Cosmetic Surgery: Promises and Pitfalls™

No-Drain Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tucks) for Abdominal Contouring in Dallas: A New Technique Eliminates Drains, Bent Posture and Makes Convalescence Easier

OUR APPROACH IN DALLAS, TEXAS

• During the initial consultation, an individualized evaluation and treatment plan to address patients' specific needs, is carried out by one of our surgeons. During this visit the surgeon will explain the details of our technique, expected convalescence, and anticipated results.
• Since this surgery can usually be done safely and comfortably under twilight sleep with local anesthesia, anesthesia risk is minimized.
• Comfort and privacy is promoted by the use of our American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF) accredited office or surgical suite. This surgery is often done as an outpatient, with no hospitalization required.
• The surgical technique that we use is the progressive tension suture technique, which was originated and published by our surgeons, Drs. Harlan and Todd Pollock. Our experience of over 20 years using this technique in Dallas and Allen, TX, has produced a high percentage of excellent results and the following advantages:
  • NO DRAINS required, which minimizes post-operative care.
  • EARLY RESUMPTION OF UPRIGHT POSTURE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY is an improvement over traditional methods that require a severe limitation of activity and ambulation in a bent posture for several weeks.
  • Complications are dramatically reduced by the use of Progressive Tension Sutures (PTS).
     

 
PROCEDURES

Modified Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck): Liposuction can be utilized in both the upper and lower abdomen. The surgery then consists of making a relatively short transverse incision, elevating the skin and fat of the lower abdomen (called a flap) and repairing the muscle separation or diastasis rectus. The incision is then closed after removing excess skin. This procedure is usually done as an outpatient.

This is an illustration of a full abdominoplasty (tummy tuck); modified abdominoplasty is only below the belly button.

Full abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), illustrated above, is similar but more extensive as it involves elevating the skin flap over the entire abdomen and repairing the muscle separation. This procedure may be done as an outpatient, but an overnight stay may be required.

Important techniques we utilize in our practice for Abdominoplasties (Tummy Tucks):

• Power-Assisted Liposuction (PAL) is a relatively new adjunct to traditional liposuction. It is a device that reciprocates or moves the cannula in and out at a very high rate of speed. This vibrating effect cuts through the fatty tissues, facilitating the fat removal. The device is particularly helpful for fibrous areas, can be done through small incisions and adds no increase in risk or expense. PAL is surpassing ultrasonic-assisted liposuction (UAL) in use among plastic surgeons, with safety concerns and expense being the major considerations. We use PAL exclusively in our practice.
• Tumescent Liposuction or Super-Wet Fluid Infiltration refers to injection of the area to be suctioned with saline (salt water solution), local anesthetic, and epinephrine. This solution plumps up the tissues, making fat removal easier, constricts blood vessels, which reduces bleeding, and block nerves, providing painless surgery. The super-wet technique uses less volume of fluid than the tumescent technique.
• Progressive Tension Sutures (PTS) is a surgical technique used in abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) that our practice has developed and reported in the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, June 2000. The basic concept is that of a controlled redraping and advancement of the abdominal skin flap by the placement of multiple sutures from the skin flap to the deep tissue. Read more about PTS above on this page.

The progressive tension sutures are placed from the skin flap to the deep fascia as the abdominal flap is advanced. This downward advancement is maintained as each suture is placed and tied, hence the name, "progressive tension sutures." In this manner, tension is redistributed over a broad area of the abdominal flap, as opposed to the conventional procedure in which all the tension is concentrated on the incision. The PTS technique allows closure of the incision with virtually no tension. This improves the quality of resulting scars and prevents healing problems.

However, THE MOST IMPORTANT BENEFIT OF PTS IS THE SECURE ANCHORING OF THE SKIN FLAP TO THE UNDERLYING TISSUES. The attachment of these tissues allows the entire abdominal wall to immediately move as a unit, which PREVENTS DISRUPTION OF EARLY HEALING. It is our opinion that this is the primary reason that this TECHNIQUE PREVENTS SEROMA formation (fluid collection) – the most frequent complication of abdominoplasty (tummy tuck).

Complications, such as excess scarring, healing delay and fluid accumulation are usually prevented by this technique. As with any surgery, have seen complications after abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), but these have been rare. THIS TECHIQUE IS AS SIMPLE AND LOGICAL AS IT SEEMS.

As one can see, there are many considerations and alternatives for body contouring. The best way to find out meaningful information that is specific to one's individual needs is in a personal consultation with a surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
 

See Other Related Websites:

• American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons - Abdominoplasty
• American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery - Abdominoplasty
• American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF)

 
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