Full Abdominoplasty
Many women experience stretching of abdominal muscles, loss of skin elasticity, and unwanted accumulation of fat due to a variety of reasons. These things are most commonly caused by pregnancy or weight gain. For women who cannot reverse these dramatic changes with diet, exercise, or natural healing over time, the abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, is the perfect solution.
The abdominoplasty surgery restores the female abdomen by stitching the abdominal muscles back into place. Dr. Shapiro removes the extra fat and skin thereby stretching out stretch marks. This leaves a beautiful, shapely waistline with the abdominal muscles athletically aligned.
The full abdominoplasty is designed for patients requiring maximum skin and fat removal, especially in cases of skin laxity above the navel. The full abdominoplasty has a larger scar than a mini-abdominoplasty that runs from hip to hip. Dr. Shapiro always works with his patients to ensure undergarments or bikini bottoms will hide the scar. A full abdominoplasty requires the skin from the belly button down to be excised, requiring the creation of a new navel, which Dr. Shapiro will place in the perfectly proportional spot.
Dr. Shaprio has begun using a post-operative pain pump for patients to maintain their pain during a full abdominoplasty recovery. The pump is far more effective in delivering pain relief than traditional oral painkillers and makes for a much more comfortable recovery period. The pump is used during the first week after surgery with drains and pain pump catheters removed 7-10 days after surgery. Patients typically return to work within 2-3 weeks after surgery.
