One of our happy patients
Boston Cosmetic Surgery Specialist - Dr. Moss
The ideal candidate for an abdominoplasty is someone who is of near normal body weight, but has an excess of abdominal skin and fat. However, even women who are overweight can achieve excellent results. They must be healthy. Many of Dr Moss' abdominoplasty patients are women who have had children and are looking to regain what their body looked like prior to having children. He also sees a number of patients who have lost a large amount of weight and are good candidates for abdominoplasty surgery.
Dr. Moss performs abdominoplasty, commonly called a "tummy tuck" in a hospital under general anesthesia (you're asleep). The surgery typically takes about 3.5 hours and usually requires an overnight stay. It is not unusual for an abdominoplasty patient to have a breast augmentation or breast lift done at the same time. Having both procedures performed at the same time can save a patient a significant amount of money. Dr. Moss' office will be happy to discuss the details and provide pricing for these combined surgeries.
Dr. Moss has recently incorporated in his abdominoplasty procedures a new technique referred to as the "progressive tension suturing technique." This technique allows a surgeon to more closely suture the multiple layers of tissue together, thereby preventing the formation of large amounts of drainage. In the past, this drainage required surgical drains that had to be left in place for weeks. Most patients find surgical drains painful and a nuisance. Since Dr. Moss has implemented this new technique, he has been able to eliminate the use of surgical drains. This means that Dr. Moss' patients have been more comfortable when they leave the hospital. The "progressive tension suturing technique" also reduces the risk of certain complications associated with abdominoplasty. Dr. Moss and his patients have been very pleased with the results of the "progressive tension suturing technique."
Post-operative discomfort is generally low and patients usually state that the discomfort from a C-Section is much worse than from an abdominoplasty. Dr. Moss realizes that all patients want to be as comfortable and with as little pain as possible after any surgical procedure. Therefore, he has recently started to incorporate the use of a pain suppression pump with all abdominoplasty surgeries. Dr. Moss has utilized this pain suppression pump with breast augmentation surgeries for some time and is very pleased with the results.
Patients should expect to wear the pain suppression pump for two to four days after surgery. Dr. Moss's price quotation for abdominoplasty includes the pain suppression pump.
Tummy tuck patient wearing a pain suppression pump
The pain suppression pump that Dr. Moss utilizes is called the Alpha Infusion Pump. The Alpha Infusion Pump has two slender catheters (about the size of a sewing needle) that are inserted into the abdominal surgical site near the incision. There should not be any noticeable scar produced at the site of the catheter insertion. For 48 to 96 hours Marcaine (a novacaine type drug) slowly drips into the surgical site to make post operative recovery much more comfortable for the patient. The pump works on passive pressure and therefore requires no electricity, battery, or patient interaction of any kind.
If a patient is having both an abdominoplasty and breast augmentation surgery at the same time, then only one pain suppression pump will need to be worn. There will be four catheters that will be used (one inserted into each breast and two into the abdominal surgical site). Dr. Moss realizes that patients want to recover from cosmetic surgery with as little pain or discomfort as possible.
Most patients find the use of a walker to be helpful in the immediate post-operative period. Because Dr. Moss performs a large number of abdominoplasty surgeries, there are eight walkers in his office that are available for patients to use at no cost. Most patients are able to return to work in 2 or 3 weeks, depending, of course, on what type of work they do.
Prior to surgery, Dr. Moss discusses with patients options on where the scar will be located. Patients are encouraged to bring articles of clothing, e.g. bathing suit or pants, to their pre-operative visit to help determine their optimal scar location. Although the scar will never completely disappear, it will fade with time. After abdominoplasty surgery, many patients comment on how nicely their clothes fit, especially pants.
More Tummy Tuck Information:
Read abdominoplasty articles written by Carla and Dr. Moss in our tummy tuck blog.
Read about abdominoplasty and pregnancy articles by Carla and Dr. Moss in our tummy tuck and pregnancy blog.
Or, learn more about Body Contouring:
Return to main Procedures page or click on a link below to learn about other Body Contouring plastic surgery procedures:
- Abdominoplasty Surgery & Your Weight
- Cosmetic Surgery of the Abdomen
- Liposuction
- Thigh Lift
- Arm Lift
Call us at 508.747.1322 or 781.337.2421
