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After significant weight change, either loss or gain, many people have difficulty getting rid of excess skin and fat around their belly. Women often experience this concern after pregnancy, even when they diet and exercise. The problem: fluctuating weight can create unwanted skin and fat, and it can also weaken the abdominal wall. As a result, people find it even harder to trim down this area of their body. Robert Frank, MD Plastic Surgery helps patients in Munster, Hobart, Crown Point, and Frankfort achieve a slimmer contour through a tummy tuck.* As a board-certified plastic surgeon, he has years of experience conducting the procedure while promoting safety and comfort. The surgery can yield dramatic improvement in one’s physique.*

Dr. Frank Discusses Tips To Achieve Optimal Results With a Tummy Tuck

Dr. Frank’s Approach to Tummy Tuck

Dr. Frank meets directly with patients during an initial consultation to learn what they want to achieve with a tummy tuck. Typical concerns that patients from Munster, Hobart, Crown Point, and Frankfort express include:

  • Diet and exercise don’t seem to affect the loose skin and fat around their abdomen.
  • Patients feel uncomfortable about their appearance, particularly at the beach or when they are undressed.
  • The excess skin prevents them from wearing certain types of clothes or exercising comfortably.

Dr. Frank can evaluate patients to determine whether they are a good candidate for a tummy tuck. In particular, he informs patients that:

  • The procedure is not a weight-loss surgery; it specifically targets excess skin and areas of fat around the mid-section.
  • Because tummy tuck creates a scar, it offers certain aesthetic benefits and trade-offs.

At the conclusion of the initial consultation, patients receive a quote for everything excluding postoperative medications. Dr. Frank helps patients understand the final cost they can expect, including items such as surgical facility charges and anesthesia, so that they can make an informed decision.

Tummy Tuck Before & Afters

Tummy tuck before and after patient | robert frank md

*Individual results may vary

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About the Procedure

After preoperative testing, consent forms, and scheduling, patients receive tummy tuck surgery in an accredited facility. This signifies the facility’s commitment to the highest level of patient safety and patient care. During the tummy tuck:

  • Patients receive general anesthesia so that they can remain comfortable.
  • Dr. Frank excises the unwanted skin and fat.
  • He places permanent stitches to align and strengthen the abdominal muscles.

Dr. Frank also uses a local anesthetic in the area of the surgery. This is a three-day acting, non-narcotic anesthetic that helps patients limit pain during their recuperation is available at a small additional cost.

Recovery from Tummy Tuck

Dr. Frank and our staff see patients from Munster, Hobart, Crown Point, and Frankfort for follow-up visits throughout their recovery. Most patients will have drains for about two weeks, which assists with the healing process.* Patients can usually return to work when we remove the drains.* Dr. Frank is now offering a drain-free alternative to Tummy Tucks allowing his patients to get back to their daily routines much sooner. Watch the video below to learn more, and schedule your consultation today to see if you are a good candidate for this option!

Dr. Frank encourages those in his care to limit activity to light exercise during recovery, such as walking or riding a bike. Most can return to non-abdominal exercise in about 3-4 weeks and abdominal exercise by the end of six weeks.*

Patients usually see a huge improvement in their body’s contour by the time Dr. Frank removes the drains. Within two months, they should realize their final results.*

Dr. Frank’s Advice on Recovery

We all have our own ideas of how long recovery should take. Unfortunately, this means many patients try to rush their recovery and go back to normal activities. This trend is especially true among young mothers who want to spend every moment with their children. They may attempt to play with or pick up their children before their bodies are ready to handle that strain.

Dr. Frank sees rushed recoveries in several ways, with one of the most common being pain. Patients who try to be too active too early in the recovery process often find themselves running through their pain medication too soon and have to ask for an early refill. Rather than increase the amount of medication you take, you will feel better sooner and end the period wherein you need the medication faster if you allow your body to rest. Do not force your body to undergo more physical strain than it is ready to handle. It is okay to take 30-minute breaks on the couch.

Another way Dr. Frank sees patients push themselves too hard is an increased risk of both swelling and dangerous hematomas.

For example, after liposuction, your body needs time to move fluid out of your skin. Patients who have had liposuction will have skin that feels firmer than untreated areas because of this fluid buildup. Getting that fluid out of your skin is one of your recovery goals during the weeks after surgery. But if you activate your muscles near the treated area, that activity draws fluid into the area, which increases swelling and often pain. In the case of a tummy tuck, too much activity early in your recovery can increase blood pressure, which then causes more oozing into the space created during surgery. While a little fluid is normal, it’s easy to overwhelm your body’s ability to absorb this fluid. A hematoma is the result.

To minimize these concerns, Dr. Frank encourages all patients to clear their schedules of everything except the most essential duties for the two weeks after surgery. You should minimize the amount of childcare, job responsibilities, meetings, social activities, and home chores in which you partake so your body can rest. You will feel better and recover faster if you plan ahead so that your body, not your calendar, determines when you are ready for your physical activities.

Resolve excess skin around your midsection and achieve a leaner figure with tummy tuck surgery at Robert Frank, MD Plastic Surgery. Patients from Hobart, Munster, Crown Point, and Frankfort can reach our office online or at (219) 513-2011.
*Individual results may vary