Abdominal bulge, lax skin, stretch marks, and excess fat can all result from pregnancy and weight loss. In most cases, no amount of exercise or diet can sufficiently resolve these changes. While quite common following several pregnancies, after twin pregnancy, heavy weight-gain pregnancy, or large birth weight babies, laxity and bulge of the tummy can also frequently be seen after a single pregnancy with even modest weight gain.
These Tummy Tuck before and after pictures represent actual patients from Dr. Kolker. They will help to assist you in understanding your various options and enable you to set realistic goals for your own surgical outcome. Click on a patient for their specific case details.
“Feeling confident and proud of my new body is the real reward. I have to admit, the experience I had with Dr. Kolker and his whole staff was far more then I ever expected. From my first consultation to the year post surgery follow-up, I have felt impressed with every aspect of this process.”
— N.F. / NEW YORK
A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is the surgical process by which the separated abdominal muscles can be repaired, excess skin can be removed, and regional fat can be reduced, resulting in a firmer, flatter, more youthful, and more beautiful midsection contour.
Quite a bit more than merely excising skin and fat, an abdominoplasty is an exceptionally sculptural, artistic endeavor that requires a combination of deep understanding of the anatomy and aesthetic vision to achieve the most gorgeous results.
Tummy Tuck surgery is truly an artistic process, and one that takes into consideration all aspects of the fundamental elements of an aesthetic, attractive, natural waist and tummy contour. Made somewhat commonplace by the popularity of abdominoplasty, the delicacy and skill that are required to achieve the best tummy tuck result cannot be overstated.
With a profound interest in advancing both the artistry and science of abdominoplasty surgery, Dr. Kolker has published his aesthetic technical approach to tummy tuck surgery in the article entitled "Improving aesthetics and safety in abdominoplasty with broad subcostal perforator preservation and contouring with liposuction" in the May 2008 issue of the peer-reviewed scientific journal, Annals of Plastic Surgery.
To attain the most beautiful results, a Tummy Tuck should not be performed when an individual is significantly overweight. It is not a "quick fix" — rather, it is a procedure that must be both individualized and time-tailored.
To both assure the best cosmetic outcome and maximize safety, the very best tummy tuck results can be accomplished in women who are at, or close to, their ideal weight before surgery.
No two individuals' anatomy and desires are the same, just as no two surgeons are the same. The plastic surgeon you choose to perform your tummy tuck surgery is of utmost importance. What distinguishes care by New York City Tummy Tuck surgeon, Dr. Kolker and his team is comprehensive:
From your first visit to his office in Manhattan, New York, to the preparation phase, during the perioperative period, and throughout your recovery, you will experience Dr. Kolker's attentiveness, thoughtfulness, meticulous attention to detail, caring, and warmth. The first visit is an opportunity for Dr. Kolker to listen to and to understand your desires, to examine and evaluate your physical requirements, to thoroughly inform you about the Tummy Tuck procedure or alternative treatments, to review and answer questions, and to acquaint you with our very special, professional, compassionate and caring staff.
“An abdominoplasty can restore a more youthful silhouette to the waist and tummy, remove excess skin and unwanted fat, and firm the core, but is also considerably more: a tummy tuck can return the midsection to pre-pregnancy proportion and beauty, and can have a truly dramatic effect on physical well-being, self-assurance, and confidence.”
Dr. Adam KolkerThe best tummy tuck results can be achieved when you are at or close to an ideal body weight.
A comfortable, sustainable weight plateau that can be maintained with a balanced diet and regular, never excessive, exercise is the best point at which to elect abdominoplasty. The best Tummy Tuck candidates will have:
Tummy tuck procedures can remove excess skin, reduce excess fat by direct excision and liposuction techniques, firm, flatten, and restore abdominal muscle contour, and restore a youthful, natural and proportional aesthetic midsection. The degree of skin excess, fat, and bulge will differ in every individual, and there are a variety of techniques available for their correction
An abdominoplasty, or Tummy Tuck, removes excess skin and excess fat, and most often entails the repair of abdominal muscle bulge or separation (diastasis recti).
Yes. Also known as lipoabdominoplasty, liposuction is often used in conjunction with a tummy tuck to sculpt and remove excess fat.
Women that have one or more of the following are ideal candidates for tummy tuck: diastasis recti (abdominal muscle bulge), excess abdominal skin, excess abdominal fat.
No. On occasion, and only when a significant umbilical hernia or abdominal hernia is present, some coverage / reimbursement for that portion of the procedure may be available.
The three main types of Tummy Tuck are mini-abdominoplasty, modified abdominoplasty, and classical or full abdominoplasty.
A mini tummy tuck is appropriate for women with a small amount of skin/fat excess localized above the pubic area and below the umbilicus only. Women with more diffuse skin excess, fat excess, and rectus diastasis more often require a full abdominoplasty.
The scar is transversely oriented, above the pubic region, and progresses to past each hip bone. There is most often an incision within the umbilicus as well.
Return to work is most often between 10 and 14 days following (full) tummy tuck. For those who do not require a repair of the muscles (diastasis recti), return to work is after approximately 7 days.
Most abdominoplasty procedures utilize a horizontal incision above the pubic line that is made only as long as the skin-excess requires, generally within the confines of the hip bones. While a C-section-length incision can be used as access for the repair of diastasis recti, it is not sufficient to remove excess skin. The position of the resulting incision is maintained as low as possible, and most can easily cover it with regular underwear or a bikini. When a mini tummy tuck is performed, the excess skin and fat above the pubic region and of the lower tummy is removed, and the procedure completed. When diastasis recti and more pronounced skin and fat excess are present, this incision also provides access to the abdominal wall musculature. If a hernia is present, the hernia is isolated and reduced, and hernia repair is performed. The repair of the diastasis recti is carried out as a "long plication", fixing the separation of the rectus muscles from the xiphoid (breast bone) all the way down to the pubic bone, effectively flattening and narrowing the midsection. When excess skin is mild or moderate, a modified abdominoplasty is performed, without any incision at or around the native belly button. With moderate and severe excess, a classical procedure involves resetting the umbilicus, providing for a maximal tightening and flattening of the anterior abdominal contour. Dr. Kolker favors liposuction with Tummy Tuck in many cases to maximize the aesthetic, sculptural contours of the abdomen. Additionally, Dr. Kolker uses the On-Q local anesthesia delivery system, which is placed at the time of surgery and maintained for approximately four days thereafter, which minimizes any postoperative discomfort.
To schedule a private consultation with Dr. Kolker, please call the office or request an appointment online. We welcome your visit.
710 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10021