It’s important to feel good about the way you look, especially regarding the tummy area. Many people work hard to stay in shape, remain fit, and feel good about the clothes they wear every day. Putting forth this effort requires discipline and consistent execution, and hard work should be rewarded.
At the same time, whether due to age, genetics, after-childbirth effects, or the results from another procedure, sometimes it can seem like there is no way to reverse or control the shape of your midsection on your own.
Southern Surgical Arts is dedicated to helping you look great and feel even better about yourself. We specialize in procedures that help elevate your state of mind while at the same time working with you to craft the body you desire. We want you to feel great about your appearance and experience enjoyment every time you look in the mirror.
Contact Southern Surgical Arts today to discover how a tummy tuck in Chattanooga can benefit you. Schedule an appointment online or call our Chattanooga office at (888) 988-5682.
Diet and exercise form the foundation of a healthy lifestyle. But for many of us, excess skin and/or stubborn pockets of fat can persist and hinder us from realizing our cosmetic aspirations. A great way to resolve this unwanted skin or fat is through a tummy tuck.
The traditional tummy tuck still stands as the most well known and popular procedure. The traditional abdominoplasty focuses on recontouring the lower abdomen and bringing out more muscle definition while removing excess skin and tightening the remaining skin. It’s a highly popular procedure after pregnancy and weight-loss as it can restore a youthful appearance to the midsection.
Mini-tummy tucks focus on just removing small amounts of skin and some fat beneath the belly button. They also provide a skin-tightening effect to refine the contours of the abdomen for women and men who don’t require more extensive abdomen sculpting. Mini-tucks are popular for individuals who maintain a nutritious diet and exercise frequently but whose improvements have plateaued.
Extended abdominoplasties provide more involved body sculpting around the abdomen. They typically remove more excess skin and/or fatty tissue around the love handle region. Extended tucks can also involve repositioning the belly button and redraping the remaining skin to result in a much more streamlined appearance than before the procedure.
For patients who have lost a significant amount of weight (100+ lbs) either from bariatric surgery or a prolonged diet and exercise program, a panniculectomy can provide the final touches by removing excess loose skin and recontouring the folds of skin.
A panniculectomy is an extensive procedure that can involve a variety of techniques due to the unique anatomy of each patient. The pannus is like an apron or fanny pack that hangs from the lower abdomen. A panniculectomy takes off that apron for you and allows your inner beauty to shine.
The reverse tummy tuck helps patients who have more excess skin at the upper abdomen under the breasts rather than the lower abdomen. Instead of skin being tightened in a downward direction, the skin is tightened upward toward the breasts.
To best prepare yourself to receive a tummy tuck, it’s important to follow all instructions provided to you by Southern Surgical Arts. You will likely be advised to refrain from smoking and avoid any anti-inflammatory medication.
Smoking can negatively affect your circulation and impair your body’s natural healing abilities. We make these recommendations for your benefit. To maximize your health and your results, please follow all preoperative personalized instructions.
Our surgeons use refined techniques to create significantly smaller scars compared to the traditional tummy tucks.
Dr. Deal, Dr. Gardner, or Dr. Barker will make a careful incision below the bikini line. Next, excess fat is removed via liposuction. We tighten the abdominal muscles if necessary. Then, we redrape the remaining skin, including the belly button, if needed.
The standard incision for the tummy tuck procedure travels across the stomach horizontally from hip to hip, located just beneath the underwear or bathing suit line. In some cases, it may be best for patients to have a small inverted “T” incision that extends vertically up the center of the stomach.
Recovery times will vary depending on the type of tummy tuck performed. Mini-tummy tucks predictably require the least amount of downtime, while panniculectomies can involve a night or two under medical observation to ensure the recovery progresses as intended.
How much time you should take off from work will depend on how involved your procedure is. Don’t rush your recovery. It’s important to follow all aftercare directions Southern Surgical Arts provides to you.
The inability to achieve the body we strive for despite hard work and dietary sacrifices can frustrate us. Procedures like tummy tucks offer a welcome relief from this frustration by helping us cross that final barrier that lies between us and our aesthetic goals. As a body sculpting procedure, abdominoplasty has shown a very high level of patient satisfaction and measured improvements in quality of life.
You can increase your chance of experiencing this satisfaction for yourself, as well as minimizing any risk of complications, by enlisting the aid of aesthetic surgical experts like those found at Southern Surgical Arts. Feel free to browse through our patient reviews, and during your consultation, please request to view our before-and-after photos so you can make the most informed decision.
Tummy tucks can result in losing around 10 pounds depending on the patient. However, it is important to note that tummy tucks, or abdominoplasty, are not intended as a weight-loss procedure. Tummy tucks are primarily a body sculpting technique designed to complement a healthy lifestyle or be undertaken after weight-loss strategies.
A surprising benefit of tummy tucks that many people might not know about is that they can often help with stress urinary incontinence (SUI), a common ailment as people age or experience after pregnancy. While intended as a body sculpting method, tummy tucks tighten and reposition the muscles of the abdomen, and this can often help with SUI.
Dr. Gardner earned his medical degree from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and completed his general surgery residency in Chattanooga, TN. He later completed a fellowship in facial and body cosmetic surgery with Southern Surgical Arts and now specializes in post-weight-loss body contouring and comprehensive cosmetic procedures.
Dr. Ray completed his general surgery residency at Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital in Michigan and pursued a cosmetic surgery fellowship with Southern Surgical Arts. He is active in several national surgical organizations, including the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons.
Dr. Summers is triple board-eligible in general surgery, cosmetic surgery, and facial cosmetic surgery. He completed his residency in general surgery at South TN and completed a cosmetic surgery fellowship with Southern Surgical Arts. His prior experience includes trauma and acute care surgery before transitioning to elective aesthetic procedures.
Dr. Barker earned his medical degree and completed his residency at the University of Virginia. He completed facial plastics training in both VA and UCLA and practiced as a facial plastic surgeon in New York City before joining Southern Surgical Arts. His clinical focus includes surgical and non-surgical facial procedures.
Dr. Mason completed his general surgery residency in Birmingham, AL and practiced as a general surgeon in Asheville, NC before transitioning to cosmetic surgery. He completed a facial and body cosmetic surgery fellowship with Southern Surgical Arts and now performs a range of elective aesthetic procedures and male modifications.
