Tummy Tuck

A firm and toned abdominal contour is a visible sign of health and overall wellness. Unfortunately, even a healthy diet and exercise are not always enough to achieve a svelte figure. A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, addresses hanging skin, excess fat, and loose abdominal muscles after pregnancy, weight fluctuations, or aging.

A Toned Tummy

Now that you’ve dropped the pounds, you’ve also dropped the skin – it probably hangs on your belly and creates an unflattering look. And no matter how many crunches you do, you just can’t seem to get those abdominal muscles anywhere near a six-pack. Without the help of plastic surgery, you might be stuck. No creams will lift lax tummy skin, no amount of crunches will tighten loose stomach muscles, and oftentimes even the healthiest diet will not be able to reduce certain fat deposits along the abdominal wall. An abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) can help you address these problem areas sufficiently.

Your questions answered

In general younger patients with an elastic skin and moderate amounts of abdominal fat are ideal candidates. Good abdominal muscle tone contributes towards a good liposculpture result.

  • All liposculpture procedures are done under sedation and local anesthetic.
  • No overnight stay required.

Patients experiencing excess skin and muscle weakness in the lower abdomen. The procedure starts with a liposculpture of the entire area, followed by exposure and tightening of the underlying muscles, from the belly button down to the pubic area. The belly button basically remains untouched, resulting in a flat well contoured lower abdomen.

  • All procedures are done under general anesthetic.
  • One night stay in hospital required.

In cases where there is a muscle weakness along the full length of the abdomen (breast bone to pubic bone), together with a significant degree of skin excess with or without excess fat.

The procedure starts with the skin of the entire abdominal area being undermined. The stretched out muscles are plicated ( tightened) from the breast bone down to the pubic bone. Resulting in an improved waistline. All the skin and fat between the belly button and pubic bone are removed ( including stretch marks!), followed by repositioning of the belly button.

  • All procedures are done under general anesthetic.
  •  1-2 nights hospital stay required.

Although an abdominoplasty is regarded as major surgery, this is not a high-risk procedure in case of healthy, non-smoking patients, with a BMI of 30 or less. Complications seldom seen are the following:

  • Unfavourable scaring (should the patient’s body not form good scars )
  • Infection
  • haematomas( excessive bleeding),
  • Deep Venous Thrombosis
  • Reaction to sutures.

Deep Venous Thrombosis , although very seldom seen could be of a very serious nature with a devastating outcome. It is for these reasons that patients are carefully selected , together with numerous precautionary measures that are taken to reduce the patient’s risk.

Following a mini abdominoplasty / full abdominoplasty patients will always have a drain, which will stay in position for approx. 2-5 days.

  • Liposculptures are done as same day procedures.
  • Mini abdominoplasties are discharged after 1 day.
  • Full abdominoplasties are discharged after 1 or 2 days.

The rest of the first week needs to be taken easy i.e. reading, watching tv, etc.

  • Do not remain in bed, constantly walk slowly around to prevent deep venous thrombosis.
  • Driving, office type work, light household duties e.g. buying bread & milk may commence after 7-10 days.
  • Exercising may start after 4-6 weeks.
  • Sexual activity may start after 3 weeks ( As comfort permits)

You will be fitted with an elastic corset which must be worn for 4 weeks

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Your IVF Fertility Journey

Scheduling a fertility consultation with one of our fertility expert gynecologists:

  • Dr Richard Joubert 013 7457605
  • Dr Pieter Steyn 013 7552106
  • Dr Wilhelm Combrink 013 7457988
  • Dr Jean Nel 013 7458054

*Your fertility journey timescale might differ from the one described here.

  • 1

    The fertility specialist will do all necessary tests and evaluations on you as a couple in order to make a fertility treatment diagnosis.

  • 2

    To start the treatment program you will call the fertility specialists rooms on the first day of your next menstruation.

  • 3

    You will see the fertility specialist on day 2 or day 3 of your cycle for a sonar examination to determine the state of the ovaries and uterus before you start taking the medication. The specialist will explain how the stimulation drugs are used henceforth on your own or with the help of your partner.

  • 4

    Your next appointment will be on day 8 or 9 of your cycle. The Doctor will again do a sonar to see how your ovaries have responded to the stimulation and he will start monitoring them in terms of count as well as diameter. You will also be sent for blood tests to correlate the hormonal value increase with the number of developing follicles on the ovaries.

  • 5

    Once the biggest follicle measures more than 20mm in diameter, the doctor will determine the day of aspirating the mature eggs and a trigger drug will be administered to mature the eggs.

  • 6

    In the meantime, you will be referred to Surgiclinic Fertility to open your file and hospital admission. Your eggs will be harvested 36 hours after taking the trigger drug. This is usually scheduled for 9pm at night so we can do the harvest around 8am 36 hours later. You need to be fasting from the previous night and report to Surgiclinic Private Hospital at 7am sharp to be ready for the aspiration procedure scheduled for 8am

  • 7

    The anesthetist will give you conscious sedation to not feel any pain or discomfort while the oocytes are harvested. This process is the same as when the doctor monitored your follicles in the rooms with the only difference that the aspiration needle is now attached to the sonar probe.

  • 8

    In the meantime, your partner needs to be available on the day of aspiration to give a very much needed sperm sample. He is usually expected to have 3 to 5 days of sexual abstinence to give a good sample by means of masturbation. There is a special private facility close to the IVF lab where he will find all that is needed to do his very important part in this procedure.

  • 9

    Once all the follicles are aspirated the doctor will put a small armband around your wrist with the exact number of eggs retrieved written on it. You will be served some tea and toast once you wake up.

  • 10

    You should be ready to go home at around 10am. Try to rest at home and do not plan any other activities as you might not feel up to it. There might be some lower abdominal discomfort as well as bleeding.

  • 11

    The embryologist will continue the preparation of both eggs and sperm sample to be able to do the fertilisation on the very same day the aspiration has taken place.

  • 12

    Each morning the embryologist will evaluate the development of the eggs starting with fertilisation to embryo development. You will receive a Whatsapp picture every day to explain what they look like at that time.

  • 13

    The fertility specialist will decide when the embryo transfer will be, either day 3 or day 5 of development.

  • 14

    You and your partner will be expected to report to Surgiclinic Fertility an hour prior to embryo transfer.

  • 15

    Your partner will sit next to you while the embryos are transferred by sonar guidance. The Doctor will give you a note to do a pregnancy test, usually 14 days after the oocyte harvest took place. This is a blood test and all values above 25 are considered positive and repeated within 48 hours to ensure an ongoing value.

  • 16

    When your test is positive, we will contact you for an appointment for the first scans at 7 weeks into your pregnancy. Celebrate and rest a lot.