Abdominoplasty Tummy Tuck |
Anaesthesia and SurgeryThe HospitalThe surgery is performed at either the Bristol Nuffield at St Mary's Hospital or The Spire Bristol Hospital as an inpatient procedure. You will be in hospital for two nights after the surgery. Depending on the other operations that are planned for the day, you might be required to come in to the hospital the night before your surgery, at no additional cost. AnaesthesiaWe perform this type of surgery under general anaesthesia, so you will be asleep throughout. SurgeryAbdominoplasties usually take around three hours, depending on the extent of work required. Most commonly, we will make a long incision from hipbone to hipbone, just above the pubic area. A second incision is made to free the navel from surrounding tissue. With a partial abdominoplasty, the incision is much shorter and the navel may not be moved. Next, we separate the skin from the abdominal wall all the way up to your ribs and lift a large skin flap to reveal the vertical muscles in your abdomen. These muscles are tightened by pulling them close together and stitching them into their new position. This provides a firmer abdominal wall and narrows the waistline. The skin flap is then stretched down and the extra skin is removed. A new hole is cut for your navel, which is then stitched in place. Finally, the incisions will be stitched, dressings will be applied, and a temporary tube will be inserted to drain excess fluid from the surgical site. In partial abdominoplasty, the skin is separated only between the incision line and the navel. This skin flap is stretched down, the excess is removed, and the flap is stitched back into place. |