Belly Button After Tummy Tuck: Will it Always Look Like This?
Learn more about the role of the belly button in a tummy tuck.
Tummy Tuck
Fleur De Lis Tummy Tuck: Anatomy of a Procedure
A fleur de lis tummy tuck is a type of plastic surgery you may never have heard of. It may be something you will never need, but for a large percentage of my patients, particularly patients who have lost a great deal of weight, it is at least something that they should be made aware of. The usual tummy tuck pulls lax abdominal skin downwards. This is fine for the average postpartum mom who has gone up and down in weight with pregnancy. But we are lucky that this works for most patients because it is not how weight loss… Read More
Do Men Get Tummy Tucks?
Yes, they do. I see it more and more in my practice. But the consideration and selection process is very different from my female patients. In the female patient, pregnancy has caused the abdominal wall to weaken and stretch. When the babies are born and the uterus has returned to its normal size there is a lot of room to take back with a tummy tuck (tightening the abdominal wall and removing excess skin). We have room to help flatten the abdominal wall. Men only accomplish this if they have lost a lot of weight. In weight loss, the fat… Read More
The Benefits of a Quilted Tummy
Many of you may know I quilt my tummy tucks. However, you may not quite understand what that means until you have your consultation. For this reason, I’m going to explain the benefits of a quilted tummy. History In the most common tummy tucks, excess skin is lifted up from the abdominal wall. The underlying muscles are then repaired, and then the skin is trimmed and laid down again. This is like making a bed and pulling down the sheets. A binder is placed afterwards so the skin is pushed against the abdominal wall, allowing it to adhere to the… Read More
Three Mommy Makeover Myths
You’re an amazing mom, and you’re already on your way to claiming the “Mommy of the Year Award.” You want to look fabulous when accepting it, right? Now that you’ve brought an adorable genius into the world, it’s time for you to focus on you. It’s time to get back to your pre-baby body. For many new moms, that means a Mommy Makeover. Pregnancy and Giving Birth Changes the Body During pregnancy and then through the birthing process, women’s bodies undergo major transformations – both inside and outside the body. It can take a major toll on your body – impacting… Read More
Tummy Tuck Philosophy
As many of you know, I do a lot of tummy tucks. It is one of my favorite surgeries because the goal is simple– try to make your patient feel normal again. While you may think repetition could get boring it is actually good for you, the patient. It has allowed an efficiency that translates into shorter operative times and consistent results. It has also allowed me to hone my tummy tuck thinking and improve upon it over the past two decades. Some of the themes of how I approach my patients are listed below. I hope they are helpful as you consider this… Read More
Is a Mommy Makeover Right for Me?
The joy of motherhood is real. So are the aftereffects on your body. Pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding all can leave changes, especially noticeable on your stomach and breasts. Not all these effects can be fixed with diet and exercise. A mommy makeover is cosmetic surgery that addresses the concerns of moms and let them reclaim their bodies. These cosmetic surgery procedures typically include breast lift with breast augmentation and tummy tuck of the abdomen can help you look and feel more like your old self, pre-childbirth. What Can a Mommy Makeover Do for You? If the skin on your abdomen… Read More
Tummy Tuck After Massive Weight Loss
If you have recently undergone a rapid or dramatic weight loss, you should congratulate yourself. Losing weight can be a challenging process, especially when you have many pounds to drop. Unfortunately, this outstanding personal accomplishment can lead to an excessive amount of loose flesh – particularly near your midsection. This excess skin is a relatively typical result of dropping a lot of weight in a short amount of time. If this describes your circumstances, you do not need to despair. Dr. Tattelbaum is an expert in body contouring, and he can help you to achieve the look you want. After… Read More
How many drains? One, two or none?
Drains are tubes that are left under the skin during an operation. They are used to remove pockets of fluid that can accumulate. After any surgery, the tissues ooze fluid to a certain degree as they heal. Fluid collections during healing can sometimes lead to infection. Despite this, some areas are more prone to collections than others, and not all surgeries need drains. Usually, drains are removed within a week or so when there is little fluid coming out. The fluid enters a small clear bulb that looks like a grenade. The idea of removing a drain scares patients, but it is more… Read More
Wear your Bikini to the Mommy Makeover?
When I plan my mommy makeovers I like my patients to bring in their favorite underwear or even bathing suit with them. No string bikinis please, no lacy panties and no granny panties. Something about an inch or two wide around the hips for a tummy tuck or similar width for a bra under the arms, something not too valuable, in case I get some marker on it. I draw the outline of your garment on your body before plastic surgery and I use the outline as a target in which to hide scars. My incisions are individualized. For example, for… Read More
Postpartum Restoration A.K.A. The Mommy Makeover
As the proud father of two beautiful children and a plastic surgeon, I have had the first hand opportunity to see how such a magnificent miracle can dramatically alter the female body. Hereditary, unpredictable, and often unfair, pregnancy is a body-altering experience. The body is incredibly intelligent and throughout pregnancy has the ability to change dramatically in response to the hormones associated with it. The breast becomes fuller, the skin stretches and the abdominal wall and pelvic muscles loosen, among other things. Unfortunately, the body does not always do as good of a job restoring itself. Following childbirth, skin loses… Read More
Plastic Surgery after Dramatic Weight Loss in Maryland
Weight loss is not easy as most of us know. If done through diet and exercise healthy weight loss can take months to years. Because of improved techniques for gastric bypass and the lap band procedure, we are seeing more and more patients after dramatic weight loss hoping to look normal again. Tightening all the areas of concern in the weight loss patient covers almost every aspect of cosmetic plastic surgery. Rather than going over every option, I hope to give some guiding principles. It is best to consider cosmetic surgery for weight loss when you achieve your goal weight… Read More
The Dreaded Tummy Tuck
I would have to say that that the largest group of patients I see in my daily office life are post partum moms. It is a very consistent group of people with similar requests. The post partum moms usually have very realistic goals. They want to restore the breasts that fell or flattened after child bearing and tighten the tummy that now jiggles, bulges or droops. For purposes of this article I will focus on the tummy. The group of people described above is usually well read, well researched and in good physical shape. So into my office walk a… Read More
