What You Need To Know About Getting A Tummy Tuck As Explained By A Huntington Beach, CA Surgeon

By Thomas T. Nguyen, M.D

How tummy tuck surgery works, as explained by a Huntington Beach, CA surgeon, Dr. Thomas Thuan Nguyen

T ummy tucks and abdominoplasties should never be considered an alternative to healthy diet, ample exercise, and a generally healthy lifestyle. However, a tummy tuck procedure is a great option if you already live an active lifestyle and watch what you eat, yet still are not seeing the results you want when it comes to a reduction around your middle.

If you are seeking helpful information that you can depend on regarding what to expect from a tummy tuck, you are in the right place. Dr. Thuan Nguyen is a board-certified specialist who is skilled in providing tummy tucks to patients in the Huntington Beach, California area. Together, with his team at The Orange County Cosmetic & Reconstructive Surgery Center, Dr. Nguyen provides this and many other alternative or complementary procedures to help you overcome personally unique challenges and assist you in reaching your goals. Tummy tucks are great for women looking to get back that pre-baby body, with many women achieving an even better physique than they had before they were pregnant thanks to the surprising benefits of this procedure.

Why Surgery Works When Diet and Exercise Alone Do Not

Why surgery works when fitness and food alone don’t

When looking at if a particular treatment or procedure will produce the desired results, you must first understand and address any underlying root cause. “Spot reduction” with targeted exercises will not always be effective due to the nature of areas of localized fat including baby pooches and love handles. What this means is that, if you are targeting specific areas with targeted exercises, you are not guaranteed to lose the fat in that area. When you exercise, fat that is broken down for energy can come from any area of the body, not just the area which is being targeted. Likewise, exercises deigned to target fatty areas will not always burn the necessary amount of calories needed for fat loss. Additionally, while living a sedentary lifestyle or make poor dietary choices certainly does not help, these choices may not necessarily be the culprit when looking for something to blame for areas of fat on your otherwise trim body. You could be genetically predisposed to store fat in your stomach (or other) area(s). A change in estrogen levels, especially lower levels, can also be to blame for changes in how your weight is distributed across your body.

The tummy tuck is one of several procedures that are frequently looked into when one is looking into undergoing a “mommy makeover”. Many women find it quite difficult to retrain their abdominals following pregnancy. This difficulty may have absolutely nothing to do with your approach to weight loss and fitness, but could be related to how your skin has become stretched following giving birth, which can also weaken your abdominal muscles. When this is the case, there is no amount of kale or crunches which will get rid of this skin or tighten those muscles. When this is the case, surgical intervention administered by a board certified plastic surgeon, like Dr. Nguyen, may be the answer.

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New Contours and Confidence

All potential treatments start with a physician consultation at OCCRSC. These appointments are complimentary for every major procedure. If you and Dr. Nguyen decide to move forward with an abdominoplasty, possibly in conjunction with other “mommy makeover” procedures such as a breast lift or augmentation, instructions on pre-operative preparation will be provided. For example, you could be instructed to:

Stop using any tobacco products (both smoking and smokeless)
Avoid taking some herbal supplements or anti-inflammatory medications

These modifications could be requests to promote a healthy and fast recovery and to also minimize any risks associated with post-surgical complications, such as bleeding. You will also be informed of what you should expect on the day of your procedure, performed at OCCRSC’ accredited surgical center located inside the Huntington Beach Regional Hospital Outpatient Services Building. An abdominoplasty will take around three hours, during which our Board certified anesthesiologist, Dr. Laura Ngo, will administer general anesthesia for a comfortable and pleasant experience.

The surgery involves an incision being made for access to underlying muscles, the elimination of excess skin and fat, and the repositioning of tissues. An additional incision may need to be made if any excess needs to be removed from the upper abdominal area. This precise technique and approach to surgery relies on the skill of Dr. Nguyen, and depends on any number of factors, including:

Thickness of the fatty layer
Amount of loose and/or excess skin
Presence of abdominal wall or muscle laxity

In addition to the tightening of muscles and elimination of excess skin and fat, an abdominoplasty can provide additional benefits. The appearance of stretch marks can be reduced or outright eliminated, C-section scars can be integrated with the new scar, which will fade over time. Patients who undergo an abdominoplasty can see dramatic results with reports that women have seen a drop in four dress sizes, future weight gain distribution is improved around the middle after surgery, resulting in attractive and long-term results.

As with before surgery, Dr. Nguyen will provide thorough instruction on aftercare and follow-up visits, which are complimentary. More information on what to expect before, during, and after is available on the “Patient Info” tab. You can also call (714) 421-4022 with any specific questions you may have or to schedule a consultation.

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What You Need To Know About Getting A Tummy Tuck As Explained By A Huntington Beach, CA Surgeon

Why Surgery Works When Diet and Exercise Alone Do Not

New Contours and Confidence

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