Many women and men choose to have a tummy tuck because they are interested in the aesthetic results: a firmer, tighter abdomen and a more flattering belly contour. What many patients don’t realize is how a tummy tuck can improve their health as well.
Beyond cosmetic enhancement, a tummy tuck may offer several important medical benefits. In a recent opinion piece in the Medical Daily, plastic surgeon M. Azhar Ali offers a list of 5 additional benefits of abdominoplasty, and we’ve witnessed these positive outcomes in our patients as well.
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Does a Tummy Tuck Improve Your Health?
While a tummy tuck is primarily known for improving abdominal contour, research and clinical experience suggest it may also provide certain functional and health-related benefits for appropriately selected patients. Below are 5 ways abdominoplasty may support overall well-being beyond aesthetic improvement.
1. Easier To Maintain Weight Loss
Researchers have recently found that when bariatric patients get a tummy tuck, they’re often able to maintain their weight loss longer. Bariatric surgery reduces the size of the stomach and promotes weight loss. These researchers found that when bariatric surgery was combined with a tummy tuck, the average post-surgery weight gain was significantly less than it was for those who did not opt for a tummy tuck.
2. Improved Posture
Excess skin around your abdomen can be hard on your back. If your abdominal muscles are weak and you’re carrying around extra skin or fat, you could end up with a condition commonly known as “sway back.” This condition usually leads to back pain. With a tummy tuck, you’ll not only lose the extra skin and fat, but you’ll have tighter abdominal muscles, leading to better spine support.
3. No More Stress Urinary Incontinence
After a vaginal birth, some women develop stress urinary incontinence or SUI. With SUI, the bladder will sometimes empty when you cough, laugh or sneeze.
During a tummy tuck, your surgeon can also perform a procedure to obstruct the bladder with soft tissue. This has helped many women stop experiencing SUI. This tummy tuck benefit is just one of the many reasons many patients include the procedure in their mommy makeover surgery.
4. Relief From Hernias
Weak abdominal muscles can lead to ventral hernias, a condition in which the intestine or abdominal tissue can push through the abdominal wall. Ventral hernias are more likely in someone who has undergone a C-section or appendectomy. During a tummy tuck, the abdominal muscles are tightened, which can reduce your risk of ventral hernias.
5. Increased Exercise Tolerance
Having weak abdominal muscles and excess skin or fat can make exercising more difficult. But after a tummy tuck, some patients find a renewed enjoyment of aerobic activities like running or walking, which can lead to an overall improvement in health.
Is a Tummy Tuck Right for You?
Only a board-certified plastic surgeon can determine if a tummy tuck is right for you. If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of a tummy tuck or Dr. Curtsinger’s advanced drainless tummy tuck approach, request a consultation online or call us at (912) 503-2738.
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