If you have saggy skin on your abdomen after having children, you are not alone. It’s a common problem that many mothers live with after giving birth. During pregnancy, a woman’s skin expands to accommodate their growing baby. Because skin is made of collagen and elastin, it may struggle to return to its original shape once stretched.
Unfortunately, diet and exercise won’t necessarily fix the problem. This can, of course, be discouraging for women who want their bodies to go back to how they were prior to pregnancy. For some women, their loose skin may hang down over their lower abdomen. If you have had a Cesarean delivery, then there may be skin sagging over the C-section cut.
Along with loose skin after giving birth, some women may also suffer from diastasis recti, or muscle separation. Research suggests that at least 60 per cent of women suffer from DR six weeks after birth, and 30 per cent of women have it a year after birth or longer. (5)
Mums with loose skin that do not have separated muscles may be candidates for a mini VASER lipo-abdominoplasty.
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Who is it for?
Mini VASER lipo-abdominoplasty removes loose skin in the lower abdomen. Ideal candidates for this procedure are primarily women who’ve had children and have a small amount of overhang in the lower abdomen. Patients for this procedure generally have NO or only a minimal amount of muscle separation. This procedure is commonly performed on women who’ve had a C-section and suffer from skin hanging over the C-section scar. Patients who are interested in this surgery should be close to their ideal weight and prepared to make healthy lifestyle choices. While the removal of excess skin may cause a patient to lose a few kilos, this is not a weight-loss procedure.
How is it done?
Dr Beldholm uses a liposuctioning technique known as VASER Liposuction. To flatten the patient’s lower abdomen, extensive VASER liposuction is performed on the entire abdomen and sides. Because mini VASER lipo-abdominoplasty involves work on the lower abdominal region, the umbilicus is not re-positioned which means there is no additional scarring in that area.
What are the benefits?
Mini VASER lipo-abdominoplasty offers patients several benefits. For one, since the treatment site is smaller, the procedure tends to be less invasive than a full tummy tuck. The operation takes around 2 to 3 hours and can often be done as a day only procedure in the hospital. In addition to altering the contours of the patient’s stomach, the surgery may also reduce the visibility of some stretch marks. (4)
How is it different?
The lipo-abdominoplasty provides many benefits over the traditional tummy tuck. The VASER lipo-abdominoplasty incorporates VASER liposuction. In Dr Bedholm’s experience, by replacing standard liposuction with VASER, many patients experience less bruising, less discomfort and better preservation of blood flow (1,2), which promotes better healing.
What is the recovery?
Dr Beldholm and his staff always provides his patients with detailed instructions on how to care for themselves after the procedure. While the recovery period is generally shorter than a full tummy tuck, patients are highly advised to take some time off from work and limit their other physical activities. The good news is the majority of lipo-abdominoplasty patients heal as expected, with very low complication rates. (3)