Lipectomy
It consists of the removal of excess of skin and abdominal fat in the middle and lower abdomen, reparing muscle flaccidity. It happens to patients with a relatively good body figure, but who have gained and lost weight, to women who have had several pregnancies, after which the abdominal skin and muscles have relaxed and have not recovered their initial tone.
As a result, the person will have a flatter and firmer abdomen and a narrower waist.
Abdominoplasty
Abdominoplasty is a complex surgical procedure that consists of several stages in order to achieve a total remodeling of the abdomen, the waist and the body shape.
Good candidates for this surgery are: people with previous morbid obesity, that is to say, people who were greatly overweight and that, with the help of a specialized surgery or a medical treatment, lost weight massively, which caused the skin surrounding the torso (abdomen and thorax) to hang from the body, thus giving them an unattractive self image. It actually is the repair of the abdomen deformities.
Women who have been pregnant once or more times. During pregnancy, extra skin is formed due to the expansion given, especially in the last three months. After delivery, the skin looks loose and makes the abdomen look bulging; the expansion of the abdomen skin also causes stretch marks. Female candidates for this surgery should not get pregnant again and should use a contraceptive method. However, in case of a new pregnancy, it can be continued but the deformity may come back.
The operation, performed with general or local anesthesia, consists of five main steps. First, dermo-lipectomy, which implies the removal of the excess of fat and skin from the abdomen, the so called “abdominal apron”. The abdominal wall is rebuilt with sutures to bring the rectus abdomini muscles together. These muscles separate during pregnancy, forming a hernia (diastasis recti). That is why the abdomen may stretch during pregnancy. Skin suture: suture of the flap of skin that has been formed, re-placing of the navel (neoumbilicoplasty) and finally, if needed, liposuction of the sides and hips, resulting in the remodeling of the patient’s body contour.
Hospital stay is usually 24 to 48 hours, and full recovery takes four to six weeks, even though straining during the first three months is not recommended. This surgery should not be performed on smoking patients, since there is a significant risk of necrosis of the abdominal skin flap.
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