Known in the medical community as the abdominoplasty, the tummy tuck has been used by plastic surgeons for years to remove flab and excess skin on their patients stomachs and midriffs. It has allowed millions of women and men achieve that tight, toned core they desire, and are extremely popular among mothers. The latter typically have the operation performed in conjunction with a breast augmentation and liposuction, which in popular media has come to be known as the mommy makeover.
In any event, the reason this procedure is still one of the most highly sought after in the plastic surgery field is that it accomplishes with a scalpel what people cannot do on their own. Even if you commit to a strictly healthy diet and workout intensively for months on end, your gut will remain in some form or another. While you may see the pounds shed off other areas of your body such as your arms and legs, the stomach is not so forgiving. Since this is where the bulk a persons fat deposits are stored, what is usually left behind after weight loss is sagging skin that seems to never disappear no matter how hard you try otherwise. With a tummy tuck, however, that stubborn fat and loose skin can be quickly and effectively removed, leaving a thinner, firmer figure.
Abdominoplasty through the ages
The first recorded instances of tummy tucks being performed by was in the late 19th century, which was actually a period when many forms of plastic surgery were starting out, such as breast augmentations. While a majority of these operations are used for cosmetic reasons today, early abdominoplasties were created to counter the effects of health issues like umbilical hernias. Upon erupting through the outer wall of the stomach lining, these hernias frequently form a large flap of skin. As a means of correcting the hernia, early century doctors found the process was made much easier when the flap was removed. What resulted was a tighter core, something patients were really happy about, and this is how the tummy tuck came to be geared towards the cosmetic market.
Throughout the 20th century, doctors tested multiple incision methods in an attempt to figure out which one would provide the best results with minimal cutting and scarring. From the contributions of one German surgeon who was able to avoid cutting the belly button entirely by way of making both vertical and horizontal flaps, to the advancements in sterilization in the 1970s and 1980s that allowed doctors to treat conditions such as abdominal pannus, it is safe to say the tummy tuck has come a long way since its inception.
In any event, the reason this procedure is still one of the most highly sought after in the plastic surgery field is that it accomplishes with a scalpel what people cannot do on their own. Even if you commit to a strictly healthy diet and workout intensively for months on end, your gut will remain in some form or another. While you may see the pounds shed off other areas of your body such as your arms and legs, the stomach is not so forgiving. Since this is where the bulk a persons fat deposits are stored, what is usually left behind after weight loss is sagging skin that seems to never disappear no matter how hard you try otherwise. With a tummy tuck, however, that stubborn fat and loose skin can be quickly and effectively removed, leaving a thinner, firmer figure.
Abdominoplasty through the ages
The first recorded instances of tummy tucks being performed by was in the late 19th century, which was actually a period when many forms of plastic surgery were starting out, such as breast augmentations. While a majority of these operations are used for cosmetic reasons today, early abdominoplasties were created to counter the effects of health issues like umbilical hernias. Upon erupting through the outer wall of the stomach lining, these hernias frequently form a large flap of skin. As a means of correcting the hernia, early century doctors found the process was made much easier when the flap was removed. What resulted was a tighter core, something patients were really happy about, and this is how the tummy tuck came to be geared towards the cosmetic market.
Throughout the 20th century, doctors tested multiple incision methods in an attempt to figure out which one would provide the best results with minimal cutting and scarring. From the contributions of one German surgeon who was able to avoid cutting the belly button entirely by way of making both vertical and horizontal flaps, to the advancements in sterilization in the 1970s and 1980s that allowed doctors to treat conditions such as abdominal pannus, it is safe to say the tummy tuck has come a long way since its inception.