Deciding if a Tummy Tuck is Right for You
What are the first steps of abdominoplasty?
A Deeper Understanding of Tummy Tuck
The surgery is a popular cosmetic procedure for both men and women who are seeking a solution to improve their abdominal contours. The surgery involves techniques that target and remove excess fat and skin, while also restoring weakened or separated abdominal muscles, which creates a flatter, firmer and smoother abdomen. The results achieved through a Toronto tummy tuck will help you reach your aesthetic goals and can help further motivate you to stay in shape through exercise and diet. However, these traditional methods alone are often not sufficient to improve lax, sagging skin, which appears after significant weight loss. Once you have done the hard work of losing weight or giving birth, you may need a little help to restore the abdominal tissue. With expert assistance from Dr. Golger, Dr. Romy, and our enhancement team, the body you have been hoping for with a flatter stomach and slimmer waistline can become reality.
Our Tummy Tuck Expertise in Toronto
- Avenue Plastic Surgery is the winner of the 2021 Readers Choice Award for Cosmetic Surgery
- Dr. Alexander Golger and Dr. Romy are both fully certified by the Royal College of Physicians of Canada.
- Dr. Golger is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
- Dr. Golger was hand-selected as a Top Doc
- At Avenue Plastic Surgery, we strive for excellence in our tummy tuck patients, striving to meet expectations and always practicing patient saftey.
Tummy Tuck at a First Glance
- Surgery Time: 2-3 hours
- Price: $8,500 – $10,000
- Recovery: Most patients return home the day of surgery
- Return to Work: 2 weeks
- Results: Immediately! *Final results taking up to 6 weeks
The Goals of the Surgery
When we work with a patient to plan their abdominoplasty, we have the following goals in mind:
- Eliminate the muffin top so that you can feel comfortable and confident without worrying about any undesirable bulging.
- Position you to revamp your wardrobe and lifestyle to show off your improved body contour.
- Remove loose, hanging skin that is hiding the results of your weight loss.
- Strengthen weakened abdominal muscles.
- Restore a flatter and firmer abdomen.
- Create a well-defined and cinched waist to promote an hourglass figure.
- Help you regain confidence in your personal body image.
Who is the Best Candidate for a Tummy Tuck?
The surgery is an extensive procedure that does require patients to meet the following criteria:
- Patients should be in good health.
- Patients should be close to their ideal weight.
- It’s important that patients are non-smokers.
- Patients should have a consistent exercise routine.
- It’s important to remain committed to proper nutrition.
Pregnancy after Tummy Tuck
We always recommend that our patients get abdominoplasty surgery after pregnancy. The main reason for this is that while having a baby can provide unmatched joy, it’s also often accompanied by weight gain. By forgoing your plans of a tummy tuck until after pregnancy, the risk of weight fluctuations decreases. However, if you do get pregnant after your surgery, you shouldn’t have any negative side effects due to your surgery. There is a good chance you’ll eventually need another aesthetic rejuvenation to return to your ideal figure.
What is the Ideal Weight for a Tummy Tuck?
Understanding your ideal weight before a consultation is always a good idea. We recommend that patients have a BMI that is below 35 and ideally under 30. Patients with a significantly higher BMI might have fat below the abdominal muscle, which a tummy tuck won’t be able to remove.
Tummy Tuck After Massive Weight Loss
Many of our Toronto patients are very interested in getting a tummy tuck following a massive weight loss. It’s common to have a lot of extra skin following weight loss and even stubborn fat. During your consultation, Dr. Golger or Dr. Romy will provide an in-depth consultation and give you their recommendations. Depending on your situation, the surgeons may recommend a Body Lift.
What can a Tummy Tuck Surgery Not Do?
Although a tummy tuck can help emphasize the results of significant weight loss by removing loose skin, it is not a weight loss solution. Rather, it is a body contouring procedure designed to assist those who have lost weight and want to create a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. It is important to remember that the surgery cannot protect you from weight fluctuations and the results can be seriously affected by pregnancy and significant weight gain.
Common Causes of a Loose Abdomen
Excessive fat and skin around the abdomen is a common occurrence for the general population and can happen to anyone. In fact, there are a variety of factors that contribute to tummy sagging in all body types.
The most common cause of bulges and abdominal protrusion are aging, pregnancy, and significant weight fluctuations within a short time frame. The condition can also be partly hereditary. Regardless of the cause, a Toronto tummy tuck surgery can be beneficial to you and your body.
What are the Benefits of a Tummy Tuck?
As one of the top tummy tuck practices in Toronto, we’ve had the benefit of treating thousands of patients for body contouring procedures. Below, we’ve included several advantages that we’ve seen firsthand in our patients.
- The surgery will create a more toned tummy
- You’ll be able to get rid of a muffin top or bulge in the midsection
- With the surgery, we’re able to get rid of hanging or extra undesired skin
- We can actually strengthen the abdomen muscles
- Gain self-confidence in the way you look, feel, and photograph!
What’s the first step to getting a Tummy Tuck?
The first step is to get in touch by either giving us a call or filling out a contact form. Our team will schedule you for an in-person consultation with Dr. Golger or Dr. Romy. During your appointment, you’ll be able to express your surgical desires. The surgeons will provide a full consultation. Based on their examination, they’ll provide you with their expert recommendations and answer your questions. The team at Avenue Plastic Surgery prides themselves on their honesty with patients and will give the reasoning for their recommendations— helping the patients make the best and most informed decision.
