351 Hospital Rd #415 Newport Beach, CA 92663
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Abdominoplasty

 

Abdominoplasty in Dr. Dickinson’s Practice in Newport Beach, CA

Abdominoplasty is a common procedure performed in my practice in Newport Beach, CA. The typical patient is a woman who had multiple childbirths and who now has excess skin and stretch marks on her lower abdomen as well as abdominal wall laxity. The patients who get the best results post-abdominoplasty are patients who have good diet and exercise habits prior to the abdominoplasty and after the abdominoplasty. These patients will typically indicate during the initial consultation that despite a good diet and a commitment to an exercise regimen they can’t seem to improve the appearance of their lower abdomen. These patients have done sit-ups, core strengthening exercises, and cardiovascular exercises to a high level. Their overall body may be lean in the arms, legs and chest, but they have persistent laxity to their lower abdomen. The consistent training but lack of abdominal improvement has become frustrating, and they seek consultation to improve the appearance of their abdomen.

During the consultation we discuss the importance of proper weight training or resistance exercises to build muscle. The more muscle you have on your body, the higher is your metabolic rate. The higher the metabolic rate, the better your body is at burning energy and keeping extra weight off. We encourage resistance training in all patients prior to and after abdominoplasty.

The other group of patients who seek out abdominoplasty in my practice are patients who simply have a hard time losing weight and who are interested in losing weight. These women or men have had a busy lifestyle for several years either because of their job, children, or other factors in their life which have contributed to them gaining weight. Often in these patients we may take a staged approach to weight loss. The initial step is to start resistance training and cardiovascular exercise. The other initial step is to take control of your diet. This may include starting to eat breakfast, decreasing the amount of carbohydrates at night, or starting to eat salads during lunchtime. The goal of these steps to help you lose weight prior to surgery, but just as importantly for you to maintain the correct habits after your surgery to keep the weight off. 

If we select a goal or target weight to reach prior to surgery, and you are still rapidly losing weight, we recommend moving surgery to a later date and then have surgery when you have plateaued with your weight loss. The abdominoplasty itself will help you lose weight from the skin that we remove, and your metabolic rate will increase after your surgery as your body expends energy trying to heal. Eating a diet high in protein after surgery will facilitate healing and help prevent weight gain.

On the other hand, if you have not reached a goal weight and are simply stuck, then we may not proceed with an abdominoplasty and instead perform liposuction first. Liposuction can help with weight loss and help your body lose weight with less downtime. Once you return to the gym after liposuction, you may find that begin losing weight rapidly.

Helping people lose weight or get their body back is an extremely rewarding process. If you are interested in an abdominoplasty or in improving your overall body contour, please contact my office at 949-612-8632 and schedule a consultation. My staff are extremely friendly and gladly help you. I look forward to working with you to achieve your goals. 

Brian P. Dickinson, M.D.

Abdominoplasty Frequently Asked Questions

My children are all grown up now and my tummy does not look the same. It doesn't seem to matter how much Yoga or Pilates that I do, I can't tighten up my abs and I can't get rid of this extra skin. Am I ready for an abdominoplasty/tummy tuck surgery?
One of my friends had a tummy tuck surgery and she was up and walking the next day. My other friend who had an abdominoplasty procedure was a little slower to recover. What will my abdominoplasty recovery time be?
What is the difference between a mini tummy tuck and a full tummy tuck? How do I know which one I will need?
What are some related procedures recommended to be done with an abdominoplasty?
Can I go home right after my tummy tuck surgery?
How do I prepare for an abdominoplasty procedure?

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