Failed Resolutions: Considering Plastic Surgery, When Hitting the Gym No Longer Resolves Your Concerns
The New Year is well underway. It won’t be long until it’s officially spring. Men and women all over the world are likely still hitting the gym, pinching pennies, and resolving to be nicer, among other countless promises they decided to make when the clock struck midnight on December 31.
At Southern Plastic & Reconstructive Surgical Institute, late winter and early spring are some of the busiest times of the year for new cosmetic consultations, largely due to failed New Year’s resolutions to lose weight and get fit. Many people also want to be healed and in top form by the time summer arrives. Therefore, tummy tucks and liposuction are often considered quick fixes for patients who desire to slim and tighten waistlines, legs and buttocks.
However, as Dr. Brought advises all new tummy tuck and liposuction prospects, surgical results are optimized when a patient’s goal weight has first been reached. “When patients come to my office with concerns about abdominal or lower extremity fat, I always ask how much additional weight, if any, they plan to lose,” says Dr. Brought. “I like going into the operating room as much as any surgeon, but the health and wellness of my patients is always top priority, and abdominoplasty and liposuction, like any surgery, should only be performed when other options have failed.” For example, if a patient has existing loose skin and/or loss of elasticity, losing more than 20 pounds after an abdominoplasty may jeopardize results, by increasing the amount of excess tissue.
But, sometimes, despite how often a person works out or eats healthy, surgical intervention may be recommended for a patient who has stubborn body fat, excess skin from extreme weight loss, or damage to the abdominal wall, whether from pregnancy or large amounts of intra-abdominal fat that has stretched the abdominal muscles and caused a diastasis (a.k.a, abdominal musculature separation) or hernia. No amount of exercise or weight loss will repair separated abdominal muscles or restore excess loose skin. Likewise, regardless of how much a person works out, he or she may find it nearly impossible to drop fat from areas such as the “love handles,” thighs or the area of the tummy, often referred to as one’s “pouch.”
During the initial consultation, Dr. Brought also counsels patients on the importance of following post-op instructions. Even the best surgical outcome is only as good as the patient’s compliance and willingness to follow post-op orders. So, what should a tummy tuck or liposuction expect in terms of recovery?
While procedure-specific details vary slightly, the average patient may expect to return to normal activity in four to six weeks, which is when most incisions will begin to gain strength and withstand significant forces. Dr. Brought suggests patients wait until four weeks post-op to return to heavier exertional activity. After four weeks, patients may increase activity as tolerated, including lifting of weights at six weeks post-op. The majority of swelling will subside over four weeks, then gradually resolve over a course of a few months. Once incisions are fully healed, Dr. Brought advises patients to moisturize, massage and protect from the sun, to help optimize scar maturation and fading, which can take up to two years (and sometimes longer) to fully mature (i.e., fade). As is true for many surgical procedures, the use of support and/or compression garments are required during the recovery period. To help reduce post-op swelling and encourage optimal results, the average tummy tuck or liposuction patient should expect to wear binders, girdles, or Spanx® style garments 24/7 (with the exception of during showering/bathing) for the first few weeks following surgery, or until cleared by Dr. Brought. And, finally, although results are often seen immediately following surgery, Dr. Brought cautions patients that it may take several months for patients to see full results, as healing and recovery often differs for each patient.
