I don’t like the way I look in clothes and I want to get a tummy tuck, but my husband doesn’t want me to. He thinks it is unnecessary and tells me that he likes the way I look. How can I explain how important this is to me. I don’t feel good in anything I wear. My stomach ruins the way I look in every outfit. I work out all the time, but I have the unfortunate disadvantage of having skinny girlfriends, most of whom I think have had tummy tucks as well.
While I commend your husband for loving you for who you are, you may want to let him know that a tummy tuck is not only for appearing better, but it actually leads to improved health. Children, life and a normal constitution of a woman’s body leads to lax abdominal muscles which takes away your core body strength and causes poor posture. Reduction of fat around your mid abdomen has significant health benefits post-operatively. It can reduce the work load upon your heart, it can improve your blood pressure, it can lead to lower blood sugars, and it will increase your abdominal muscles which will help to improve your posture. We have found that if you feel good about yourself and optimize your health.
I am so disappointed with my post-baby body. I’ve been married for 14 years and it’s reached the point where I’m embarrassed to even get undressed in front of my husband. I know I need a Mommy Makeover and I want to take care of this issue while I’m young. How do I get my body back?
The most important thing to start with is your basic body shape. As we get older, our connective tissues tend to relax while our waist line will expand with fatty tissue that gets deposited on your back and around your middle. One of the most rejuvenating things to do is to tighten the waistline and give a patient her shape back, and in some cases, make her shape even better than her younger years. Tummy tucks are not only important for feeling younger because a tighter middle will give you a better shape, but it helps your core body strength and in some cases even improves bladder function by tightening the muscles in your abdomen. Even when a woman has a small amount of lower belly fat which can be handled with a mini tummy tuck, I still tighten the muscles in the lower abdomen instead of the customary approach which is to only reduce the skin. After a baby most women tend to lose volume in their breasts. Depending on your body, this can be handled with a breast augmentation to provide the volume and return cleavage, or with a breast lift. Breast lifts are very simple procedures that can be done at the same time as your tummy tuck or at a later date. There is also very little discomfort post-operatively. Many patients are worried about the incisions pre-operatively, but post-operatively with the better projection and elevation of the breasts, incisions are not a concern and they heal beautifully with time.
I would like to get some liposuction done but there are so many different types I have read about and I do not know which one is best. What are your thoughts?
It does not matter if you use the cool lipo, smart lipo, power assisted lipo, or any other lipo modality; it is the surgeon using the machine that is the most important factor. Liposuction is not only about fat reduction, it is about contouring the body shape. For example, when I perform liposuction on an abdomen, I make sure the waist looks longer and leaner in addition to reducing the lower belly fat. Liposuction works very well for certain parts of the body such as the back folds, fullness around the bra line, love handles, and works great to shape the buttocks. Once the body shape is changed, it will remain changed even with weight gain. You will never gain in the same proportion as you did before. It is surprisingly simple and easy postoperatively, you can return to normal activities in just a few days.
I have been trying to lose weight before I get my facelift and tummy tuck. I have been trying for about four years now, but simply can’t get the weight off. How important is it for me to be at the weight I would like to be before having surgery?
It is always beneficial to lose weight for your general health and well-being although delaying your surgery can also delay you from optimizing your health and well-being. Feeling good about yourself can have a huge impact on your ability to lose weight. For example, feeling good about your looks will increase your activity level, boost your self-confidence, and lead to an overall increased satisfaction with your life as a whole. In particular with tummy tucks the actual surgery will help you lose weight by tightening your tummy which results in an earlier sensation of being full. 98% of our patients go on to continue to lose anywhere from 7-30 pounds after their surgery.
I was having lunch with my girlfriend yesterday. She is one of those women who always look flawless. We are about the same weight, but she just looks more together than I do. I always have to go out with some sort of over blouse to hide my lower tummy and she gets to flaunt around in little sundresses—the irony is that I work out with a trainer all the time. I’ve known her for 15 years and she’s never seemed to age. So I complained to her about my tummy and she told me something that made me think about how I was handling my life. She said, “if it bothers you get it fixed and stop talking about it.” I thought about it and realized that she was right. My tummy has been bothering me for 10 years now. I’ve decided I’m going to do something about what makes me unhappy. I’m still a little scared about this, but how major of a procedure is a tummy tuck or liposuction?
