tummy tuck » Blog | Arlington, Dallas, Plano

Posts Tagged ‘tummy tuck’

Antioxidants May Promote Healing After Surgery

Tuesday, March 8th, 2011 by newseditor

In a recent clinical study out of Brazil, physicians asked 60 women to significantly increase their intake of fruits and vegetables during recovery from abdominal cosmetic surgery. Their findings reveal some promising potential benefits of an antioxidant-rich diet, not just after cosmetic surgery, but also for treatment of inflammatory conditions.

The authors hypothesized that a diet rich in fruits and veggies would produce an anti-inflammatory response in the participants. In this case, they decided to examine the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and levels of C-reactive protein, a common marker of inflammation and infection.

The participants were interviewed the first day after elective cosmetic surgery. They started the experimental diet on the third day and doctors followed their progress for one more month. They explain the post-operative diet as follows:

“Six servings each of fruits and vegetables, reflecting a diet rich in such foodstuffs, were advised. Seven easy and convenient recipes were developed by the team with the objective of improving palatability and intake.”

Results of the study showed that both the control group and the dieting group experienced a reduction in C-reactive protein, but according to the study authors, “a more expressive decrease could be demonstrated for the high fruit and vegetable participants.”

Although the authors caution against making any hasty conclusions, they do suggest some interesting benefits based on the findings. In particular, they argue that fruits and vegetables are safe, tolerable and inexpensive. They also mention a “synergistic” effectiveness associated with good nutrition.

This study is currently accessible for free through Pubmed.gov

Tags: antioxidants after surgery, tummy tuck
Posted in Body Cosmetic Surgery | No Comments »

Study Finds Technique Reduces Post-op Pain for Tummy Tuck Patients

Monday, October 4th, 2010 by editor2

A new study finds that when patients are injected with a combination of nerve blocks and long-acting local anesthetics into nerve branches around the abdomen before tummy tuck surgery, they have significantly less pain during their recovery period. A nerve block numbs the nerves in the area of the body where it’s injected.

The author, microvascular plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Lu-Jean Feng, reviewed charts of patients who underwent an abdominoplasty over a ten year period. The treatment group included 77 patients who received the numbing solution, which works by blocking pain impulses between the abdomen and brain. The control group included 20 patients who did not receive nerve blocks.

A comparison between the two groups found that those who received nerve blocks prior to surgery had significantly less pain after surgery, required significantly less pain medication during recovery, and spent less time in the recovery room.

Using recovery room data and patient questionnaires, the study also found that those who received nerve blocks had significantly less pain at home after surgery and were able to resume driving and other normal activities significantly sooner than the control group.

“Today prospective patients are not only looking at the aesthetic quality of results of an elective surgical procedure. They are also looking at ease of recovery and shorter downtimes,” said Dr. Feng, who presented her study at Plastic Surgery 2010, an annual scientific meeting sponsored by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons that was held October 1-5 in Toronto.

Based on the results, Dr. Feng or others may look into the possiblity of using the technique for other cosmetic procedures, like breast augmentation. Another possible use for nerve blocks may be for those recieving a combination of procedures at one time.

The abstract of the study, “Painless Abdominoplasty: The Efficacy of Combined Intercostal and Pararectus Blocks in Reducing Post-Op Pain and Recovery” is available at plasticsurgery.org.

Tags: abdominoplasty, nerve blocks, tummy tuck
Posted in Body Cosmetic Surgery, In the News | No Comments »

When Men Can Benefit From Abdominoplasty

Monday, February 15th, 2010 by newseditor

Tummy tuck surgery is typically considered by women trying improve their dallas tummy tuck post-pregnancy body. But that’s not the case with every patient; many people who have experienced major weight reduction – men included – can often undergo this surgery.

Unfortunately, some male patients feel embarrassed to investigate the procedure. A man who documented his tummy tuck online writes that he perceived a “stigma or shame associated with male tummy tucks,” that made him hesitate to inquire about the operation. If you’re researching a tummy tuck, know that surgeons should be able to offer advice specific to your gender.

A male member of the realself.com forum asks about skin laxity on his abdomen due to weight loss:

I’m dealing with loose skin after a 50 lbs weight loss in my teens. I’ve totally transformed and I’m very athletic with well-defined abs, but have laxity mostly below the navel and around the lower back. The problem areas are very localized and I hide it under the belt line with no one suspecting I was obese. But I feel “unfinished.” The front skin is very thin and hangs, the back is mostly smooth. Is there a tummy tuck technique that would excise the abdominal skin and provide modest tightening in the lower back?

Washington DC plastic surgeon Chris Hess MD responds: “Even though we tend to have better skin tone than women, we can still end up with excess skin due to skin memory. It sounds like you could undergo a mild excision of the excess tissue–less than a mini tummy tuck.”

Some cases aren’t so simple. When a man has experienced a greater weight reduction, the full tummy tuck may be recommended. “Do not hesitate to use a full abdominoplasty for a male patient with extreme skin laxity; men tend to heal better than women after abdominoplasty,” advises Oklahoma cosmetic surgeon Angelo Cuzalina.

Others agree: a comprehensive approach may be necessary for a large number of men. Dr. Alan Matarasso, scientific editor of Aesthetic Surgery Journal discusses the procedure in Cosmetic Surgery Times: he says “you really need to treat men circumferentially, all the way around, because if you ask most men what bothers them, it’s the ‘love handles,’ and that goes all the way around to the back.”

For men, tummy tuck surgery might be discussed less frequently, but it is clear that cosmetic surgeons perform it on a regular basis. If you think you might be a good candidate, ignore any perceived “stigma” and ask a surgeon for the information you need.