If you’re comfortable with the surgeon’s advice, surgery will be booked, and preoperative instructions will be provided. It’s very important that you follow the guidelines, as it will lead to the best outcome. Your surgeon will ask for your medical history and a list of any medications taken.
You should be open and honest with all of your questions, answers, and surgical hopes, as good communication always leads to the best surgery.
What to Expect the Day of Tummy Tuck Surgery
At Avenue Plastic Surgery, our Toronto tummy tuck procedure is an outpatient surgery that takes approximately three hours to complete.
Patients are placed under a general anesthetic for a comfortable and pain-free experience. An incision is created on the lower abdomen to separate the skin from underlying fatty tissue and muscles. At this point, separated abdominal muscles are pulled securely together with sutures. Next, loose skin and excess fat are trimmed away. Finally, the remaining skin is pulled smooth to create a restored belly that may better fit clothing, allow for easier physical fitness and improved self-esteem.
Muscle Repair
During your surgery, your plastic surgeon will repair the muscles in the abdomen. This is referred to as repair of rectus diastasis. Oftentimes the muscles are stretched and sometimes separated during pregnancy. Sometimes working out can help this situation, but oftentimes, the only solution is surgery.
Tummy Tuck Recovery Process
When your surgery is complete, the surgeons will wrap the abdomen with a comfortable compression bandage. The bandage will remain on for several weeks. The surgeons will tell you when it’s safe to remove it. Because this is a surgery, bruising and swelling are normal. The surgeons might prescribe pain medication to help you recover free of any serious discomfort.
We recommend having someone stay with you for a few days after your abdominoplasty as the surgery can be quite limiting. The highly-trained surgical staff at Avenue Plastic Surgery will provide you with full pos-opt instructions and will meet with you several times after your surgery.
10 Steps to an easy Tummy Tuck Recovery
- Arrange a ride – Prior to getting your tummy tuck in Toronto by the surgeons at Avenue Plastic Surgery, you should arrange transportation. Having a friend or family member there to pick you up is ideal and will help with your recovery.
- Fill up your prescriptions – Before getting the surgery, make sure all prescriptions are filled. This is one less thing you’ll have to do once you have the surgery and will allow you to rest.
- Mark the calendar – Schedule all of your tummy tuck follow-up appointments.
- Gather important phone numbers – Have all important phone numbers in one place and easily accessible for you or whoever is helping you during your recovery.
- Find help – This is a great time to call in a favor of a friend, family member, or loved one. You’ll need help for the first few days after surgery, so having someone on hand will be very beneficial in your recovery.
- Prepare your supplies – Whatever supplies will make your recovery peaceful, you should prepare prior to surgery. Whether it be books, games, or even signing up for streaming services.
- Meal Prep – We encourage you to plan out your meals prior to tummy tuck surgery. Even if it’s delivery services, get a good idea of what you’ll be eating every day of your recovery.
- Discuss with work – Make sure prior to your surgery you’ve told work that you’ll be unavailable.
- Know what to tell others – Before you get tummy tuck surgery in Toronto, decide what you’ll tell others who will notice the body contouring transformation.
- Relax! – Most importantly, just relax! This is a great time to catch up on a book, dive into a new Netflix or HBO series, and just sleep!
What Will My Tummy Tuck Scar Look Like?
Scars are inevitable with plastic surgery. By choosing Toronto award-winning surgeons, like the ones at Avenue Plastic Surgery, we’ll do our best to hide the scars in inconspicuous places as much as possible. It’s also important to remember that scars do fade over time, and while they may never completely vanish, they will look better over time.
Tummy Tuck Risks & Complications
Dr. Golger and Dr. Romy are both fully certified plastic surgeons and have performed thousands of successful surgeries in their careers. Our entire practice prides itself on not only patient satisfaction but saftey. While we do everything possible to minimize complications, there are always some risks in surgery. While usually very rare, we’ve included some possible complications:
- Infection – In the case of an infection, you should contact us immediately. Oftentimes, infections can be treated with antibiotics.
- Bleeding – This is also a very rare side effect but in some cases, bleeding and blood clots can occur under the skin.
- Skin Issues – If you notice lumps or bumps, these issues will often subside on their own or with massage and a compress. In rare situations, treatment may be necessary.
- Dizziness – During your first-week post-surgery, dizziness may occur. While this can be normal, you should contact us to explain what you’re feeling. Oftentimes, you’ll need to take your recovery slower.
How Much Does A Tummy Tuck Cost in Toronto?
An abdominoplasty is a highly personalized procedure. The cost of your Toronto tummy tuck will vary based on the type of abdominoplasty performed along with other factors. The average cost of a tummy tuck at Avenue Plastic Surgery is around $8,000 – $10,000. Financing options are available that can help make the payment process more manageable for our patients.
I recently had a tummy tuck and breast lift (3 months ago) with Dr.Golger and do not remember the last time I felt so good about myself! I overheard my daughter telling her boyfriend “my mom is like a pig in sh*t since she had her surgery but she keeps wearing my clothes”. Ha! Well if that’s the worst she’s saying…I’ll take it! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! I (obviously) couldn’t have done it without you. That being said…I 100% recommend Dr. Golger!
Individual results may vary