Borstvergroting I Parkkliniek Rotterdam Plastische chirurgie

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Abdominal wall correction

General information

Extreme weight loss, pregnancy, ageing or surgery can leave the abdominal wall very weak, resulting in a 'hanging tummy'. This can be corrected by plastic surgery. The medical term for this procedure is abdominoplasty.

Preparation

Shortly before admission for abdominal wall correction, your general health is checked and blood tests are performed. If you are taking any medicines, you should inform your doctor. Certain medicines (such as aspirin, APC and such like) should be avoided for seven days prior to the procedure. Furthermore, you must not smoke for at least two weeks prior to the procedure, since smoking constricts the blood vessels and can impair the healing of wounds. If you are overweight, it is advisable to slim down to your target weight before the surgery, with the aid of a dietician if necessary. This will lead to a better outcome and reduce the risk of infection.

Procedure

Abdominal wall corrections are performed under general anaesthetic. Depending on how extensive the procedure is, you will need to remain in residence for one or two nights. The surgery itself lasts roughly two hours. The procedure involves complete separation of the abdominal wall from the underlying muscle as far as the ribcage and sternum. Incisions are made around the navel, so that its position is not altered. The plastic surgeon then draws the skin tight and removes the excess skin and fatty tissue beneath. If your tummy muscles have become stretched, they are tightened as part of the procedure. To bring the navel outwards again, a small cut is made in the skin of the belly and the navel is then stitched into the incision. During the procedure, the surgeon fits two drains (thin tubes) to allow fluid from the wound to run out. These need to remain in place until the production of fluids at the operation site has almost ceased, which is normally about two days after surgery. The scars caused by abdominal wall correction run round the navel and largely inside the 'bikini line'.

What abdominal wall correction can achieve and what you may expect

When considering abdominal wall correction, it is important that your expectations of what can be achieved are realistic. The procedure will make your tummy flatter, but will not give you a perfect figure. Furthermore, the surgery will leave scars that will never disappear entirely. Another effect of abdominal wall correction is that feeling is temporarily lost in the area of skin below the navel; in some cases, this change can be permanent. However, the loss of feeling should not be problematic and the affected area may become smaller over a period of years.

Afterwards

If your tummy muscles have been tightened in the context of abdominal wall correction, it is vital that you remain in bed the day after the operation. In addition, you will need to avoid heavy lifting or pressing for six weeks. If the procedure doesn't involve muscle correction, you may get up the day after the operation. Abdominal wall corrections are not normally painful. In order to hold your abdominal wall in during recuperation, you will need to wear a supportive corset for between one and four weeks or to wear tights with a high waistband. It takes roughly four to six weeks to recover completely following abdominal wall correction. Thereafter, you will be able to move entirely normally and resume sports activities. The stitches used at Parkkliniek are dissolvable. If you experience abnormal pain, swelling or fever during your convalescence, you should contact your plastic surgeon.

Risks and complications

Abdominal wall correction entails the risks associated with any form of surgery. First, the wound can become infected. Infection is very unusual, but the risk is greatest in people who have a lot of fatty tissue beneath the skin. For this reason, it is advisable to get your weight to as near a normal level as possible before undergoing the procedure. Postoperative bleeding occurs occasionally, necessitating further surgery to close the blood vessel involved. Finally, people who have undergone abdominal wall correction can be affected by loose skin around the hips. This problem normally corrects itself over time, even though removal of the 'dog-ears' may sometimes be necessary. If so, the skin can usually be removed under local anaesthetic.

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