Who May Benefit From Body Contouring Plastic Surgery

There is a large variety in the patients who desire body re-shaping. Both younger and older women as well as men request abdominal contour surgery.

Younger patients come in for less invasive procedures, such as liposuction and mini tummy tucks. Women who are between the ages of 25-40 with good figures may have a bulge between the umbilicus and pubic hairlines. Exercise does not help, so a mini abdominoplasty to correct separated muscle is performed. Older women with stretching of skin and muscle from pregnancy, in addition to aging tissues, are candidates for full abdominal contour surgery. Many of these patients require treatment of the entire abdominal area - from the bottom of the bra to the upper thighs and all the way around - circumferentially (a belt lipectomy in addition to the abdominoplasty).

Morbidly obese patients require specialized techniques to plan the incision sites and anticipate the movement of skin left behind. A great challenge is to keep scars below underwear areas and to leave skin that conforms nicely to the body. Modifying previous body contouring techniques with updated methods also helps patients look as good as they feel.

Unfortunately, not all patients are good candidates for surgery. The classic example is the patient with intra-abdominal fat. This is fat that lies below the abdominal wall muscle that is not amenable to treatment. It cannot be removed because it is the fat that surrounds the internal organs and is mostly found in males over the age of 40 and in women after menopause.

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• To contact us for an in-depth personal evaluation by Dr. H. Michael Roark, please call (858) 452-1981 or (800) 336-3996.