Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) in Tampa
Before and After Photos of Tummy Tuck Patients
If you live in the Tampa Bay area, you have probably seen tummies and bellies of all different shapes and sizes. How does one achieve an attractive abdomen? Certainly, genetics, diet, and lifestyle play a significant role, but Tampa plastic surgery procedures can help.
Having children or undergoing a dramatic weight loss can leave one with loose abdominal skin, unsightly stretch marks, tummy rolls, and a protruding belly. Exercise and dietary changes alone typically cannot completely correct all of these problems.
A tummy tuck can address many of these issues. However, as with any plastic surgery procedure, tummy tuck can only do so much. No amount of cosmetic surgery can substitute for a determined program of diet and exercise. Many abdominoplasty patients won’t realize the full effect of their results until they have made dedicated changes to their lifestyle and eating habits.
Dr. Shienbaum’s Tampa tummy tuck patient discusses her experience at the practice and her outstanding surgical results.
Patient 1: I love it, I absolutely love it. It was done completely for myself. I feel so good about myself. I’m so happy, I cannot even describe. It has just changed my mind. I’m just happy with myself. Just going to being not happy, to being happy with myself. Not conscience, less conscience and being afraid if my tee shirt goes up and stretch marks show, and the fold of the skin fell down. It is just you have to be happy with yourself, If you want to enjoy life. It really changed my mind in a very, very positive way. I could not say more than enough. Thank you Doctor Shienbaum. He did a miracle job he just sculpted my body. I don’t think I even looked like this at eighteen. I’m like incredibly happy yes I keep doing the work outs because I want to keep this tummy and this body. But he’s just sculpted. I don’t have the love handles on the side. My waist is nice and trim. I look so symmetrical and so nice.
Patient 2: I think the profile. You know the profile is slim. I mean you look younger. No, it’s amazing. I mean I tell my daughter. My friends are like you could bounce a quarter off my stomach. I mean it’s flat as a board. I don’t think you could get this, it’s cheating really. Because you couldn’t get this if you were thin. You know even if you were thin, you couldn’t get this so. You know, but it, I don’t know I think it’s one of the best things I ever did. Plus I think it gives you incentive. You know because I’ve been watching my calories. Like a thousand calories a day. Healthy foods no carbonated beverages, no alcohol. I think it gives you that incentive to do that. Absolutely, it’s amazing. I mean it truly, I feel like I cheated but you know, it had to be done and its maintenance and it’s unbelievable. I mean it’s ridiculous.
Patient 3: I’ve been so happy with the results of the surgery. You know and I’ve, you know any of my friends who are concerned about their mid area. I’ve been, I don’t know about you. I was looking to go. I was so unhappy that, my husband first suggested maybe we should do this in New York. Cause that’s where we’re from and you know image in New York City, and you know that’s kind of between there and Miami. Thought maybe there we’d find a perfect surgeon. But I said maybe well find one her, and Doctor Shienbaum is the best.
What is a Tummy Tuck?
Tummy tuck, also known as abdominoplasty, is a popular plastic surgery procedure that restores and enhances the appearance of the abdomen. It can be both cosmetic and functional in nature. Tummy tuck surgery can remove loose abdominal skin and excess fat, restore the belly button, flatten the tummy, tighten the waistline and even sculpt the torso. The result is a slimmer waist and toned abdomen. Most incisions can be hidden within panty or swimsuit lines, and the procedure typically requires from one to three weeks for recovery.
Dr. Shienbaum offers a number of tummy tuck procedures, each of which is outlined below.
1. Lipo Abdominoplasty
Lipo abdominoplasty is a very effective technique which combines the benefits of liposuction with a traditional tummy tuck procedure. This advanced technique removes excess fat from the tummy and other areas. Liposuction of the hips, thighs, flank and back areas allows Dr. Shienbaum to give the patient a much slimmer and more contoured waistline. Additional fat is sometimes removed from the pubic and inner thigh regions to provide a more sculpted overall appearance.
The latest advancement Dr. Shienbaum has adopted for this procedure is VASER liposuction, which melts away excess fat more effectively than older technologies. The advanced VASER technique allows precise removal of unwanted fat. The entire torso can be sculpted to remove any hint of excess external fat, define the underlying musculature, and shape the entire silhouette. Unflattering belly rolls, saddle bags, love handles, and muffin tops can all be effectively removed.
The selectivity of VASER’s ultrasonic energy allows for a sleeker, more contoured torso than previously possible. While muscle and skin tightening can slim the waist, lipo abdominoplasty has added a whole new dimension in the quest for an hourglass-shaped waistline for Tampa patients.
The liposuctioned fat is often used by Dr. Shienbaum to rejuvenate facial wrinkles and folds, provide fuller cheeks, enhance the derriere, fill cellulite depressions and even augment the breasts.
The degree of body sculpting and muscular contouring achieved by combining VASER liposuction with a tummy tuck can seldom be produced by either procedure alone.
