Tummy Tuck Surgery: Details that Make a Difference

Posted May 20, 2012 in Liposuction, Tummy Tuck

By Sherri Roberts Lopez

In plastic surgery speak, it’s called looking at the “entire anatomical unit.” For a patient, it’s an important concept that can make a big difference in how satisfied you feel with your new look after having tummy tuck surgery. Simply put, you want your sleek, firm, rejuvenated abdominal appearance to visually harmonize with the rest of your body.

Houston plastic surgeon Dr. Chris Patronella commented, “During pregnancy, many different areas in addition to the abdomen experience stretching, including the hips, waist, and mons (the upper portion of the pubic mound beneath the belly button). If you are not attentive to the areas that are adjacent to the abdomen, the tummy tuck can look artificial.”

You might be surprised to know a stretched-out mons—a commonly-overlooked detail of an abdominoplasty procedure—is one of the top complaints that compel women to seek tummy tuck revision surgery with Dr. Patronella. After undergoing their initial tummy tucks, they are distressed to see a noticeable contrast between their taut abdomens next to the pillowy fullness of an untreated mons that would have benefited from the removal of loose skin and excess fat.

About four out every five of Dr. Patronella’s tummy tuck patients also have liposuction to improve the shape of the waist, hips, and other areas, while others also require the removal of loose skin from these regions to create firm, smooth contours that blend with appearance of the abdomen.

Dr. Patronella noted, “My objective is to make the results look completely natural, so that—if a person didn’t see the scar—you wouldn’t know it was surgical.”