Abdominoplasty is a surgical procedure to correct an abdomen stretched by weight fluctuations, weakened by pregnancies, a sedentary lifestyle or skin ageing. There are different types of abdominoplasty: partial procedures treating only the skin between the pubis and the navel, or full procedures repairing the entire abdominal wall. At your first consultation, after listening to your wishes and motivations, Docteur L. Sallaz will examine you carefully to ensure this operation is appropriate and will explain it precisely. He will assess the amount of fat to remove by liposuction as well as your skin quality (elasticity, stretch marks, scars), and evaluate any muscular laxity of your abdominal wall, to inform you as fully and honestly as possible about this procedure by explaining what it can realistically achieve and what it will not correct.
Anaesthesia–Hospitalisation The surgical procedure is performed under general anaesthesia in the clinic’s operating theatre, in a state-of-the-art environment authorised to perform cosmetic surgery procedures by the Haute Autorité Sanitaire (HAS).
Principle The surgeon first performs liposuction to reduce excess abdominal fat and refine your waistline. Next, surplus skin is removed by making a skin incision. If necessary, the abdominal wall is tightened to achieve a 'flat abdomen'. The operation ends with skin closure using sutures (absorbable or not) concealed beneath the skin. The surgeon will have explained during the consultation where the final scars will be: around the navel and low on the abdomen, easily hidden in your underwear. A dressing is applied and a compression garment is fitted at the end of the procedure (to be worn for several weeks) to improve your comfort.
Follow-up You will be hospitalised for two days in the clinic before returning home. Pain will be relieved with appropriate medication. Post-operative follow-up will be carried out by Docteur L. Sallaz, first at the clinic during your hospital stay and then, after discharge, at his practice. Post-operative medical advice will be explained to you and provided in writing for your home care. Sutures (for those that are not absorbable) will be removed about 2 weeks after the procedure. In general, you should allow 2 to 4 weeks off work for convalescence depending on the extent of the abdominoplasty performed, and sport should not be resumed until after 2 to 3 months. After 4 to 6 months the contour result is visible, while your scar will gradually fade over 1 to 2 years.
Risks and complications These are rare. Nevertheless, although performed for primarily cosmetic reasons, abdominoplasty remains a genuine surgical procedure, which entails the risks associated with any medical act, however minimal. An anaesthetist will therefore examine you in consultation before the operation. To minimise the risk of infection, pre-operative antiseptic showers must be taken. To limit bleeding risks, no medication containing aspirin derivatives should be taken in the 10 days before and after the operation. Smoking is a risk factor for poor wound healing; tobacco use should therefore be reduced as much as possible and ideally stopped 3 to 4 weeks before surgery. To prevent thrombo-embolic risk (deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, etc.), wearing compression stockings will be necessary for several weeks starting during your operation, early mobilisation after the operation will be recommended and injections of anticoagulant medication will be necessary. Disturbances of abdominal lymphatic drainage can lead to an abdomen that remains swollen for several weeks after the operation. You will be informed of the measures taken to prevent this risk and to treat it if necessary. Overall, the risks should not be overstated; simply be aware that any surgical procedure, even one that appears simple, always carries a degree of uncertainty. Choosing a qualified plastic surgeon ensures that he or she has the training and expertise required to avoid these complications, or to manage them effectively if they occur.