Flatten Your Belly With a Tummy Tuck in Lubbock

As women, we often give our lives to our families. As mothers, this also means we give our bodies. Do you remember the you before you had kids? Back before you ever referred to your stomach as your “belly?” Even before your bra came with extra clips and hooks to accommodate someone else’s feeding schedule? It may be a bit foggy (let’s not even get started on all those sleepless nights), but try for a moment to remember how you felt about your body before any of the changes that come with having a baby—the things you took for granted. While you may not be able to do anything about those lost nights of sleep, and life chooses a lot of things for you, you also have choices. You CAN reclaim your body.

One way is with a tummy tuck in Lubbock.  Sometimes, you need more than diet and exercise to reverse the effects of pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding. The tummy tuck easily gets rid of loose skin that won’t disappear even after you reach your pre-pregnancy weight, no matter how much you diet or exercise. Many women choose to combine procedures in a “mommy makeover” to cover several areas of concern at once. In addition to a trim waist, you can consider breast procedures to regain a youthful bustline (with either a breast lift, breast augmentation, or maybe a breast reduction, if that’s right for you), and liposuction to target those troublesome fat pocket areas that have developed over time. Maybe the makeover won’t turn back the clock entirely, but it sure can help bring back the look and confidence you once had. You can be you again, the you that you remember.

What is a Tummy Tuck?

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, a “[t]ummy tuck surgery, also known as abdominoplasty, removes excess fat and skin and, in most cases, restores weakened or separated muscles creating an abdominal profile that is smoother and firmer.” The procedure is done through a low horizontal abdominal incision. The skin is elevated off of the abdominal muscles, and it is redraped and excised. The abdominal muscles are tightened at the same time with permanent sutures in multiple layers. Often liposuction for contouring of the hips and thighs occur at the same time as the abdominoplasty. It’s typically an outpatient procedure, taking about two hours under general anesthetic. Most patients can return to work in about two to three weeks. Full activity is typically resumed after 6 to 8 weeks.

What to Consider Before a Tummy Tuck in Lubbock

The first questions you have to ask yourself if you are considering a tummy tuck in Lubbock is ““Why do I want plastic surgery?” and “What am I expecting from it?”

These two factors will impact how happy you’ll be with the results as your surgeon does. It’s important to examine the motivations for plastic surgery to make sure it’s the right choice for you. From larger procedures like a mommy makeover to smaller ones like submental liposuction, all can have profound effects on your life and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Motivation

First, look at your motivations for getting surgery. Is it something you’ve always wanted for yourself, or is it something someone close to you has been pestering you about, but not something you’re as interested in? If it’s the latter, you should think twice before proceeding. Drastic life changes should always be done because it’s something you want for yourself, not something someone else wants for you.

Expectations

At Rowley Plastic Surgery, we want you to pursue plastic surgery for the right reasons so you’ll be happy and satisfied with your results; but that’s only half of the equation. Having proper expectations is also very important to your final satisfaction. Surgery can’t make you into a different person or look like someone else in a magazine. If you expect perfection, you will be disappointed–-no one is perfect, so welcome to the club! At the same time, we can all improve, and surgery gives us options that diet and exercise can’t.  So, focus on progress and improvement, not perfection. The latter simply doesn’t exist.

These are just a couple of reasons why the initial consultation is so important. From ear-pinning to a mommy makeover, each procedure and each patient is different and have different needs to be discussed.

Benefits

It’s easy to imagine the aesthetic benefits of a tummy tuck in Lubbock, after all, you can just look at those old photos and remember what it was like to fit into that dress. What you might not know is that for women who are mothers, a tummy tuck can have physical health benefits. A recent study of women who had postnatal abdominoplasty, showed a marked reduction in back pain and urinary incontinence, common results of pregnancy and childbirth:

“The study included 214 women undergoing abdominoplasty with repair of the abdominal muscles . . . . The women’s average age was about 42 years, with an average of 2.5 deliveries.

“Before and after surgery, the women completed questionnaires rating their disability from back pain and urinary incontinence . . . about 51 percent of women had moderate to severe disability from back pain, while urinary incontinence was a ‘significant concern’ for 42.5 percent.

“On follow-up questionnaires . . . only nine percent of patients still had moderate disability from back pain. Urinary incontinence remained a significant problem for less than two percent of women.”

At Rowley Plastic Surgery, we offer no-obligation consultations, so we can get a good feel for your needs, motivations, and expectations. We can address any questions you might have about the surgery you’re interested in, and we can talk to you about realistic options. We will help you determine if a certain procedure is a good fit for you and if it isn’t, Dr. Rowley will tell you honestly and help find other solutions. Women trust her because she doesn’t sugar coat and will tell you the truth about what you can expect, always with your best interests in mind. Call today for your no-obligation consultation today.