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Can You Get a Tummy Tuck Twice?

Can You Get A Tummy Tuck Twice

A tummy tuck is a cosmetic procedure that seeks to flatten and contour the stomach by removing excess skin and fat in the abdominal area. Although a tummy tuck is a permanent procedure, certain circumstances after your surgery can affect your results. 

If your results have altered since undergoing abdominoplasty, you may be wondering if you could get it done again to reverse these changes. 

In this article, we will outline what to expect from a tummy tuck revision surgery, so you can be best informed on the procedure. 

Tummy Tuck Revision Surgery

Although a tummy tuck is a permanent procedure, the results can often be impacted. Revision surgery can help correct issues caused by botched surgery, as well as altered results due to lifestyle factors such as weight gain, pregnancy, and ageing.

Who Needs Tummy Tuck Revision?

Tummy tuck revision can mean a range of different things for different patients, depending on the specific results they received from their surgery.

Altered Results

Gaining or losing a significant amount of weight after undergoing a tummy tuck can alter the results from the initial surgery. If you lose a lot of weight, the skin loses its elasticity, and instead of retracting, it sags. On the other hand, gaining weight increases your visceral fat, which expands the abdomen and stretches any muscles that may have been repaired initially. 

Additionally, with age, it is common for the skin to droop and become saggy once again, despite undergoing the surgery. 

Pregnancy after the surgery will cause the skin around the abdomen to stretch and the position of the belly button to distort, which can be fixed with umbilicoplasty. This will affect the results of abdominoplasty before and after the pregnancy is over.

Dissatisfying Results

In some cases, patients may be unhappy with the results they have received from their surgery. Patients may want scar revision if their scars are too prominent in comparison to their skin tone. More so, patients may be left with ‘dog-ears,’ which insinuate protruding skin and tissue at either end of an incision. 

Sometimes, patients may be wholly displeased with their surgery. Perhaps you feel that the results could have been more drastic if you are still left with unwanted skin and tissue. In these cases, it may be most appropriate to repeat the full process again.

Tummy Tuck Revision Procedure

To remove dog-ears, the excess skin is simply excised after the administration of local anaesthesia. In cases where excess fat is contributing to the appearance of dog ears, patients will be placed under sedation or general anaesthesia, and the fat is removed with liposuction.

The procedure for a full traditional tummy tuck involves an incision along the bikini line and around the belly button. The surgeon will remove the lax skin and excess tissue and repair any muscle separation that may have occurred. 

Other tummy tuck revision procedures include umbilicoplasty, which is the surgical redefinition of the belly button, and scar revision.  

How Long Does it Take to Recover From Second Abdominoplasty?

Each patient’s recovery depends on the complexity of the revision procedure. It typically takes 12 weeks for a patient to fully recover from abdominoplasty and be able to resume all activities and levels of exercise. However, most patients will be able to get back to their daily activities 1-2 weeks after the surgery and engage in light exercise 3-4 weeks after.

Although the recovery time is similar to the first tummy tuck, the revision surgery is more complex due to the surgeon having to deal with deep scar tissue and an already altered anatomy. For this reason, there is an increased risk of skin necrosis during recovery.

Second Tummy Tuck Results

Immediately after your second tummy tuck, you will notice that the abdominal area is considerably flatter and tauter.

You may experience side effects such as swelling and bruising after the surgery, which can take between 6 to 12 months to completely subside. However, when this has dissipated, you will be able to see the full results of your surgery. 

How to Maintain Tummy Tuck Results

Work with a Dietician

To avoid dramatic weight gain or loss, which can have an adverse effect on the results from your tummy tuck. A dietician or nutritionist is able to provide you with a tailored and straightforward meal plan that can make it easy to regulate your weight both before and after your surgery. They will be able to advise you on the best foods for your body.

Exercise Regularly

Exercising regularly is key for maintaining your tummy tuck results as it keeps your weight stable. Engaging in 30 minutes of light exercise, such as walking on a daily basis, can help regulate your weight. When you are fully recovered from the surgery, you can engage in higher impact exercise such as weight training and running.

Have Children First

Having children before getting a tummy tuck can prevent losing your results due to pregnancy. The elasticity of the skin can be adversely impacted during pregnancy, leaving more lax skin after birth. Patients may consider only getting the surgery after they no longer want more children to avoid the need to redo the surgery.

Avoid Smoking

Smoking cigarettes has a considerable impact on the results of any plastic surgery, and it is recommended to avoid it before and after abdominoplasty. Nicotine consumption can reduce blood flow, which can increase the risk of tissue death, skin necrosis, and other complications after surgery.

Is a Second Tummy Tuck Worth It?

Getting a second tummy tuck can be worth it to reverse unwanted results from the first surgery. A second tummy tuck can remove dog ears, revise tummy tuck scars and even redo the whole process and re-tighten the abdomen. This can restore confidence in a patient and enhance their torso completely.

Schedule a Consultation with CREO Clinic Today

To find out whether a second tummy tuck is right for you, schedule a 1-on-1 consultation with CREO today, where our head surgeon will design a bespoke treatment plan for you.

Our body contouring specialist, Dr. Omar Tillo, has the clinical expertise and experience to design your unique revision surgery for the best possible results.