There are many reasons why someone would get a tummy tuck. Maybe the skin on their abdomen stretched after pregnancy. Maybe they lost a bunch of weight but can't seem to tighten that loose skin on their stomach. Or maybe they're just insecure about the way their stomach looks

Regardless of their reasoning, a tummy tuck is a great way to help someone regain confidence and feel happy in their skin. A tummy tuck removes excess fat on the stomach and tightens loose skin, so you can comfortably don your favorite bathing suit without feeling insecure about your stomach

There are three different types of tummy tucks: mini tummy tuck, full tummy tuck, and extended tummy tuck. Each targets a different portion of your abdomen so that you can achieve your dream body goals.

In this blog post, we'll be discussing what an extended tummy tuck is, extended tummy tuck cost, what the surgical process entails, and more. An extended tummy tuck is a serious procedure, so it's important to be aware of what's in store before you walk into that surgical room

How Does an Extended Tummy Tuck Work?

An extended tummy tuck is a serious surgical procedure that involves incisions and anesthesia. It's not something that you can just decide to get the night before—getting any type of tummy tuck involves preparation, especially an extended tummy tuck.

Let's get into the 3 different types of tummy tucks and how they differ:

Full tummy tuck

A full tummy tuck targets loose skin and excess fat in the lower and middle abdominal regions. It involves a horizontal incision between your hip bones, as well as around your belly button. The plastic surgeon will tighten the muscles in this region and remove the excess skin that is leftover. The recovery period for a full tummy tuck is about 2 weeks.

Mini tummy tuck

A mini tummy tuck targets loose skin and excess fat in your lower abdomen only. A horizontal incision will be made between your hip bones, right above your pubic bone. The belly button is not touched as it is with a full and extended tummy tuck. Since a mini tummy tuck is a less extensive procedure, the recovery time is shorter and you'll likely be back at work within a week.

Extended tummy tuck

An extended tummy tuck is the most extensive type of tummy tuck. It targets loose skin and excess fat in the stomach as well as the flank area. For this procedure, a horizontal incision is made across your lower abdomen and around the hips. Often, a vertical incision will be made as well. Since this is a more invasive surgery, it can take up to a few weeks to recover.

For all of these surgeries, it's important that you are in overall good health. A tummy tuck shouldn't be looked at as a weight loss solution. In fact, you should be at or close to your goal weight prior to the surgery. A tummy tuck is just a way to remove excess skin and fat that you can't achieve with regular exercise and healthy eating.

If you have a larger area of your stomach and lower back that you want to correct, an extended tummy tuck is probably the right choice for you. However, with an extended tummy tuck, you can expect to have more intense scarring as well. The incision will extend past the hip bones and into the lower love handle area. An incision will also be made around your belly button. A larger incision allows the surgeon to be able to remove more tissue so they can achieve a patient's desired look.

Once the incisions are made, the surgeon will remove excess skin and fat from the stomach and flank area and the skin will be pulled tight. The belly button will then have to be repositioned.

Because of the amount and size of the incisions, it's important to understand that you will have scarring. Scarring is inevitable with any surgical procedure, but fortunately, most tummy tuck scars can easily be hidden with bathing suits and undergarments.

An extended tummy tuck is ideal for a patient who lost a lot of weight and as a result, has excess skin on their stomach and lower back. An extended tummy tuck is a great way for them to achieve a slimmer stomach and lower back.

If you're contemplating if an extended tummy tuck is the right choice for you, it may be helpful to look at extended tummy tuck before and after photos. This will give you a better idea if the end result is what you have in mind.

What to expect after an extended tummy tuck?

After getting an extended tummy tuck, don't expect to be up and at it a few days after coming home. You're going to need to rest. Since an extended tummy tuck is the most extensive of the three types, the recovery process is also the longest.

You'll need at least a few weeks to recover before you can go back to work and carry out your regular daily activities. Patients are advised to get a lot of rest following the procedure and avoid any strenuous activities. You should also avoid doing any type of abdominal exercises for at least 12 weeks following the surgery.

Surgical drains will be placed to help remove fluid that accumulates in the treatment region. These will be removed within a week or two depending on how the patient heals. Patients will also have to wear a compression garment to provide support and reduce swelling.

Your surgeon should provide you with more aftercare information, like how long to wear your compression garment and when to schedule a follow-up appointment.

As for the healing process, you'll have some swelling for the first two to three months. Scarring will still be noticeable, but it should gradually decrease over time. After six months to a year, you should start to see the full results of the procedure.

Scarring is to be expected after an extended tummy tuck, and you shouldn't let scars deter you from getting the procedure if it's what you really want. While you may feel like your scars are very noticeable at first, remind yourself that the scars will fade with time.

What is the Difference Between an Abdominoplasty and an Extended Tummy Tuck?

Before getting a tummy tuck, it's imperative that you know the difference between a traditional tummy tuck, also known as an abdominoplasty, and an extended tummy tuck.

An abdominoplasty targets the lower and middle abdominal regions and involves an incision between your hip bones and around your belly button. An extended abdominoplasty targets the lower and middle abdominal regions as well as the flank area between the waist and hips.

It's important to discuss this further with your surgeon so that you can make the best decision about which type of tummy tuck is best for your body and your end result goals.

Does an Extended Tummy Tuck Include Liposuction?

An extended tummy tuck does not include liposuction, however many patients choose to get it done during the procedure. An extended tummy tuck just includes the procedure that removes excess skin and fat in the stomach and flank area. Liposuction is an additional procedure that can be done to remove even more fat.

Your surgeon may recommend getting liposuction done as well as other contouring procedures, depending on your body and what your end goals look like.

How Painful is an Extended Tummy Tuck?

The biggest fear many people have with getting any type of surgical procedure is the pain. You will receive some sort of anesthesia during an extended tummy tuck—either general or local anesthesia—to help manage and reduce pain. However, some postoperative pain is to be expected, which in that case, you have several options on how to manage it.

Prescription medications may be prescribed for you to use for the first couple of days following the procedure. After that, over-the-counter medication can be used to mitigate pain. Swelling is expected for the first couple of months following the surgery. Wearing your compression garment can help to reduce swelling and promote proper healing.

It's expected that you'll experience some pain and discomfort following the procedure, but not enough that it should deter you from getting it all together. There are various methods for pain management that will help you feel more comfortable in no time. Overall, it's important to take things slowly following the surgery so you can give your body time to heal. The better you take care of yourself, the quicker you will heal.

Wrapping Up

If you're tired of waking up every morning, looking at yourself in the mirror, and only seeing the saggy skin on your stomach, a tummy tuck might be the solution you've been looking for. A tummy tuck can help you achieve that flat stomach you've always dreamed of having that you just can't seem to get with regular exercise.

While you'll start to see some of the results of your tummy tuck immediately after the procedure, it can take up to one year to see the final results. But in that time, it's important to take good care of your scars so that they can heal properly and you can look your best. While extended tummy tuck scars are inevitable, that doesn't mean they're going to be noticeable for the rest of your life.

embrace^® scar therapy is a clinically proven way to prevent the appearance of dark, raised, and visible scars. embrace^® carries scar treatment kits for various types of procedures, like liposuctions, tummy tucks, and mommy makeovers. So regardless of the procedure you get, embrace^® scar therapy is a great way to enhance the results of your plastic surgery procedure so you can be on your way to feeling confident in your new body as quickly as possible.