When do the results of the hourglass tummy tuck become stable?
The hourglass tummy tuck is a modern procedure developed to help women get the beautiful hourglass silhouette that is so sought after by women all over the world. The procedure can take up to four or five hours, depending on the complexity of each case, and it requires a general anesthetic.
The hourglass tummy tuck is actually a combination of liposuction, abdominoplasty and fat grafting to the hips. Liposuction is performed with small cannulas on the areas of the midline: the flanks, the waist, and the abdominal wall. The cannulas are inserted in the areas with an excess of fat through small incisions made on the skin. Back and forth movements are necessary to dislodge the fat cells that are after suctioned into a medical device like a vacuum. The fat collected with liposuction is not discharged after removal, but saved and put through a complex purification process. The fat is purified to be later on injected into the hips to add more volume to the area.
The second step is abdominoplasty. Abdominoplasty entails the strengthening of the abdominal muscles with sutures and the elimination of the excess skin from the lower part of the tummy. The last step is the fat transferred to the hips with the use of special syringes.
The results of the hourglass tummy tuck are visible immediately after the surgery, but only up to a certain level. For example, the hips will be wider, the areas treated with liposuction will be smaller, and the tummy will no longer have any skin excess. However, the final results can take much longer to occur. During the first few weeks, the areas treated with the surgery will be swollen and bruised. This means that the patient can’t fully enjoy the benefits immediately after the procedure because of these side effects. After four to six weeks, the swelling and bruising start to subside and the results will start to show up. The waist becomes smaller, and the same is valid for the abdominal wall. The hips will also become somehow less wide than immediately after the surgery. A certain percentage of the fat transferred to the hips will be reabsorbed by the body during the first two months post-op, and this is normal after this type of procedure.
The results are refined over time, and most patients notice that after the first months they start looking better and better. A common mention for patients getting the hourglass tummy tuck is that their waist is getting smaller and smaller after some time after the procedure.
The results of the hourglass tummy tuck become stable three months after the surgery. This means that the results that are present after three months can be considered the final results that can be easily sustained if the patient avoids ulterior weight fluctuations in the following months and years.
