Stomach lift / abdominoplasty in London, Bordeaux and Royan

An abdominoplasty, also known as a tummy tuck, is a surgery that targets the excess fat and loose skin around the abdominal area.

These imperfections can cause insecurities and burdens in your everyday life. They can be caused by: consecutive pregnancies, weight fluctuations, loss of firmness or elasticity, a lack of physical activity, sudden weight loss, or aging.

Abdominoplasties can correct these small imperfections.

Doctor Lemierre has been practicing cosmetic and corrective medicine for over 10 years in Bordeaux and Royan and is specialised in silhouette surgeries and bariatric surgeries.

An abdominoplasty will give you a tight and flat stomach, tightened abdominal muscles and a toned abdomen. Physically, your silhouette will look well proportioned and slimmer with a flat stomach. Mentally, you will feel free to wear any clothes you want, including all types of bathing suits, without feeling insecure.

An abdominoplasty removes excess skin and fat and repairs the abdominal wall if necessary (hernia, eventration,).

There is a difference between a mini tummy-tuck and a full abdominoplasty.

Why choose to have an abdominoplasty? What are the advantages and the inconveniences? What results can you expect? What is the post-operation process?

You can find the answer to all of these questions in the following sections. Doctor Lemierre is also available to answer any other questions you may have or for a personal consultation.

Summary:

Why choose to have a tummy tuck/ abdominoplasty?

If you choose to have an abdominoplasty or a tummy tuck, you are probably suffering from poor skin elasticity. Stretch marks, fat pads, clumps of wrinkled skin…

Abdominoplasties act on:

The skin: Doctor Lemierre removes excess skin and the ‘abdominal apron,’ when your skin covers your pubis, that can happen after several pregnancies or sudden weight loss
Fat: Doctor Lemierre removes clusters of fat from the stomach
Muscles: Doctor Lemierre can treat hernias or tighten abdominal muscles in the case of distention (diastasis recti) in your abdominal muscle wall

Two different techniques can be used depending on your specific case. Doctor Lemierre will offer you the best solution that is adapted to your needs and desires.

A mini tummy-tuck: perfect if your skin has lost its firmness and you have excess skin solely under your bellybutton. In this case, mini tummy-tucks are the solution. They are less invasive than a full tummy-tuck and will therefore have less scarring. The horizontal scar is short, low, and will always be hidden by a bathing suit or under garments.

A mini tummy-tuck is most often recommended when you have some excess fat or rolls on your stomach above a Caesarean scar. It can be combined with lipoaspiration on your stomach or love handles.

Excess fat, stomach rolls, and excess skin like an abdominal apron that covers your pubis can also occur after massive weight loss from a bariatric surgery (sleeve, by pass, gastric band…). You may also have muscular problems such as overstretched abdominal wall muscles, a hernia, or an eventration.

The goal of a total abdominoplasty is to tighten all the skin on your stomach while slimming it down using liposuction. Doctor Lemierre also works with a digestive surgeon (during the abdominoplasty) to repair the muscular wall and a potential diastasis, hernia, or eventration.

Everything will be decided during the consultation session with Doctor Lemierre to ensure the treatment plan will be personalised to meet your needs.

Even though the scars may be long after a full abdominoplasty, they will remain hidden by bathing suit or will be placed discretely in the bellybutton.

There will be at least one horizontal scar on the lower stomach that extends from one hip to the next, but it is done within the natural folds of your skin and will be hidden by a bathing suit or underwear. The other scar will be around your bellybutton (is hidden within the natural folds).

Sometimes, we have to add a small vertical incision (on the line that goes through the middle of the stomach) but this scar will also be hidden in a bathing suit.

When there has been massive weight loss and extreme loosening of the skin, an inverted T scar can be done to tighten the skin on your stomach vertically (through the low horizontal incision) and horizontally (through the vertical incision).

An abdominoplasty will give you a thinner, slimmer, better-proportioned silhouette. From a mental health perspective, you will no longer feel insecure or handicapped, as you will be able to enjoy a flatter, smoother, tighter stomach on a daily basis.

A preliminary insurance agreement can be requested from social security before the operation. If you have a significant abdominal apron (the lower stomach covers the pubis area), you can submit an insurance agreement to your social security centre. Your social security or private insurance is not required to cover the costs of the procedure. Certain conditions must be met. The payment will ultimately be your responsibility.

What are the advantages and possible inconveniences/risks?

The advantages of a tummy tuck:

A mini tummy tuck is much less invasive than a full abdominoplasty. As previously indicated, the scars will be placed near the bathing suit line so they will be hidden. A mini tummy tuck also has a short recovery period.

