A tummy tuck is a common cosmetic procedure, especially among women, that involves removing excess skin in your abdomen. While you can achieve almost any look you want with today’s tummy tuck procedure, the same can’t be said of recipients of tummy tucks over the years.
History of Tummy Tucks
The procedure has been around for more than a century but has only gained significant traction in the last two decades. Initially, tummy tucks were not a form of cosmetic surgery. They were a life-saving procedure used to cover up wounds for the critically injured, using excess tummy skin. Besides helping cover up injuries, the procedure was also used for corrective surgery for individuals born with physical defects.
Early tummy tuck procedures involved the total removal of the belly button, which changed in 1906 when doctors in France performed the first tummy tuck without removing the belly button. This milestone was achieved by making vertical and horizontal flap incisions instead of a single horizontal incision across the abdomen. Since then, tummy tucks have evolved to become one of the most sought-after cosmetic procedures globally.
Tummy Tucks Are Way Safer
“It is way safer to have a tummy tuck now than it was in the past, but there is always a possibility of suffering harm from the procedure,” says Dr. Sacha Obaid of North Texas Plastic Surgery.
Besides the safety aspect, today’s tummy tuck procedures have made significant improvements in the time needed for recovery. Also, there is very little to show a surgery happened because scarring is significantly reduced thanks to advances in the procedure and the tools used.
Notable Advancements in the Procedure
The last few years have brought some notable advancements in abdominoplasty. One of these advancements is the possibility of less invasive procedures. Less than a decade ago, you had to have a full tummy tuck even if you only needed to correct a little sagging of the skin under your belly button. Luckily, patients who need to have a mini tummy tuck can now achieve it through a small incision to help tighten a minor sagging under your navel.
The major advancements in tummy tucks however has come with the use of 360 liposuction at the same time, so that you are not only removing loose skin, but also really thinning the waist and accentuating the hourglass figure . The hourglass figure can be further enhanced with the addition of a Brazilian Butt Lift to really shape the waist and hips.
Finally, another major advancement is the high definition tummy tucks where enhancement of the muscle contour is added in at the same time as the tummy tuck.
Full Mommy Makeover
Due to the less-invasive nature of tummy tuck procedures, it is now possible to have a tummy tuck alongside other cosmetic procedures such as breast augmentation and liposuction, commonly referred to as full mommy makeover. The best part about having different procedures performed simultaneously is that the recovery time for your procedures will be much shorter compared to having one procedure at a time.
If you feel like a tummy tuck is something you need but are afraid of the procedure and the recovery process, the advancements in the procedure described here can help you put aside your fears.
