Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) in Fort Worth

Are you considering a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) procedure in Fort Worth? You’re not alone. Many women, in Fort Worth, Dallas, and beyond, are unhappy with their midsection due to loose skin, lax muscles, and fat deposits resulting in a pooching abdomen and poor waist definition. For some, these problems are inherited and others develop concerns after weight loss or pregnancy. Diet and exercise can help you lose weight and diminish fat deposits, but they will not correct wrinkled, excess skin, stretch marks, and loose abdominal muscles. Additionally, many people are plagued by localized fat deposits on their waist, hips, and thighs resistant to diet and exercise, no matter how dedicated they may be. A tummy tuck is one of several body contouring procedures available to make you look and feel like your true self.

Benefits of a Tummy Tuck

Most women Dr. Steele sees for a tummy tuck have had several pregnancies. As a result, they are left with stretch marks and loose skin. Additionally, many men who have undergone significant weight loss benefit from a stomach tuck. Women may choose a tummy tuck as part of a combination of procedures called a mommy makeover. During pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding, a woman’s body goes through many changes to support the growing child. Whether you can return to your pre-pregnancy body may depend on your genetics, which you cannot control.

During a combination procedure, you can choose from several options that address your cosmetic concerns. These procedures may include liposuction to remove excess fat deposits that have resisted diet and exercise, breast augmentation to restore breast volume and size, or even a buttock augmentation. An abdominoplasty provides a variety of benefits including:

Removing excess, stretched-out skin
Flattening a bulging abdomen
Contouring the waistline to provide an hourglass figure
Repairing the abdominal muscles that have been stretched out from pregnancy and weight gain

Who Is an Ideal Candidate for a Tummy Tuck?

During your initial consultation with Dr. Steele, he will evaluate your anatomy to see if you are a good candidate for abdominoplasty. Several criteria must be present, including having excess skin or fat in the abdominal area that has not responded to diet and exercise. A tummy tuck is not a weight loss solution, but can help remove excess fat and skin that has resisted your efforts at home.

You must be in good overall health with no serious medical conditions that might increase the risk of complications during surgery or impair healing, like diabetes or smoking. You must be willing to quit cigarettes for 6 weeks before and after the surgery, as nicotine increases your risk of complications from anesthesia and recovery, including a higher risk of infection. This includes chewing tobacco, smoking, vaping, nicotine patches, and nicotine gum. During surgery, Dr. Steele will repair separated abdominal muscles (diastasis recti) that have occurred because of pregnancy, aging, or significant weight loss.

What Happens During Your Consultation and Before Surgery?

During your consultation, Dr. Steele will review your medical history, including surgeries, current medications, allergies, and medical conditions. You will have a physical exam and discuss your goals and expectations of the surgery. He will also determine if you require a traditional tummy tuck to address your concerns or if other options such as a mini-tuck or 360-degree abdominoplasty are more appropriate.

Dr. Steele will also discuss how to prepare for a tummy tuck surgery. It’s important to be in good overall health with strong abdominal muscles to support your recovery. We recommend you consistently engage in light exercise in the weeks leading up to surgery, eat a well-balanced and nutritious diet, and get adequate amounts of sleep. This supports your body’s ability to heal after surgery.

While you will go home after surgery, you cannot drive yourself home. Have a trusted friend or family member pick you up from surgery and stay with you for the first 24 to 48 hours after you arrive home. Set up an area in your home where you can rest comfortably for several days. Ensure the things you need will be within easy reach, including fresh water, your cell phone, and other types of entertainment.

Surgical Technique for a Tummy Tuck

An abdominoplasty is performed under general anesthesia as an outpatient procedure. There are 3 main components of a tummy tuck: tightening of the abdominal muscles, removal of excess skin, and removal of excess fat around the waist and hip area. In almost all cases, Dr. Steele will combine liposuction for optimally contouring of the waist and hip region to create the silhouette you desire.

Dr. Steele is trained and experienced working with both men and women, and he accommodates the differences in surgical techniques needed to create the best outcomes. For example, men’s skin is usually 25% thicker than a woman’s, they typically have less subcutaneous fat, and they have different surgical goals. While women may want an hourglass figure, for example, men may seek a V-silhouette.

The abdominal incisions are placed low, allowing them to be covered by a variety of bathing suits and low-cut jeans. During a full stomach tuck, skin is removed from the upper and lower abdomen, the muscles are tightened, and the belly button is repositioned with a second incision around the navel. A mini tummy tuck may be chosen for a few people with only a small amount of loose skin. This surgery uses a short incision just above the pubic area and does not need to reposition the belly button.

During and After a Tummy Tuck Surgery

Abdominoplasties are usually outpatient procedures, but may require an overnight stay if combined with multiple other procedures. You can generally return to work in 1-2 weeks. Your abdomen will feel quite tight for the first 3-4 weeks and you will generally be bent at the waist for 10-12 days. While it is important to walk early to minimize the risk of blood clots, you should refrain from cardio activity until at least 4 weeks after surgery. Depending on your release from Dr. Steele, most people can increase lifting activity (>10-15 pounds) at 6 weeks. Dr. Steele advises you to avoid vigorous core workouts (planks, crunches, etc.) for at least 2 months.

