Walnut Creek Tummy Tuck doctors

(Video included click "more" to see) Congratulations on you hard work and 150# weight loss. A tummy tuck should really improve the "squishy" skin situation and allow your clothes to fit much better. Normally with that much weight loss the skin is quite redundant and removing it makes a very satisfying difference.

Your c-section should not really influence the tummy tuck, as long as it has healed well. On the other hand, if the C-section has left a depressed scar, the tummy tuck is a chance to smooth things out. C-section scars are usually removed with the excess lower abdominal skin.

Best of luck to you, and keep up the excellent work!

Traditionally, surgeons have used drains after a tummy tuck to drain any fluid which may accumulate under the skin which has been repositioned and tightened.  We refer to this space beneath the skin as "dead space".  Basically a space without purpose, but one in which fluid can accumulate.  This fluid is usually serous fluid (clear fluid) from the disruption of the lymphatic vessels during surgery and not blood. 

Now, if the dead space is eliminated through quilt suturing of the skin which has been repositioned to the tissue underneath, there would be no place for the fluid to accumulate.  This suturing technique of the two layers to obliterate the dead space takes a bit more time in the operating room, but it works quite nicely and avoids fluid collection.  It works in both massive weight-loss patients and those who have not had significant weight changes other than pregnancy.  Not having drains brings a significant amount of comfort to the patient in exchange for a few minutes of longer surgery time.

Whether drains are used or not, there is a certain degree of swelling associated with a tummy tuck that results from a) disruption of the lymphatic vessels and b) from change in the pattern of blood flow to that part of the abdomen.  Swelling is related to fluid accumulation between the cells in the tissues and not in the dead space where the drains are placed or where the space is closed by sutures.  In conclusion, I have not found that having or not having drains makes a difference in the post-operative swelling. However, not having drains after the surgery is much more comfortable for the patient.

There are several techniques for forming a youthful belly button; however, all techniques are dependent on the surgeon using them, and your individual body. It is more important to find a good plastic surgeon who can adapt their technique to your needs, than it is to find a good technique. Discuss your ideal belly button with your plastic surgeon, and see what they have to offer. Take a look at their before and after pictures, and see if you can find a result that meets your expectations.