnormal pain or other signs of discomfort. If you have any doubts or complications during your recovery, do not hesitate to consult your plastic surgeon.
- Healthy Eating: Continue a protein-rich diet throughout your recovery period, just as you did in the two weeks prior to your tummy tuck surgery. A consistent, healthy diet will help ensure that you’re not constipated or on any crash diets
At New York-based Aristocrat Plastic Surgery & MedAesthetic, your aesthetic surgery is an experience where you have input. Your experience begins the moment you contact our office. Our professional team will do all in their power to ensure a concise understanding of the procedure, and its expected results. Call us today to set up your one-on-one consultation with Dr. Kevin Therani, and get started on a better looking you!