First, you may not need a tummy tuck, you may need a mini-tummy tuck, or possibly even just liposuction. Liposuction has little to no discomfort, and even tummy tucks have very minimal discomfort post operatively especially since you are kept on an anesthesia pump afterwards. You will be walking the same day of surgery and you will be up and around socially within a week. Both tummy tucks and mini tummy tucks have significant health benefits. Both operations will improve how you feel about your body, but there are real health benefits as well: there will be an increase in core strength, better posture, and an improvement in your cardiac output with less tissue in the tummy area. All of these factors contribute to your increased longevity. Sometimes the things we are afraid of are far easier to go through than you imagined.
I know I need liposuction on my outer thighs because they have been bothering me since I was a teenager–thanks Mom, but I am afraid of the discomfort of surgery and I am not sure if I can take that much time off work.
Outer thigh and hip liposuction is a very popular procedure because it permanently changes your body shape allowing clothing to fit better. The good news is that it is very easy to go back to work in about 4-7 days. To make it almost with no discomfort so that patients don’t even need pain pills, I do several techniques that are different. First, I use a flat cannula which suctions only on top of the fat, not underneath the skin, which is where the nerves lie. Standard cannulas have suction ports above and below which can irritate the nerves and cause discomfort. In addition, I think the results are greatly improved with a flat cannula as opposed to a round cannula because it produces a smoother, flatter surface which results in a better appearance post op.
I used to always have a good waistline, but since I have gained weight and lost weight a few times, it always seems to go to my stomach. Dr. Oz says that tummy fat is bad for you. I don’t think I am overweight, but I definitely have some extra fat in my midsection. Is there anything that I can do in plastic surgery to help me not gain weight in the same area?
Yes there is. Liposuction and tummy tucks can both change how your body stores fat after the procedure. Once you do a tummy tuck for instance, you will not gain as much weight in your abdomen. Liposuction changes how your fat is distributed. If you do liposuction on your abdomen, and if you gain weight in the future, the fat will be distributed evenly throughout the rest of your body. In addition to changing where you gain weight, there are many health advantages of removing fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in fat often will result in a reduction of blood pressure medicine. In addition, studies have shown that a leaner body mass has fewer insulin requirements. As a result, diabetic patients have been shown to be able to lower their insulin dose with weight loss.
I have a personal trainer and I have been with her for 3 years, but my arms are still saggy. I am starting to question whether or not it’s genetics versus lack of gym.
Brachioplasty is a very common procedure in Florida because it gives women freedom to wear sundresses and short sleeves and enjoy their summers. Many people are worried about the incisions with a brachioplasty, but our experience shows us that postoperatively it is not a concern. Many of our patients are active golfers and tennis players and the incisions are well hidden. A short or long arm incision is chosen based upon individual needs.
Every summer when I am wearing short sleeve shirts I get disgusted at my mother’s arms which are now on my body. Every year I think about getting something done and then I delay because it is summer and I want to be busy outside. Here it is again season and I have decided to get it done, but my question is how do I know if I need a long arm incision or a short arm incision that’s hidden in the armpit?
We all have attributes that we either like or dislike from our parents. The good news is that we can often improve what you don’t like. The short arm incision is very popular because it helps to tighten the irregularities or loose skin in the front part of your arms while hiding the incision in your axillary area. The long arm incision not only tightens this same loose skin, but it also reduces the excess skin and extra tissue underneath your arm. Both procedures not only have a very short down time, but also only minor discomfort. Patients are usually very happy with the results and often wear short sleeves very quickly.
Call for our monthly seminar dates.
“Your perception of yourself often determines how you live your life. This is reflected not only in your personal self confidence, but your social interactions. Interestingly, you will find that how people perceive you is only an added bonus.”
827 Myrtle Terrace, Naples, FL 34103 | www.elizabethfoxtr.wpengine.com | 239-262-8585
(West of US 41, One Block South of Waterside Shops)
