It’s a problem most every woman struggles with; getting the stomach you had before pregnancy can almost feel like an impossible task.
Dr. Jackie Yee, a board certified plastic surgeon from Miami, Florida, says, “a huge portion of my practice are tummy tucks and body sculpting patients, and interestingly, I get a mix of women that say they’ve tried and they’re frustrated that they can’t get their body back to what it was like before child birth.” Dr. Yee discusses the procedures that will get rid of the belly that diet and exercise can’t always help.
By Jackie Yee, MD
and Susan Kamyab
ThePlasticSurgeryChannel.com
I’ve tried getting rid of my belly naturally and still no Results!
“There’s a certain amount of guilt that some women have because they think they need to do another palates class or a new fad diet and truly, if they have a surgical problem they are only going to frustrate themselves more,” explains Dr. Yee. You must recognize what the problem is and be able to find a way to get the outcome you want. “In my practice I make sure women understand what a tummy tuck or an abdominoplasty will fix. Issues involving stretch marks, loose hanging skin, or unevenness from a cesarean section scar may require an abdominoplasty. No exercise class restores or rejuvenates the damage that has happened to the muscle after pregnancies. When people understand that there are issues about their belly area that they cannot fix with exercise or better nutrition, surgery may be a great option for them.”
Which Tummy Tuck is Right for Me?
Dr. Yee states “you may need a mini tummy tuck or a full abdominoplasty, depending on your anatomy. The only way you can figure out which one you need is to go seek out a consultation with a doctor who specializes in that particular field.”
Full abdominoplasty- The surgeon will cut your abdomen from hipbone to hipbone and then shape the skin, tissue, and muscle as needed. The surgery will involve moving your belly button, and you may need drainage tubes under your skin for a few days.
Mini abdominoplasty- This procedure is often done on people when the abdominal fat deposits are limited to the area below the navel, leaving the belly button intact. Fat is removed below the navel and regional muscles are tightened.
Body Sculpting
Body sculpting is a technique that uses a high-intensity focused ultrasound to remove unwanted abdominal fat successfully reducing waist circumference, with minimal pain and side effects. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, “high-intensity ultrasound provides a non-surgical alternative to liposuction for removing unwanted fat in non-obese patients.” However the most common medical procedure for body sculpting is still liposuction, which can remove large volumes of fat.
Dr. Yee explains how “we’ve come a long way with body sculpting. We’ve got non-surgical options, surgical options, and you don’t know which one you’re a good candidate for unless you seek out a consultation. Go see a board certified plastic surgeon to figure out if you can get away with a non-surgical option or if you need surgery to fully correct the issues that bother you.”