Tummy Tuck in Sarasota, FL

When I meet with prospective patients for a tummy tuck consultation, I want to understand what aspects of their abdomen concern them most. I typically break the abdomen down into three main components and evaluate each one individually: the skin layer, the fat layer, and the muscle layer. During the consultation, we will look in the mirror together so you can point out and describe your concerns, allowing me to better understand your goals and perspective. It is also important for me to understand what you hope to achieve with surgery and any concerns you may have about the procedure itself. I will also ask about your daily activities and the type of support you have at home so we can discuss recovery expectations and how to best manage the healing process.

The cost of your tummy tuck will depend on several factors, including the extent of the procedure, the amount of time in the operating room, and many other factors. Our team will happily provide you with a detailed estimate after you are properly evaluated by Dr. Hamwi in consultation.

I usually tell patients that with tummy tucks, the more time you have to plan, the better. It is important that you have given yourself enough time and have the support to heal safely. Make sure that you have time off work, you have help with your family, and someone to help you recover. We usually also need clearance from your primary care provider and potentially some lab work, so it is not uncommon to spend a month or longer getting ready for a tummy tuck.

A tummy tuck is done at a surgery center or hospital. We meet before the procedure, where we will talk again, and I will place surgical marks. After the operation, you will go to a recovery room where you will slowly wake up, and you will be monitored until it is safe for you to leave. Patients either go home with someone who can supervise them, or we can arrange to have you recover with a short-term nurse for the first night. While there will be some pain associated with the procedure, we aim to minimize this in a number of ways.

Each procedure will be unique. That said, most tummy tucks last between two and three hours in the operating room under general anesthesia.

The short answer to when you can go back to work after a tummy tuck is two to six weeks. The amount of recovery time you need depends on several factors of your surgery. You may go home after the surgical procedure, but you will need help at home for a few days, especially if you have young children.

Many patients have drains as a way to reduce the risk of a fluid collection called a seroma. This is not always the case if the procedure is smaller, but all patients who receive liposuction at the same time as their tummy tuck will have drains placed. The drains will evacuate the fluid that your body makes as it heals, and they will be removed when the output is constantly 30ml or less over a 24-hour period. You will be given a chart to record your output as you recover.

It is not always necessary to repair the muscle. When you have your consultation, we will look at the condition of the muscle layer and talk about the advantages and disadvantages of treating the muscle.

That depends on how thick or thin the fat layer is on top of your muscle. The thinner the fat layer is, the more your muscle architecture will show. If your fat layer is thick, we can reduce this with liposuction at the time of your tummy tuck, but we can’t be too aggressive, or it can cause complications. Another option is to use liposuction to create some added contour to your abdomen.

While you will lose weight from the tissue that is removed, a tummy tuck is not a weight loss procedure. It is important to be at a healthy weight before and after the operation. Significant weight gain after a tummy tuck can have unpredictable results in terms of your shape.

If drains are placed, they will need to be removed, but all other sutures that are placed are designed to dissolve on their own.

Typically not. We can perform some liposuction when a tummy tuck is performed, but it can increase the risks of complications, so the more aggressive we are, the higher the risk of complications. Our goal is to give you a great result while keeping you safe.

Dr. Hamwi is board-certified in plastic surgery and general surgery with a specialty fellowship in aesthetic plastic surgery from Manhattan, New York. He uses the most up-to-date techniques to improve outcomes and deliver amazing results. Dr. Hamwi will take the time to explain the “in’s and out’s” of this procedure and help guide you through your journey.

When choosing a tummy tuck surgeon, you want to look for a board-certified plastic surgeon with extensive training and experience. Look for a surgeon who listens to you and has your best interests at heart. Look for someone who has great results and talks openly and honestly about what you can expect.

A flat abdomen, a nice scar, and a good-looking belly button

During the operation, the belly button is released from the surrounding abdominal skin. The extra loose abdominal skin is stretched over the belly button, and a new “window” is created over the belly button to bring it back to the level of the skin. The shape of the “window” and how it is sutured in place are key to Dr. Hamwi's great belly button results.

The look of the belly button is very important in getting a good result. We will use your natural belly button, but create a new “home” for it where we bring it up through the skin. Some features of your natural belly button can’t be changed, but often we can give you some say in the shape and size of your belly button.

Tummy tuck recovery has traditionally been compared to recovering from a C-section. That being said, there have been advances in post-operative pain control, and Dr. Hamwi has a system for managing post-operative pain with long-acting anesthetic injections (Exparel) at the time of the operation. If you are interested in discussing this more, make sure to inquire about it during your consultation. One other way to significantly reduce the pain associated with recovery is not to do abdominal muscle repair. Some patients don’t need this aspect of the procedure to get a good result.

The operation will naturally feel tight, and it will take some time for the area to loosen up. In the first week after the operation, you should actively try to take tension off the incision, but as time goes on, you will begin to stretch the area so that it begins to feel normal.

Once you are back on your feet and feeling well, it is ok to lift objects that are 10-20 lbs. You will want to observe this restriction for the first 6 weeks, and then you can start increasing the weight. If you are concerned about this restriction, then you can discuss it with your surgeon, and it may be advisable to avoid tightening the abdominal muscle during the operation.

Light exercise can generally be started 6 weeks after your operation, with some restriction in how much stress can be placed on the healing abdominal muscles.

Everyone will swell after a tummy tuck, and you may look a little extra bloated for 2-3 months after the operation. The good news is that this swelling goes away. Minimizing strenuous physical activity and wearing compression will help this resolve faster, so you will likely be asked to wear some sort of compression device after the operation.

While it is not ideal, it is possible. We typically tell patients to hold off on having a tummy tuck until after they are done having children, so that it doesn’t stretch out the tissue again. That being said, I have had patients who had significant weight loss with significant hanging skin and no plans for children in the near future. In these situations, we performed the tummy tuck, but we did not sew the muscle layer, and gave her a great result.

As with most surgeries, the milder complications tend to be more common, and the more serious ones tend to be more rare. Common concerns tend to be with how the body heals and how the scars look. Dr. Hamwi uses specialized techniques to improve the appearance of the scars, but your individual genetics will impact a lot of how the scars heal. More serious complications that need to be considered are medication reactions, fluid collections, bleeding, blood clots that could develop in your legs, called deep vein thrombosis (DVT), injury to surrounding structures, blood flow to the skin, and infections. Your surgeon will discuss the risks with you and how to help minimize them if you are a candidate for the procedure.