Tummy tuck, or the technical term “abdominoplasty”, has quickly become one of the most in demand cosmetic surgeries int eh US in the past several decades. You might no know this, but the procedure has actually been around since the 1800s. Luckily, the procedure hasn’t stayed the same and there were a lot of tummy tuck improvements over the years.
Today, we will discus what changes in technique and results played a crucial part in tummy tuck improvements and what results can be achieved thanks to the most recent changes and upgrades.
Tummy tuck without a belly button
As we mentioned, tummy tuck has been around since the 1800s and the first procedure was performed around 200 years ago. Even though the procedure was relatively the same, but the reason why it was performed was slightly different from the reasons today.
Back in the 1800s, the main reason why someone had tummy tuck surgery is to cover up open wounds. And since the surgical procedure was mainly focus on functionality, the esthetical side of it was completely ignored. Because of this, the patient was left without a belly button. The surgeons of that time simply didn’t believe that it would be possible to perform this surgery and still leave the patient with the appearance of a belly button. But thanks to the change in their believes and tummy tuck improvements, that period is behind us.
Tummy tuck improvements in the 20th century
During the early 1900s, French surgeons finally figured out how they can still perform a tummy tuck procedure but still leave the patient’s belly button. The discovered that they can utilize both vertical and horizontal incisions, creating smaller flaps that allowed them to work. The alternative was to create a large incision across the entire abdomen. Thanks to these tummy tuck improvements, the belly button was “saved” and the end results looked a lot smoother and more sophisticated than before.
At that time, abdominoplasty wasn’t as popular as it is nowadays and it’s main goal was still to treat wounds.
In the 1970s, cosmetic surgeons found another use for a tummy tuck procedure, and that is to treat umbilical hernias which manifested as bulging bellies. At that time, the surgeons realized that the procedure can be sued for a smoother and more visually appealing results, this started working on and developing improved surgical techniques.
Modern day tummy tuck
Compared to the first procedures done in the 1800s, there were some remarkable tummy tuck improvements and the surgery has come a long way. Today’s techniques offer not only more effective solutions, better results, but the recovery time is much shorter and the end results are much better. Here are some of the most important tummy tuck improvements that have been implemented over the hears:
Drain-free tummy tuck – Before, every tummy tuck included a drain which prevented fluid build-up. This has made the recovery process very complicated since the container needed to be emptied and replaced until the recovery reached the stage where the drain can be removed. Today, thanks to layered suture techniques, there’s no need for drains because there’s less space for fluids to build up.
Mini tummy tuck – Before, you wanted to address a little bit of sagging skin, you had to have a full tummy tuck procedure. But thanks to the mini tummy tuck, the surgeon can now make smaller incisions and address only the smaller problematic areas. This is one of the tummy tuck improvements we are very grateful for.
It became a part of a Mommy makeover
Today, cosmetic surgeons often combine various cosmetic surgeries. So today, you can see a breast augmentation and tummy tuck combo, or liposuction and tummy tuck combo. These can all be part of the mommy makeover procedure during which, in a relatively short amount of time, a skilled cosmetic surgeon can address different problematic areas and perform several procedures. This means that the patient will go under anesthesia only once, there’s only ONE recovery and results will be visible in more than one area.
