Tummy tuck is one of many reconstructive surgeries, it can be performed after bariatric procedures such as the gastric sleeve to repair the stomach area following weight loss.
Tummy tuck after gastric sleeve
The gastric sleeve
This bariatric surgery, which is a treatment for morbid obesity, is intended for overweight patients with a BMI of 40 or 35 with an associated condition (comorbidity). A gastric sleeve involves the removal of part of the stomach, which will result in a tube shape. The stomach’s size reduction causes patients to feel full quicker when eating, it also decreases production of the appetite hormone (ghrelin). This leads to significant decrease of the amount of food ingested and dramatic weight loss. In order to schedule this type of treatment, several consultations and exams are necessary. The patient has to be fully informed of what bariatric surgery entails and how to live with a gastric sleeve.
Tummy tuck to repair the stomach area
After a gastric sleeve and significant weight loss, excess skin often persists because the skin did not manage to retract. Excess skin are an issue on aesthetic and functional levels, whether it is in the stomach, arms or thighs area. For instance, skin folds can cause irritations during exercise. This is where tummy tuck surgery can be beneficial. The procedure removes excess skin in the stomach region in order to restore normal skin tension.
Following surgery, bandages are wrapped around the stomach and changed daily. The results cannot be seen immediately after surgery since postoperative swelling takes time to go down and skin still needs to adjust. Definitive results can be seen after a period of 6 months, even if improvements can be seen up to a year after surgery.
