Tummy Tuck in Columbus, OH
Because these issues don’t always respond favorably to diet, exercise, or topical treatments, patients are often left feeling frustrated and defeated. If you’re in this situation, tummy tuck surgery (also known as abdominoplasty) can provide an effective option for addressing your functional and cosmetic concerns. Learn more about the best tummy tuck in Columbus, OH, by reading on. You can also contact Zochowski Plastic Surgery by calling (614) 490-7500 or contacting us online today!
Tummy Tuck with Dr. Zochowski At A Glance
Start your diet with clear liquids or a light soup. Most people can resume a normal diet the day after surgery. Advance your diet as tolerated to your regular diet over the next 24 hours. You may experience some constipation as a result of pain medication. A mild laxative such as Milk of Magnesia or a stool softener is recommended. If this is not sufficient, Dulcolax or a suppository may be necessary. These can be purchased over the counter at the pharmacy.
Please wear your abdominal binder at all times. Only removing to shower, or wash if necessary.
You should remain flexed/bent at the hips to relieve any tension on the incision. This can be achieved by resting in a recliner chair, or on your side in bed with pillows behind you. For the first few days after surgery, you should refrain from standing up completely straight. Again, you do not want any tension on the abdominal incision.
Mild activity is encouraged after surgery. Walking short distances around your home to encourage healthy blood flow is important in preventing formation of blood clots. Please avoid lifting anything heavier than 5 pounds. Plan to have a caretaker available to help you for at least the first 72 hours after surgery. Do not resume any additional activity until your progress is evaluated at your first post -operative appointment, typically 1 week.
Leave all dressings, the compression garment or abdominal binder in place 24 to 48 hours. After 48 hours you may remove this binder briefly for a sponge bath or shower. Avoid bathing in a bathtub until cleared by the doctor. Following a shower replace the gauze dressings if needed and replace the abdominal binder. Some people find that a T shirt beneath the binder is more comfortable. If you have drains, keep the drain bulbs loose outside of the binder at all times. The abdominal binder can be washed in your home clothing washer. Drains should be stripped and emptied regularly. Please record the output twice daily on the drain record sheet. Bring this record with you to your follow-up appointment. Any residual surgical soap (yellow) or marker can be gently removed with rubbing alcohol. Swelling, bruising, redness is normal and will resolve over time. Abdominal area numbness is also normal but can take several months to improve.
Showers can be taken 24 to 48 hours after surgery. Remove the compression garment or abdominal binder and dressings for the shower and replace the binders and other dressings after drying. Remain flexed at the hips during the shower, most easily done by using a shower stool or chair (an inexpensive plastic resin chair works well). Drains can be strung around your neck on shoestring or rope during the shower. Do not let the drains hang from the sutures as these may accidentally get pulled out.
What is Tummy Tuck Surgery?
Patients frequently get tummy tuck surgery confused with liposuction. However, while liposuction can be used during abdominoplasty, these two surgical procedures are profoundly different. Abdominoplasty is a cosmetic surgery procedure that can be used for much more than just excess fat removal. It can rebuild a damaged abdomen from the inside out, starting with the patient’s underlying musculature.
Pressure exerted on the abdominal wall (from the weight of fat deposits or the growth of a baby) sometimes causes the tissue that joins the lateral portions of the abdominal muscles to tear. Once this happens, the separated abdominal muscles can no longer function “in sync,” resulting in a profound looseness that no amount of exercise can fix. Not only does this cause the stomach to jut forward (because the muscles are no longer capable of compressing it) but it can also cause a range of medical issues as well.
Healthy abdominal muscles are needed to support the lower back, for example, so chronic lower back pain often develops in patients with this condition. Patients with weakened abdominal muscles are also at greater risk of developing ventral hernias and stress urinary incontinence. As such, the foundation of tummy tuck surgery involves repairing the patient’s compromised abdominal tissue. This will allow it to heal naturally, restoring its original functionality.
If the patient also has stubborn belly fat, Dr. Zochowski will use liposuction to remove it. Once this step is complete, he will carefully drape the skin of the abdomen so that it’s smooth, but not overly tight. He will then remove excess skin (note that some stretch marks can be removed along with excess skin), then the patient’s incisions are closed, and he or she is on the road to a tighter, smoother, and stronger abdomen.
While this body contouring surgery does require the creation of lengthy incisions, they’re usually placed in areas where they won’t be noticeable after the patient has healed. Abdominoplasty incisions are typically made near the pubic area, so most scars won’t be visible even while wearing a bikini. Dr. Zochowski is especially conscious about keeping the tummy tuck scar low.
Who Makes a Good Tummy Tuck Candidate?
Tummy tuck candidates must be in good general health and be willing to dedicate several weeks to recovery. Patients should also not be smoking; if you smoke, you’ll have to quit at least one month before your surgery in order to give your cardiovascular system time to heal. Certain medications, like blood thinners, also have the potential to increase a patient’s risk of complications. When you come in for a consultation, Dr. Zochowski will personally review your complete medical history to make sure that you can safely have this procedure.
Ideally, tummy tuck patients should be done having children and losing weight. Future pregnancies and losing additional weight both have the potential to compromise the results of this procedure by creating more loose skin. Tummy tuck surgery will not, however, impair your ability to have children. If you become pregnant unexpectedly, you’ll have the option to use revision surgery to update your results (after you’ve healed from giving birth).
Christopher Zochowski, M.D.
Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon
For Dr. Zochowski, plastic surgery is the intersection where science, art, and empathy meet. Early work experience in his father’s medical office provided undeniable guidance into a career of helping people in need of medical care. Having a keen aptitude for both art and chemistry, he realized that he could combine his artistic skill with his love of science and research through plastic surgery.
