All Procedures
Procedure: Extended Abdominoplasty (Extended Tummy Tuck Surgery)
Useful information for patients on Extended Abdominoplasty (Extended Tummy Tuck) procedures
Extended tummy tuck/ abdominoplasty removes the extra skin from areas extending from the lower abdomen, including the lower back and flanks. Excess fat in the lower back is a common problem for men and women.
It is the most commonly performed abdominoplasty surgery for those patients who need a significant amount of skin removal. The need for excess skin removal typically occurs after massive weight loss. It involves a large incision to tighten the skin evenly across the tummy. It also helps in lifting the lateral thigh skin.
Thus, an extended tummy tuck is designed to remove the excess skin and fat from the belly button to the pubic area up to the sides of the torso, by placing an incision below the bikini line. The procedure also requires the repair of weak midline abdomen rectus muscles. Then, the remaining skin is repositioned to offer you a smoother and slim abdomen appearance.
In the extended tummy tuck surgery procedure, the issue of oversized love handles and extra skin on the lateral abdomen is addressed by placing an extended incision beyond the hip to remove the skin and tightening the overall abdomen profile. Moreover, the abdominal muscles are tightened to narrow your waist, and liposuction is often performed on the flank and hip areas to trim your body further. Extended tummy tuck also lifts the lateral thigh skin in men and women.
One can achieve a tighter, shapelier midsection through extended tummy tuck/ abdominoplasty in cases where significant weight loss has led to excess skin. Pregnancy has resulted in stretched skin and weakened abdominal walls, and diet and exercise do not respond to achieve the desired abdomen shape. Thus, an extended tummy tuck is recommended.
The incision will generally extend beyond the hip bones to include some of the lower love handle areas in an extended abdominoplasty. The extended incision will allow more tissue to be removed. In addition, the expert, board-certified plastic surgeon will apply a short scar, bikini line incision technique where your scar will be hidden in most undergarments or swimsuits.
Note: Extended abdominoplasty targets explicitly fat on the flanks and lower back, and sometimes the uppermost lateral portion of the thighs. And the incision wraps from the low pelvis to the lower back.
Useful Information
Ensure you consider all aspects of a procedure. You can speak to your surgeon about these areas of the surgery in more detail during a consultation.
Length
Extended abdominoplasty can take anywhere between five to six hours.
Anesthesia
General anesthesia is administered to perform extended tummy tuck/ abdominoplasty surgery.
Inpatient/Outpatient
Extended abdominoplasty/ tummy tuck is an inpatient procedure. Since it is a long-duration surgery, at least one-night observation would be ideal for you to recover.
Additional Information
An extended abdominoplasty is generally considered safe. However, like other plastic cosmetic surgeries, there are risks involved. Temporary swelling, bruising, fluid accumulation/ seroma, numbness, wound healing issues, areas of skin ischemia, and pain are common side effects of extended tummy tuck like standard or mini tummy tuck surgery.
Wound-related issues are usually managed conservatively most times by your surgeon with regular dressings and follow-ups. There are no such dangerous life-threatening risks or uncertainty. Strict post-op measures must be followed by you as advised by your surgeon. Risks are controllable with a good post-operative measure and disciplined follow-up routine, as suggested by your board-certified plastic surgeon.
The patient can resume work within 1-2 weeks, and the more strenuous jobs can be started after 3-4 weeks. Swelling will take 3-4 months to get fully resolved, however, you will see the result of your surgery in a month.
If followed by stable weight management and diet and exercise regimes, the result will be permanent.