2. Tummy Tuck for Post-Pregnancy Issues & Belly Bulge
Pregnancy distends the abdominal wall, stretching the fascia and pushing the muscles apart. This condition is called diastasis recti. The separated abdominal wall muscles allow the bulging belly to persist long after childbirth. This occurs because the displaced muscles allow the inner abdominal contents or “gut” to bulge forward.
Abdominal crunches and situps can strenghten the tummy muscles but cannot pull them back together. The distended fascia from pregnancy can contine to separate and spread, allowing the bulge to expand and the belly wall to protrude even further forward.
As a result of this abdominal wall weakness, the belly button can herniate and protude through the thin fascia (umbilical hernia). While a bulging navel can frequently be pushed back into the abdomen by simple finger pressure, an umbilical hernia must be repaired during a tummy tuck or with a more simple procedure.
A tummy tuck procedure repairs the separated muscles and tightens the distended fascia. While exercise alone cannot retighten fascia or reposition the separated abdominal muscles, a thorough tightening of them with corset-type suturing can achieve dramatic results. This is an essential part of the tummy tuck procedure for Tampa, FL patients to regain their youthful shape.
3. Tummy Tuck & Mommy Makeover
Childbirth can often leave sagging and empty breasts. Dr. Shienbaum provides several options to improve deflated post-pregnancy breasts.
Breast augmentation can restore lost breast volume, but breast implants will typically only push the breasts forward. This provides more fullness and cleavage but will only raise the breasts slightly.
Breast lift, or mastopexy, is used to elevate sagging breasts which have retained breast volume. Often the nipples point downward and a marked inferior breast fold is present. A lollipop-type incision is used to lift and reshape the breast. If sufficient breast volume remains, the breast can be reshaped without the need for implants.
Augmentation mastopexy is required to correct sagging, empty breasts which have lost their former volume. When the breast skin is both stretched and empty, an implant alone cannot restore the original breast contour and height. Tightening of the excess breast skin around an underlying implant is required to provide a shapely uplifted breast.
Fat transplantation, in which fat is removed from the tummy tuck procedure, may be used to augment the breast size. When a breast augmentation or uplift is combined with a tummy tuck procedure, the mommy makeover is complete.
4. Abdominoplasty & Body Building
Tummy tuck surgery can remove loose abdominal skin, lipo excess fat, restore the belly button, flatten the tummy, tighten the waistline, and even sculpt the torso.
Fat transplantation into muscles is increasingly being used to augment and increase muscle size and bulk. While the initial results can be dramatic and immediately evident, the longevity of the procedure remains uncertain.
For long-term results, no amount of plastic surgery can substitute for a dedicated lifestyle of diet and exercise.
5. Tummy Tuck & VASER Body Contouring
Having a slim, tight, muscular abdomen has become fashionable in recent years. The sculpted silhouette emphasizes the natural muscular curves of the torso.
Body contouring techniques with VASER Liposuction can sculpt and define the abdominal musculature in ways never before possible. Muscular anatomy is enhanced through selective VASER Lipo suctioning along muscle edge contours. Additional superficial VASER Lipo etching can help mimic a “six pack” look.
VASER Lipo uses ultrasonic energy to effectively “melt” away the fat and define the muscle borders. Natural body contours are emphasized and enhanced by selectively removing fat in carefully defined muscular areas. The result is a sculpted, tighter abdomen with visible athletic contours, producing a unique “buffed” appearance.
6. Tummy Tuck & Breast Implants
Motherhood can leave more than just a distended midsection. Breastfeeding can lead to the deflation and sagging of once-firm breasts. As the breasts lose volume and fullness, they appear empty and less youthful. The entire body silhouette loses balance and proportion. A sense of dissatisfaction and self-consciousness are often the result.
Florida patients seeking to restore the former volume and shape of their breasts commonly rely on breasts implants or an uplift procedure (mastopexy). But thanks to modern fat transplantation techniques, excess fat removed during the tummy tuck procedure can now be utilized to naturally augment the breasts.
Combining these procedures can simultaneously restore cleavage and sculpt the waistline for a dramatic visual makeover. Tampa women sense an improved self-esteem and personal confidence when the figure returns to its former youthful contour. The procedure is one of the most popular surgeries performed by Dr. Shienbaum.
Breast augmentation can be performed with either silicone or saline implants. The newer silicone implants are more cohesive or “jelly like” and have a very natural, soft feel. They tend to have fewer issues with rippling and other surface irregularities frequently seen with saline (saltwater) implants. While saline implants require muscle coverage to hide the inherent irregularities, silicone implants can frequently be placed above the muscle. This provides a more pleasant and quicker recovery as well as freedom from future muscular distortion of the breast implants.
7. Mini Abdominoplasty
A “Small Scar Tummy Tuck” or “mini abdominoplasty” can be used to treat smaller abdominal imperfections. Many women desire to limit the extent of the tummy tuck incision. This is possible when the abdominal issue is limited to the lower half of the abdomen.
Abdominal protrusions and excess skin below the belly button are particularly well suited for a mini abdominoplasty. The incision can typically be kept lower and smaller. Recovery time is also shorter with proportionately less healing time.
