subject: The Tummy Tuck; A Robust And Busy History [print this page] A tummy tuck, known as an abdominoplasty, falls under the category of invasive cosmetic surgery. It is a cosmetic plastic surgery procedure to reshape and firm the stomach area. It involves the removal of excess skin and fat from the middle and lower abdomen in order to tighten the muscles of the abdominal wall. This article will discuss the history of the tummy tuck and its applications.
The purpose of a tummy tuck is to remove and then tighten loose flesh that may be the result of rapid weight loss or pregnancy. With a tummy tuck flesh as well as fat will be removed surgically from your body and many stitches are usually required to stitch up the operation. Normally it is not considered to be outpatient surgery and you may require at least a week in a hospital bed. When well done, the procedure results in a scarless and contoured tummy.
Abdominoplasty, a cosmetic surgical procedure used to slim the abdomen has many cosmetic surgeons discover many different types of procedures. Kelly was one of the first cosmetic surgeons to attempt to correct excess abdominal skin and fat in 1967. Callia described an incision that extends below the inguinal crease. Thorek created a procedure that can preserve the umbilicus. In 1967, Pitanguy published a book of 300 abdominal lipectomies. In 1972, Regnault published the W technique for abdominoplasty. In 1973, Grazer was one of the first authors to describe and publish the bikini line incision. The scar was alleged to rise postoperatively, and the incision provided a small amount of lift to the upper thighs. This also appears to be the first report of aponeurotic suturing and rectus distasis repair. In 1977, Grazer and Goldwyn reported the first complications using new techniques. Although aponeurotic suturing in the midline was noted to be able to reduce anterior projection of the abdominal wall, it did little to reduce the diameter of the waist.
In 1978, Psillakis first suggested suture application of the external oblique musculature after raising it in a beltlike fashion. In this way, he was able to dramatically reduce the diameter of the waist. With the addition of liposuction, Matarasso in 1988 expanded the use of abdominal contour surgery to a classification based on variations in patients' anatomy, from liposuction alone to limited and full abdominoplasty surgery.
Perhaps the greatest advances in body contouring can be attributed to Lockwood who described his high lateral tension abdominoplasty in 1995. Lockwood's technique placed most of the tension on the closure in the anterior thigh region. Distortion of the pubic region is minimized and wound healing problems in this region are decreased. Because undermining of the abdominal wall tissues is limited, more aggressive liposuction can be performed at the same time without adversely affecting wound healing. He extended his concepts to body lifting and thigh lifting techniques and provided a meticulous method of locating incisions so their eventual location remains in the swimsuit lines. These advances have changed the world of the Abdominoplasty. With the coming of a new age, the tummy tuck will become a more effective and safer procedure. Learn more at http://www.jaycalvertmd.com/.
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