One of the benefits of youth we often overlook until it suddenly escapes us is the elasticity of our skin. The ability of your skin to snap back into place is one of the primary mechanisms that keep you looking young. As your skin looses this elastic quality, gravity starts to pull and tug, and your tissues can begin to droop. Additionally, changes in weight can be more difficult for your body to incorporate. This means stretch-marks as you gain weight and loose skin as you shed weight. Neither of these situations is particularly appealing to someone who desires to keep a youthful-looking appearance, and abdominoplasty for men patients who come through our doors at South Shore Plastic Surgery are looking for relief from these skin problems—especially in the abdominal region.
Abdominoplasty is more commonly known as a “tummy tuck,” but that term finds less traction when the procedure is performed on men. This is largely because “tummy tucks” are often associated not only with women, but with correcting the trauma experienced by the body during pregnancy and childbirth (not to mention the act of mothering). The stresses experienced by the male body as time goes on are, to be sure, generally less severe than pregnancy and childbirth, but that doesn’t mean that the discomfort caused by that excess skin is any less legitimate. In the case of men, this excess belly tissue is often caused by a combination of weight loss or weight gain and aging.
Any abdominoplasty procedure does two basic things. First, removes excess tissue—and it truly is excess at this point, as your skin will have lost much of that elasticity that kept it tight in your youth—is removed in strategic areas. Second, the abdominal wall muscles are tightened resulting in a strengthened abdominal wall. The results leave you with a firm, strong abdominal wall and tightened abdominal skin. Abdominoplasty is not, of course, a weight loss procedure. For any weight loss results, you’ll want to look at liposuction procedures (for minor weight loss) or bariatric surgery (for major weight loss). Abdominoplasty is, however, often performed after a successful weight loss experience, whether it’s created by a fitness routine or a surgical procedure.
Generally, men and women want similar results from an abdominoplasty, but different highlights. In other words, both men and women pursue abdominoplasty procedures because they want a flat-looking belly area with smooth skin. But a female body and male body demand different accents. In terms of abdominoplasty for men, Dr. Polsen and his team at South Shore Plastic Surgery will work hard to ensure that masculine features are highlighted in a way that will make you look younger and feel more powerful. Indeed, an abdominoplasty isn’t just about creating a new, more youthful look for your abdomen, it’s about the feeling of empowerment and the increased self confidence that come with it. Abdominoplasty for men is best performed by someone that understands the male side of the equation, such as Dr. Polsen and his team at South Shore Plastic Surgery.
Abdominoplasty can be an intense surgical procedure, and is well known for being one of the more painful aesthetic plastic surgeries commonly performed (that said, the pain is usually mitigated by various means). While South Shore Plastic Surgery generally has broad standards we like all of our plastic surgery candidates to meet, when it comes to abdominoplasty for men in Clear Lake, TX, we like to see the following characteristics in our candidates:
- Be healthy enough for major surgery (this includes abstaining from tobaccos and alcohol use prior to surgery)
- Be at a generally consistent weight, as rapid weight gain or weight loss after surgery will result in strain and stress on your results
- Have a significant amount of excess skin
- Be able to devote time after surgery to recovery
Dr. Polsen performs abdominoplasty procedures at the onsite fully accredited ambulatory surgery center. The procedure will be performed under general anesthesia, managed by a fully licensed physician anesthesiologist. Incisions will be made just above the pelvis, and this is where you may have some scarring (this scar will generally be well hidden under a bathing suit). Excess skin is removed from this point. Next, Dr. Polsen will pull your remaining skin tightly, to produce the appearance of a tight layer of tissue over your abdomen. While this is done, your abdominal wall muscles will be restructured for greater strength, as the natural structure often sags over time.
The procedure will take several hours to accomplish, and patients will generally recover for a further 1-3 hours in a post-surgical setting. Additionally, small, thin tubes may be placed at the surgical site to facilitate drainage of fluids—though, these tubes will be removed shortly after surgery.
It may take you several weeks to fully recover from your tummy tuck surgery, but you should be able to do some basic things around the house (and perhaps return to work, assuming your occupation is on the more sedentary side) within a week or two. Most primary swelling and bruising should also subside during this time period. However, some low-level swelling may persist for several months after surgery, and you should refrain from heavy exercise for a large portion of this recovery period.
It may take several months for your optimal results to become most apparent. But once those results are obvious, you’ll notice that you have a firmer, more tightly defined abdomen region. To be sure, abdominoplasty isn’t going to give you six-pack abs (only exercise can do that), but it can eliminate unwanted excess tissue to give you a firmer appearance and a more masculine profile.
If you’re interested in firming up your belly area, then an abdominoplasty with Dr. Polsen and his team at South Shore Plastic Surgery could be the right solution for you. To take the first step, contact us today.
