What is the best way to get rid of hanging tummy skin after weight loss?
a) Exercise
b) Special skin creams
c) Tummy tuck surgery with drains
d) Tummy tuck surgery with no drains
The answer is “d.” (We wish exercise or special creams were effective!)
The more we do the no-drain tummy tuck, the more we love it. And what we love more is how much our patients love it! How come we can get away with no drains when most people still use them? Drains are necessary to drain a large open space after surgery. Without a drain, fluids collect and can cause an infection and other problems. The way we avoid drains is by closing off the open space with multiple hidden sutures, called PTS (Progressive Tension Sutures).
How do the special sutures affect the outcome?
- Without a large, open space, a fluid collection (“seroma”) is far less likely to develop. Seromas can cause an infection and may need to be removed with a needle and syringe.
- No drains means less pain for the patient.
- A drain can form a pathway for bacteria into the wound; no drains lead to a lower infection rate.
- By lessening the tension at the incision, the sutures improve the final scar.
- By increasing skin advancement, they can help the keep the scar as low as possible, often lower than without those sutures.
If you want to hear one of our patient’s entertaining account of her experience with a tummy tuck after weight loss, please click on this link: http://www.diaryofanaspiringloser.com/2014/04/the-tell-all-tummy-tuck-post-part-1.html?m=1
And of course, our Marin, Sonoma, San Francisco tummy tuck patients, can contact us whether the tummy tuck is part of weight loss or a mommy makeover.