Abdominoplasty in Plano

As your stomach grows, whether from pregnancy or weight loss, your skin and tissues expand to fit the new size. Sadly, your skin’s original shape can’t be restored because stretching causes a loss of elasticity. Once your body returns to its original shape, your skin can’t conform, and instead hangs from your body.

Also, as we get older, our skin becomes less elastic because our bodies produce less collagen and elastin. These 2 proteins work together to keep your skin strong, flexible, and supported. Elasticity especially plays a role in giving your skin the ability to stretch and “snap back.” That’s why aging plays a major role in sagging skin around your abdomen, and other parts of your body like your face, arms, and neck.

We determine whether you’re a candidate for an abdominoplasty in Plano during your consultation.

This surgery requires you to be in good general health and at a stable weight.

For your safety, and for optimal outcomes, we may determine that you are not a candidate if you are in poor general health.

The following factors may also play a part in determining who is ineligible for this surgery:

• Smoking and being unable to stop for a significant amount of time.
• Have had previous abdominal surgery that caused significant scar tissue.
• Considering pregnancy in the future.
• Have fluctuating weight.
• Have a severe chronic condition.

Results from an abdominoplasty are permanent, but changes to your weight or being pregnant can alter the outcome. It’s best to wait until you’re maintaining a healthy weight or you’re no longer growing your family before undergoing surgery.

We offer nonsurgical body contouring treatments in our medical aesthetics offices. These treatments are noninvasive and require no downtime:

• Emsculpt NEO – For fat burning and building muscle.
• CoolTone – For improving muscle tone.
• CoolSculpt Elite – For targeting fat.

While noninvasive devices target muscle tone and fat, they also have additional skin-tightening benefits.

These treatments require a series of sessions that build on one another. Please understand, although they are effective body contouring treatments, the results are not nearly as dramatic as an abdominoplasty. In Plano, we recommend aesthetic devices if you have mild skin laxity and are within 20 pounds of your ideal weight.

An abdominoplasty removes excess skin and some fat while tightening the remaining skin around your muscles for a more contoured and toned appearance.

The goal of liposuction is to remove excess fat deposits below the skin, with no additional skin-tightening benefits. Liposuction also removes more fat as it is a more targeted approach.

Often, liposuction may create a need for an abdominoplasty, because your skin tissue expanded with the weight, but is unable to shrink back to conform to your body’s new shape.

These 2 procedures pair well if you are concerned about excess skin and fat around the abdomen.

These 2 surgeries may seem similar, but they differ in their benefits, procedures, and outcomes.

An abdominoplasty is a cosmetic procedure that surgically removes excess skin and small amounts of fat and repairs the abdominal muscles. The goal of this surgery is to give you a more contoured and toned appearance.

A panniculectomy is considered a functional procedure that also boasts cosmetic benefits. During this surgery, Dr. Barton removes the pannus, an apron of skin and fat that hangs from your abdomen down to your hips—or farther.

Removing the pannus also gives a more contoured and slim physique, but it relieves issues like back pain, reduced mobility, and skin irritation.

Before the day of your surgery, we ask that you secure a ride to pick you up from your abdominoplasty in Plano. We also ask that you follow these instructions:

• Avoid taking blood-thinning medications 2 weeks before surgery. This includes aspirin and NSAIDs.
• Avoid taking blood-thinning herbal supplements like fish oil, turmeric, omega-3s, vitamin E, and ginger.
• Avoid smoking and quit using any other nicotine products, like e-cigarettes or chewing tobacco, at least 4 to 6 weeks before your surgery.

We give you extensive and personalized instructions to follow during your recovery process. Following these instructions closely ensures optimal results and accelerated healing:

• Continue to refrain from cigarettes and nicotine products for another 4 to 6 weeks.
• Continue wearing compression garments to reduce swelling.
• Walk gently and frequently to promote circulation and reduce the risk of blood clots.
• Keep the incision area clean and dry.
• Avoid strenuous activity for at least 6 weeks.
• Avoid lifting your arms over your head. We recommend wearing button-up garments to easily dress and undress.

While the results from an abdominoplasty in Plano should be permanent, they will depend on your lifestyle choices afterward. The reason we require a stable, healthy weight is because weight gain or life events like pregnancy can undo the outcome of your procedure.

With that in mind, maintaining a healthy diet and staying active will prolong and support your results.

Surgeries require incisions, and incisions leave scars. The incision for an abdominoplasty is typically located near the pubic region, making it easily concealable by swim bottoms or underwear.

You can expect moderate scarring in the treatment area that gradually fades with time. Following our post-care instructions, like wearing your compression garments and keeping the incision site clean, will improve the appearance.

For additional healing, we recommend visiting our aesthetics offices for treatments like microneedling or laser resurfacing. These treatments boost collagen and elastin production, stimulating cellular regeneration, when new, healthy cells replace old, unhealthy ones.

We may also suggest certain topical creams or products for scarring that can speed up the fading process.

Please remember that scars are a natural part of the healing process. While you may not be happy with their appearance, they are an indication that your body is responding to surgery as it should.

Compression garments are essential for healing after your abdominoplasty in Plano. Not only do they reduce swelling by placing constant pressure on the surgical site, but they also improve circulation.

For best healing, you need to keep blood flowing to reduce the risk of clotting. While typically movement increases circulation, you’ll have limited mobility for the first 1 to 2 weeks after your surgery.

Garments also flatten your scars, improving their appearance.