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The purpose of abdominoplasty (abdominoplasty) is to remove unwanted skin on the abdomen. This is relevant for those who feel that they have gained too much fatty tissue or loose skin on the stomach. Most often it is a combination of both. The most common reasons for this are pregnancy and/or weight loss.
Some have had unwanted folds and scars as a result of other operations in the abdominal region. This can be perceived as a cosmetic problem. Some say that this is an obstacle to normal development of life. Some say that they never show themselves naked to their partner or that they do not show themselves in a bikini. Others want stomach surgery because this causes functional difficulties.
There may be problems with fitting clothes, for example difficulties in finding trousers that are comfortable or skin problems may arise in the form of soreness, moist and irritated skin or an unpleasant smell in the area where skin is in contact with skin.
Abdominoplasty is an operation that aims to correct these problems. During this operation, excess skin and fatty tissue in the abdominal region is removed. We usually distinguish between small abdominoplasty (mini abdominoplasty) and large abdominoplasty .
It is important that you are well prepared for the operation. Your weight should be as close to a normal BMI of 25 as possible. Smoking is the main cause of complications such as infection and tissue death, and you must therefore stop smoking at least 4 weeks before the operation and must start again no earlier than 4 weeks after the operation.
Different kinds of medicine can affect the operation and especially cause bleeding problems. You will therefore, in connection with the preliminary examination, talk to the specialist about how you should deal with the medication you may be taking.
If you are to be operated on under full anesthesia, you must come to the hospital fasting. You must not drink alcohol after 20 from the evening before the day of surgery. 6 hours before the planned operation, you must stop eating and drinking. However, you must continue to drink water or preferably sugary “transparent liquids”; eg. juice or apple juice, until 2 hours before the time of surgery. You must not eat anything in the last 2 hours before the operation.
This operation takes from 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours, depending on whether abdominoplasty or liposuction is to be performed in connection with the operation. As shown in the drawing, an incision is made over the pubic bone from hip to hip, after which the skin is loosened up to the sternum, with the navel cut free. The excess skin with underlying fat from the navel down to the pubic bone is removed. If necessary, an abdominoplasty is performed, where the two longitudinal muscles are joined in the midline. Finally, the skin is pulled together and the navel is repositioned. Skin and fat are sewn in three layers and two small drains (plastic tubes) are placed to remove excess fluid from the wound. You will be given a tight bandage around your stomach to help support the abdominal wall for the first month after the operation.
This operation is less extensive than an abdominoplasty and can be performed under general or local anesthesia. The operation lasts from 1 to 1 ½ hours, depending on whether liposuction is also performed. The incision is placed above the pubic bone and the skin is loosened up to the navel, after which excess skin and fat are removed. Skin and underlying tissue are sewn in three layers. You will be given a tight bandage around your stomach to help support the abdominal wall for the first month after the operation.
The operation will leave a scar which will initially be red and may be swollen. In most patients, the scar after an abdominoplasty will look good, but a few percent will develop a disfiguring scar (hypertrophic scar or keloid). In such cases, it may be necessary to treat with adrenal cortex hormone a number of times. It usually takes one to two years before the scar has its final appearance.
Any operation will affect the sense of touch. You will experience numbness in a larger or smaller area of the skin after the operation. In the months after the operation, you will be able to experience various sensory disturbances such as stinging and tingling in the scars, but this will gradually disappear as the normal sense of touch is restored. There may be smaller areas of permanent loss of sensation.
When the operation is finished, you will be taken to the recovery ward, where you will be observed by our recovery nurse until you are sufficiently awake to be able to go to your bedside.
During the operation, a local anesthetic is applied, which means that you have relatively little pain for the first 4-6 hours after the operation. As the effect of the local anesthetic wears off, the nurse will ensure that you receive the necessary painkillers so that your pain is kept to a minimum.
To limit the pull on the scar, you will lie in bed with your hips and knees slightly bent and your upper body slightly elevated. You must sleep in this position for the first 1-2 weeks after the operation. You will already have to get up and walk during hospitalization, as this is important to limit the risk of blood clots in the legs.
The day after the operation, you will be discharged in the morning and must be picked up at 8 o’clock. Depending on how much liquid has gotten into the drains, these can possibly be removed before you go home. If they cannot be removed, you will be instructed to empty the drains at home. After 2-4 days, you will come to the first check, where the drains are removed.
You will receive painkillers home from the clinic with instructions on how to take the tablets.
The skin is sutured with a thread that disappears by itself, except around the navel. You must therefore come for a new check after 10-14 days, where these threads are removed.
The final check-up with the plastic surgeon takes place after 3-6 months. This time can be arranged at the time of discharge, or you can call later and make an appointment.
You are usually on sick leave from work for 2-4 weeks after the operation, but if the abdominal wall has been tightened, or if you have a physically demanding job, sick leave for up to 6 weeks may be necessary.