Many women who are finished having children get frustrated because they can’t get rid of the excess abdominal skin that often follows pregnancy. Getting a tummy tuck at our Portland, Oregon, practice removes that skin and creates a slimmer tummy. But a recent study shows that when tummy tuck surgery, also called abdominoplasty, includes repairing damaged abdominal muscles, other surprising benefits occur.
Pregnancy often stretches and separates the diastasis recti — the left and right stomach muscles — and causes a belly pooch that can make a woman look pregnant when she is not. The study, published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, examined tummy tuck procedures that included repairing diastasis recti muscles. The study concluded that diastasis recti repair not only corrected the abdominal muscle condition but also significantly improved low back pain and urinary incontinence. This is important because many women develop urinary incontinence or back pain after having children.
Abdominoplasty is one of the most popular plastic surgery procedures performed in the U.S. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), surgeons performed more than 129,000 tummy tucks in 2017, a 2% increase over 2016. This put it as one of the top 5 of cosmetic surgeries performed in 2017. Therefore, women who select a tummy tuck with abdominal muscle repair can address multiple issues in one surgery.
Additionally, we often combine tummy tucks with breast augmentation or breast lift as part of the popular Mommy Makeover procedure. A Mommy Makeover addresses the physical changes that occur in women after pregnancy and having children. Women who have lost a significant amount of weight often experience similar changes, even if they haven’t had children, and they too can benefit from a Mommy Makeover procedure.
Deciding if you’re a good candidate for a tummy tuck involves consulting with a board-certified plastic surgeon. It helps if you’re already in good overall shape because a tummy tuck isn’t a weight-loss surgery. It’s often combined with liposuction to create a smooth, contoured stomach by removing localized pockets of fat.
If you’re thinking about getting a tummy tuck, you can view our gallery of before-and-after photos showing the results enjoyed by our actual patients.
If you want to learn more about your tummy tuck options, request a consultation using the online form or call us at (503) 292-9200 to schedule your appointment.
