Tummy Tuck: What happens at the first appointment?
In your initial consultation, Dr. Grado will review your health history, history of operations, and your general health status. You should be frank in discussing your expectations and desires from the operation with Dr. Grado. You will be examined to determine the extent of fat deposits in your abdominal region, assess your skin tone and elasticity, and evaluate the presence of stretch marks.
- “No matter what I did, I could not get rid of my stomach.”
If you smoke, you cannot have this operation. Smokers are asked to be smoke free for a minimum of three months prior to the operation. If you are a smoker, please come in to see if you are a candidate for the operation. This may help you with your motivation to stop. Smoking dramatically reduces the blood supply to the skin with this operation and can lead to very significant complications requiring skin grafting and multiple operations.
If, for example, your fat deposits are limited to the area below the navel, you may require a less complex procedure called a partial abdominoplasty, also know as a mini-tummy tuck. Most women who have had children will only obtain the maximum benefit from a full abdominoplasty. It may be that liposuction alone will create the best result.
In any case, Dr. Grado will work with you to recommend the procedure that is right for you and will come closest to producing the desired body contour.
During the consultation, Dr. Grado will discuss where the operation will occur and how much it will cost. He will also recommend and discuss the best anesthetic to have with the operation. In most cases, health insurance policies do not cover the cost of abdominoplasty, but you should check your policy to be sure.