Through the mini icision, the lower abodominal wall can be tigthened and excess fat and skin removed. Often the navel (belly button) can be lowered or “floated” downward, creating the illusion of a longer torso and slimmer silhouette.
More revealing and lower-riding lingerie become possible with the mini abdominoplasty in Tampa. It is an exciting option for carefully selected patients.
8. Tummy Tuck & Weight Loss
Loose abdominal skin is a common aftereffect of dramatic weight loss. The skin does not fully retract, leaving irregular sagging abdominal skin folds. The excess loose skin in the umbilical area tends to “hood” and distort the navel. The belly button slumps and appears “tired.” A tummy tuck can correct most excess skin problems and provide a more aesthetically pleasing navel.
9. Tummy Tuck & Waist Contouring
Women have long understood the benefits of a tight, narrow waistline.
The female silhouette is most attractive and sexier with an hourglass appearance that emphasizes the bust and rear. A tight-waisted tummy tuck mimics the hourglass appearance of an external corset.
Achieving a slim waistline requires not only excess skin and fat removal but also a corset tigheneing of the protruding abdominal fascia and muscles. The abdominal muscles are repeatedly sutured together in layers, producing waist tightening similar to wearing an internal corset. The lateral abdominal musculature can be tightened in a similar fashion. Dr. Shienbaum incorporates strategically placed anchor sutures to contour the skin around the underlying musculature. The progressively tighter sutured layers create a smaller torso and a curved “hourglass” contour.
No amount of abdominal exercise can produce the waist “cinching” effect of retightening distended fascia and repositioning displaced muscle. The new body silhouette is visible through tight dresses and workout attire.
10. Tummy Tuck & Cesarean
Pregnancy stretches the tummy muscles and fascia apart. Often this is accompanied by a distended and bulging abdominal wall. The thinly stretched fascia simply cannot contain the protruding abdominal contents. A visible caesarian section scar and overhanging belly pouch is a common complaint for post-pregnancy patients.
This abdominal distension frequently persists after childbirth. The C-section scar contracts and indents, leaving a shelf like deformity. The scar itself is frequently discolored and irregular. Keloids and scar hypertrophy accentuate the damage. The abdomen appears distorted and unbalanced. Entrapment of sensory nerves within the scarred tissues produces pain, and the scar can be irritated by belts and elastic waistbands. Over time, the scar itself spreads and widens.
Core body workouts and abdominal exercises cannot totally correct distended fascia or separated musculature or C-section indentations. Scar creams and gels offer minimal improvement.
During a tummy tuck procedure, Dr. Shienbaum can remove the Cesarean scar and associated shelf malformation.
11. Tummy Tuck & Stretch Marks
Stretch marks are caused by the rapid expansion and contraction of skin, as seen with pregnacy and weight gain. It is the actual tearing of the underlying dermis which produces the scarring of the skin.
Hormones associated with pregnancy, body building, puberty and dietary supplements may induce stretch marks by limiting the formation of the skin’s supporting collagen.
Approximatly 80 percent of women will develop some form of stretch marks during pregnancy. Teenagers undergoing puberty have also been known to develop severe forms of stretch marks.
Stretch marks (striae) following pregnancy are difficult to remove. Lasers, ultrasound, radiofrequency, vibratory massage, and a multitude of topical medications offer limited success. Tampa patients who undergo a tummy tuck procedure will typically remove most abdominal stretch marks located below the belly button.
12. Tummy Tuck & Abdominal Folds
Tummy rolls are really belly fat and skin suspended from the abdomen along lines of fascial adherence. The loose tissue rolls commonly seen after massive weight loss seem to hang in distinct abdominal folds.
These lines of adherence often follow the normal muscular contours and must be released during the tummy tuck procedure. Releasing these bands of adherence allows the abdominal skin to unfurl and lie smooth. VASER Liposuction can then liquefy and remove the remaining suspended fat layers while allowing the excess skin to shrink and contour. Longstanding abdominal rolls can often be completely removed, with only a thin superficial dermal crease remaining.
Incorporating liposuction into a tummy tuck procedure can also reduce the final incision size. By reaching around the hips and flank areas with specially designed, curved liposuction cannula, Dr. Shienbaum is able to reduce the posterior back and flank rolls which commonly protrude over pant and skirt waistbands. Liposuction can address these difficult posterior areas without the need to extend the tummy tuck incision to the back area.
Liposuction also allows for a lower tummy tuck incision. Because VASER liposuction preserves nerves and blood vessels, fat can be more completely removed. This allows for thinner, more pliable skin flaps which Dr. Shienbaum can pull to a much lower position. It is not uncommon for the final tummy tuck incision to rest at the level of the prior Cesarean scar. Lower-riding French and Brazilian style bikini-type bottoms are often still an option.
Dr. Shienbaum offers a wide range of incision options for tummy tuck surgery to accommodate many types of lingerie and swim suit styles, especially for his Tampa, FL patients. During your abdominoplasty consultation, be sure to explain your incision preferences to Dr. Shienbaum. This will better ensure that you are satisfied with the results of your procedure.
