Tummy Tuck

The ideal candidate for an abdominoplasty is someone who is of near normal body weight, but has an excess of abdominal skin and fat. Even women who are overweight, however, can achieve excellent results. They must be healthy. Many of our abdominoplasty patients are women who have had children and are looking to regain what their body looked like prior to having children. Dr. Jones and Dr. Loffredo also see a number of patients who have lost a large amount of weight; they are also good candidates for abdominoplasty surgery.

Our surgeons at Cape and Islands Plastic Surgery perform abdominoplasty, commonly called a “tummy tuck” in a hospital under general anesthesia (so you’re asleep). The surgery typically takes about 3½ hours and usually requires an overnight stay. It is not unusual for an abdominoplasty patient to have a breast augmentation or breast lift done at the same time. Having both procedures performed at the same time can save a patient a significant amount of money. Our office will be happy to discuss the details and provide pricing for these combined surgeries.

Post-operative discomfort is generally low, and patients usually state that the discomfort from a C-Section is much worse than from an abdominoplasty. Our surgeons realize that all patients want to be as comfortable and with as little pain as possible after any surgical procedure. For this reason, they have all abdominoplasty patients stay overnight at the hospital. This way, we can provide our abdominoplasty patients with appropriate pain control. Dr. Jones and Dr. Loffredo feel that for abdominoplasty surgery, it is in a patient’s best interest to spend one night in the hospital. They can provide much better pain control, and you have the advantage of a nurse to help with the post-operative care. Our surgeons at Cape and Islands Plastic Surgery have negotiated overnight rates for our patients so that this important added care is provided at a very reasonable cost.

Most patients find the use of a walker to be helpful in the immediate post-operative period. Because Cape and Islands Plastic Surgery performs a large number of abdominoplasty surgeries, there are eight walkers in our office that are available for patients to use at no cost. Most patients are able to return to work in 2 or 3 weeks, depending, of course, on what type of work they do.*

Prior to surgery, Dr. Loffredo and Dr. Jones will discuss with patients their options on where the scar will be located. Patients are encouraged to bring articles of clothing (e.g., bathing suit or pants) to their pre-operative visit to help determine their optimal scar location. Although the scar will never completely disappear, it will fade with time. After abdominoplasty surgery, many patients comment on how nicely their clothes fit, especially pants. *