There is a clear aesthetic advantage to this procedure, but the psychological impact is also important. A tummy tuck can give you a more balanced mindset concerning your weight.

If you are suffering from excessive amounts of skin, stretch marks, or loose abdominal muscles, an abdominoplasty is capable of correcting these imperfections. After the procedure, you will have a flatter stomach and a thinner silhouette.

The inconveniences of a tummy tuck:

Just as after any surgical act, bruising and swelling will appear. These post-operation effects will disappear two to three weeks after the procedure.

A slow scarring process is a possible risk.

In the first few days after the procedure you may experience reduced sensitivity in the stomach, but it will come back in the months following the operation.

A tummy tuck has very good results that will greatly improve your stomach area. However, you should know this is a long, complex, and difficult procedure.

A slow scarring process and infections may appear.

A haematoma (bleeding) can require a re-operation.

To reduce these risks, you should stop smoking at least 6 weeks before and after the operation, have a stable weight that is as low as possible, and control diseases such as diabetes.

Tobacco increases the chances of complications due to general anaesthesia.

You should not take any medicine containing aspirin for 10 days before the operation.

Lastly, Doctor Lemierre will ask you to fast for 6 hours before the procedure; no food or drink.

Whether it is for a mini or full tummy tuck, you will meet your anaesthesiologist for a consultation appointment before the operation.

You will also need to purchase compression stockings and sleeves. Doctor Lemierre can help you find this gear.

What does a typical session look like?

During a mini tummy tuck, Doctor Lemierre does not go past the bellybutton. He will make a transversal incision across the lower stomach, near the bathing suit line, to remove excess skin and fat from the abdominal wall to the bellybutton. During a mini tummy tuck, the bellybutton is not displaced or deformed.

The operation lasts about an hour and a half to two hours and is done under general anaesthesia. You can go home 24 hours maximum after the operation.

During a full tummy tuck, Doctor Lemierre tightens all of the skin on your stomach and repositions the bellybutton. Depending on your specific case, Doctor Lemierre can work with a digestive surgeon to retighten the abdominal muscles or treat an abdominal hernia, diastasis, or eventration.

The operation lasts between 2 and 3 hours and is done under general anaesthesia. You will be able to go home 24 to 48 hours after the operation.

An immediate and natural result

The first results are immediate. However, you will have to wait 3 to 6 months to fully appreciate the final results. This is the time is takes for the bruising to disappear and the scars to heal.

The result is natural. You will rediscover yourself and your slimmer, thinner, more symmetrical body.

You will finally be able to dress however you want and will not be burdened by the imperfections you faced before on a daily basis.

The scars are minimal and hidden by undergarments.

The scars will gradually disappear over the first year post-operation.

Doctor Lemierre makes it a point to guide you towards a healthy diet and regular exercise to accentuate the results of a tummy tuck.

By choosing to have a cosmetic medicine treatment, you are demonstrating the desire to stay in shape, have a flat stomach, or voluptuous breasts. You must then ensure you maintain the results of these procedures on a daily basis.

For a stomach surgery, regular exercise and a healthy diet will ensure you have the best results possible.

What is the post-operation process?

The pain will be managed by analgesic medication, and you should prepare bandage treatments for about 15 days post-op.

After the operation, you should wear compression clothes (sleeve) for 15 days (day and night for a mini tummy tuck) so that the swelling and bruising disappear quickly.

During a full tummy tuck, compression stockings will be worn during the operation and for 15 days afterwards (night and day) along with anticoagulants (injections in your thighs) for 15 days minimum to reduce the risk of phlebitis.

A sleeve should be worn for about 4 days, during the night and day.

You can resume physical activity as of the 6th week post operation (if you also had work done on your abdominal wall, you may have to wait about 3 months).

You can resume professional activities 2 to 4 weeks post-operation depending on your job and the exact procedure you had.

Taking care of your scars

For 15 days after the procedure, your scars will not look too bad. It is after this period that your scars will become redder, thicker, and harder. Do not worry, this is a good sign! This ‘inflammatory’ period can last up to 9 months.

To optimise the scarring process and make them nearly invisible, you will have to massage your scars. As of 15 days post-op, you will very delicately apply a scarring cream that the doctor has prescribed for one month. The first massages may be a bit painful, but do not be alarmed. Over time, it will become less and less painful thanks to the reoccurring massages. You should massage the scars one or two times a day for about ten minutes. Many studies show that these massages lessen the effects of the scarring to give you a better aesthetic and cosmetic result post-operation.

Doctor Lemierre is available to provide you with any additional information. Do not hesitate to make an appointment to meet him in any of his clinics in Bordeaux or Royan to ask him any questions you may have.