Many people are concerned about the type of scar that will remain after the incision has healed. While the scar can never completely disappear, Dr. Steele will give you care instructions to help improve the scar appearance as much as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between a tummy tuck and liposuction?

Liposuction removes fat below the skin to improve contour. It does not improve excess skin or stretch marks. An abdominoplasty procedure does several things:

Removes some fat from the midsection
Removes excess, loose/stretched-out skin
Tightens the abdominal muscles which helps flatten the abdomen when viewed from the side and helps narrow the waist when viewed from the front.
Redistributes the skin from the upper abdomen to the lower abdomen. This tightens the skin and helps thin the fat layer of the abdomen as well.

A Fort Worth tummy tuck will reverse the changes of pregnancy and weight loss, while awake liposuction is useful for removing fat from isolated areas. In order to get a good result with liposuction, the patient should be close to an ideal weight and have good skin tone. If liposuction is performed in an area without good skin tone (lots of stretch marks), the patient will very likely be left with loose skin that does not contract or shrink down.

What are the different types of tummy tucks?

Mini-Abdominoplasty:

A tummy tuck with a shorter incision to remove an isolated, small amount of loose skin in the lower abdomen. The abdominal muscles may or may not be repaired in a mini-abdominoplasty.

Umbilical Float Abdominoplasty:

In this procedure the belly button is left attached to the upper abdominal skin and moved inferiorly. The muscles are typically tightened. This procedure is reserved for patients with good skin quality who desire a very low incision/scar or those patients who have a very high belly button that may result in undesired scars from the previous belly button location.

Standard Abdominoplasty:

A stomach tuck with an incision that runs from hip to hip with muscle repair.

Circumferential Abdominoplasty:

Also known as a Body Lift, Belt Lipectomy, Around the World Tummy Tuck, etc. The incision goes all the way around the trunk. This type of procedure provides a buttock and lateral thigh lift and is typically reserved for massive weight loss patients.

Can I have an abdominoplasty if I am overweight?

A abdominoplasty is not a weight loss surgery. It is designed to improve contour and remove excess skin and some fat. Dr. Steele advises abdominoplasty patients to be as close to their ideal body weight as possible, with a body mass index (BMI) between 25-30. Patients who lose significant weight after their tummy tuck can be left with recurrent loose skin due poor skin tone. Also, patients who are obese (BMI > 30) do not get as good a result compared to patients of normal weight and are at higher risk for complications including delayed healing, fluid pockets (seroma), and deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

How soon can I return to normal activity?

You will have a graduated return over several weeks to 2 months. It is important to return to light activity right after a tummy tuck surgery to minimize the risk of DVT (blood clots). Most abdominoplasty patients are back at work by 10-14 days. Cardio activity can be resumed at 4 weeks and heavy lifting (>15lbs) at 6 weeks. Core activity can start at 2 months.

Can a tummy tuck remove stretch marks from pregnancy?

Yes, generally an abdominoplasty will remove all stretch marks below the belly button. Patients with upper abdominal stretch marks will get some improvement- they will be moved lower down on the abdomen and will be tighter, which helps diminish the appearance.

How visible will my scar be?

Dr. Steele is a tummy tuck specialist in Fort Worth who takes pride in leaving fine scars that are very low on the abdomen. This allows for the abdominoplasty patient to have many options with regard to bathing suits and jeans. Because the scar is so low, the patient can feel very confident in showing her new abdominal contour without concern of a visible scar. The scars will improve significantly in the year after a tummy tuck surgery, and Dr. Steele will provide you with scar care instructions for an optimal outcome.

Can I combine a tummy tuck with breast surgery?

Yes, this is quite common as part of a mommy makeover procedure. A variety of breast procedures can be combined, including breast augmentation, breast lift, breast lift with implants, and breast reduction. The addition of breast surgery does increase the anesthetic and surgery time, so in some cases an overnight stay for observation is advisable.

How long does the swelling last after a Fort Worth tummy tuck?

Many of the lymph vessels that help drain fluid from our skin are cut during a stomach tuck. It takes time for these vessels to reconnect, so as a result there is swelling. I tell my abdominoplasty patients that it will usually take 3-6 months for all of the swelling to resolve, particularly when liposuction is combined on the hip/waist area. Most patients note significant improvement by the 2-3 month mark. I advise patients to wear the compression garment for at least 2 months to help speed the resolution of swelling.

Can I expect to lose weight and go down a dress size?

As noted above, a stomach tuck is not a weight loss procedure, but I typically will remove at least a pound of fat from each hip/waist area with liposuction and 2-4 pounds of skin and fat from the abdomen. This varies widely from patient to patient depending on how much fat is underneath the excised skin. Patients may notice an immediate weight gain after a tummy tuck surgery due to the fluids received from anesthesia, but this is only temporary. Most of my abdominoplasty patients will notice a drop in at least two dress sizes, and in some cases up to four.

Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) in Fort Worth

Benefits of a Tummy Tuck

Who Is an Ideal Candidate for a Tummy Tuck?