Abdominoplasty with liposuction

Advantages of Abdominoplasty combined with liposuction

1) Tissue friendliness of water jet liposuction – Body-jet liposuction device
2) body contouring – shaping and slimming of the waist, sometimes even hips
3) liposuction of the slimmed skin flap above the navel, after pulling down, sits beautifully on the lower part of the groin, as both parts of the skin have the same thickness
4) Surgically, abdominoplasty is less radical than other techniques, although it is still a full-fledged “big” abdominoplasty
5) due to the loosened skin by liposuction, there is no need to lift the skin too much when stapling the diastasis. Excessive lifting of the abdominal skin can lead to disturbances in lymph flow and necrosis formation.
6) well performed liposuction in the mid abdomen will prevent a lump from forming after suturing the muscles
7) the Scarpe’s fascia is retained, which helps to firm the abdominal wall overall
8) this approach allows the umbilical hernia to be addressed without the mesh, which is a foreign material to the body
9) the adhesive used ensures that the tissues adhere better and, in addition, bleeding is reduced.
10) the method also ensures that the skin below the umbilicus is properly tightened to avoid the ‘sinkhole’ which is very difficult to resolve after surgery

Before the procedure

The first step is a consultation aimed at maximizing the client’s awareness of the surgical procedure, the placement of surgical incisions, the risks of the procedure, contraindications, anesthesia, and potential complications.

The client must have a routine preoperative examination from their general practitioner (basic laboratory tests, EKG, and others). The specific requirements for examination depend on the health status or age of the patient.

It is recommended to discontinue all medications that increase bleeding—this should be discussed with the general practitioner. If the client is a woman, it is advisable to stop using contraception, which increases the risk of embolism by up to 4 times (discontinuation should occur at least two months before the procedure and must be based on an agreement with a gynecologist).

Before the procedure, the client should not fast or follow any dietary regimes and should protect themselves from infections and colds; active cold sores are not allowed.

Current health status is important—clients should protect themselves from illness or infection; there should be a 2-3 month interval between surgery and any previous infectious illness.

Before the procedure, the client must be fasting—no eating, drinking, or smoking (for at least 6 hours). It is recommended to avoid alcoholic beverages and coffee for 24 hours prior to the procedure.

On the day of the procedure, it is advisable to take a shower, avoid using any body lotions or creams, refrain from makeup, and have nails (both hands and feet) free of polish.

Before surgery, remove removable dentures, glasses, jewelry, contact lenses, and hearing aids.

The course of the procedure

The goal of the procedure is the surgical removal of excess skin on the abdomen and improvement of the contours of the entire abdominal area. The procedure begins with liposuction. Fat is suctioned away from the navel toward the rib cage using a liposuction cannula. This reduces the thickness of the fat layer, which improves skin elasticity and subsequently makes it easier for the surgeon to pull the skin down toward the groin after removing the excess skin.

Next, the removal of the skin flap occurs beneath the navel toward the groin. A significant moment in this part of the operation is preserving Scarpa’s fascia, which runs between the layers of fat, serving as a transition between the fat layers and reinforcing the entire abdominal area. If we were to remove the entire flap along with Scarpa’s fascia, we would expose the muscle fascia completely, which could lead to poor healing of the skin flap that is stretched down toward the groin. Additionally, this would increase the risk of seroma formation.

In traditional abdominoplasty, the entire abdominal wall is lifted to the rib cage; however, due to the liposuction performed, we utilize the increased elasticity of the skin, which can be stretched without lifting. During skin tightening, the navel is also repositioned, requiring it to be sutured into its new location. After the surgery, only a horizontal incision remains at the lower part of the abdomen, which can be easily concealed by underwear.

After the procedure

GIA clinic recommends that clients prepare their home environment to avoid straining the abdominal muscles and performing strenuous household tasks for at least 7 to 14 days.

We advise returning to work and sexual activity only after 7 to 14 days. Of course, this depends on how the client feels; however, abdominal sensitivity (in the form of pulling in the abdominal area) often prevents activity before the mentioned two weeks.

Clients must consider delaying any activities that negatively affect healing in their home environment. They must continuously prioritize their safety and remember the recommendations from their doctor.

Postoperative home care is an integral part of the success of any surgical procedure.

Physical activity and active sports should be performed while wearing a supportive corset for at least 6 to 8 weeks after the procedure.

At home, pain can be managed with commonly available analgesics, which the surgeon will recommend (usually sufficient for 2 to 3 days).

The special corset should be worn for at least 6 weeks (preferably 8 weeks) and removed minimally (only for personal hygiene needs).

Further recommendations and information (care for scars, sunbathing, etc.) will be provided by the doctor after the operation.

The results of the surgical procedure will be monitored during personal check-ups at GIA Clinic, with the final outcome expected 6 to 12 months after the operation.

Contraindications of the procedure

It depends on the specific illness and the overall health condition.

The main contraindications include: acute or chronic infections, cold sores, autoimmune diseases, severe allergic conditions, acute phase of malignant diseases, pregnancy or breastfeeding in women, and other serious illnesses identified during the consultation with the client interested in the procedure.

On the day of the surgery, please bring with you:

preoperative examination (if you have not already sent it via email), medications that the client regularly takes (take the morning dose and wash it down with a small amount of water), personal items, a copy of the payment receipt for the surgery or the deposit, or the specified amount in cash if your payment is made by credit card. We recommend verifying the daily withdrawal limit in advance.