Tummy Tuck in Tampa, FL

Ready to get tummy tuck surgery in Tampa? Want to reshape your midsection with abdominoplasty? Tummy tuck patients in Tampa are frequently mothers who want to get back the body they had before they were pregnant. Aside from the post-pregnancy “pooch” that women dread, pregnancy also results in stretchmarks along the stomach. Both of these aesthetic concerns can be addressed with a tummy tuck.

How do you feel about stretch marks? While it has been said that the abdominal scars following childbirth should be called “tiger stripes” rather than stretch marks, no matter what you call it, nobody wants them. With the most up-to-date tummy tuck and liposuction techniques available, Dr. Traci Temmen can perform a tummy tuck surgery that removes stretch marks, eliminates excess skin and fat, tightens the abdominal muscles, and reshapes the belly button all in one safe and beautiful surgery.

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Why Choose Dr. Temmen?

Dr. Traci Temmen is a specialist in tummy tuck and other body contouring procedures. She is known by her patients for her perfectionist nature, discerning eye, expert surgical skill, and easy bedside manner. On the cutting edge of tummy tuck and three-dimensional body sculpting techniques, Dr. Temmen is able to perform a transformative, full-body tummy tuck with a fast recovery, minimal downtime, short scars, and dramatic results, all in the comfort of her boutique plastic surgery suite. If you are finally ready to get the body you have always dreamed of, call Dr. Traci Temmen, tummy tuck specialist, today!

Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Procedure Details

Traditional tummy tuck procedures are aimed at removing the excess lower abdominal skin (i.e. apron of skin) that many patients are left with following pregnancy, weight gain and loss, or aging. The standard abdominoplasty leaves the patient with a flat front abdomen, but does nothing to narrow the waist, remove excess fat from the love handle or “muffin top area, or redefine the lower back. As Dr. Traci Temmen describes it, patients who have had a traditional tummy tuck end up looking like a Coke can (i.e. flat in the front, but straight up and down on the sides) rather than a curvy Coke bottle (i.e. flat in the front, cinched in waist, and sexy flaring hips). Standard tummy tuck patients often look artificial or “operated” with a large, round belly button and little to no contour of the abdominal wall.

Lipoabdominoplasty

To provide the best and safest results possible, Dr. Traci Temmen performs her tummy tuck surgeries using the lipoabdominoplasty technique. The lipoabdominoplasty tummy tuck surgery combines parts of the standard tummy tuck surgery with advanced liposuction techniques to contour the circumferential trunk and leave patients with a flat, sculpted abdomen, narrow waist, toned back, and sexy, dimpled belly button.

During a lipoabdominoplasty tummy tuck, Dr. Temmen first performs circumferential, full-trunk liposuction of the upper and lower abdomen, iliac rolls or “muffin top,” and back, giving each patient a tiny, perfectly sculpted waist. In addition to liposuction, Dr. Temmen can also perform lipoetching where she actually creates the outline of muscles in the abdominal wall to give a three dimensional, natural-looking result. The liposuction not only sculpts a narrow waist and hips, but also helps reduce the amount of surgical dissection necessary during the tummy tuck portion of the surgery. By separating the skin from the abdominal wall with liposuction rather than traditional tummy tuck techniques, the resultant lower abdominal scar following Dr. Temmen’s lipoabdominoplasty tummy tuck is shorter and the risk of postoperative fluid collections can be less than with the standard tummy tuck.

After performing liposuction, Dr. Traci Temmen then removes the excess abdominal skin, tightens the abdominal muscles, and recreates a belly button to leave her tummy tuck patients with a flat, toned, and tight abdomen. She makes the tummy tuck scar as short and low as possible, barely longer than a C-section scar, so that it can usually be covered in a two-piece, bikini swimming suit. This lipoabdominoplasty tummy tuck technique ensures that Dr. Traci Temmen’s plastic surgery patients receive incredible, three-dimensional, and life-changing tummy tuck results while minimizing the chance of complications or an unnatural, operated postoperative result.

Who is a Candidate for a Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)?

The best candidate for a tummy tuck is a patient with excess, sagging abdominal skin, areas of excess fat on the abdomen, flanks, and back, stretched abdominal muscles, and/or abdominal stretch marks or striae following childbirth or weight loss. Tummy tuck patients should be at or near their ideal body weight and be in good health. Women considering having additional children may want to wait to have a tummy tuck until they are finished expanding their family. Patients who have had a tummy tuck elsewhere and wish to revise their results may also be good candidates for a revision tummy tuck.

To guarantee each patient the best and safest tummy tuck surgery possible, Dr. Traci Temmen performs a thorough history and physical examination on every patient considering body-sculpting procedures. During each tummy tuck consultation, Dr. Temmen and her staff take the time to explain the surgery in detail, describe expected results, and answer every possible question. Dr. Temmen wants every tummy tuck patient to be well informed, comfortable, and secure when choosing her practice for their cosmetic surgery needs. Patients undergoing a tummy tuck procedure will also receive preoperative laboratory work, and depending on age, a chest X-ray, EKG, and medical clearance from their primary care doctor.

Who is Not a Tummy Tuck Candidate?

Unfortunately, not everyone is a good candidate for tummy tuck or other body sculpting surgery. Patients that smoke, have complicated medical problems (e.g. heart disease, diabetes, blood clots), or are considered obese with a BMI >30 are not candidates for a tummy tuck. Dr. Traci Temmen requires that patients stop smoking for at least 9-12 months, have medical conditions well controlled, and have reached their ideal body weight before proceeding with body contouring or tummy tuck surgery. To obtain the best results possible, women who have recently had a baby should postpone surgery for at least 9 months to let their skin and soft tissues contract before undergoing tummy tuck and/or liposuction surgery.

Additionally, patients who have had previous surgeries like an open gall bladder surgery, a TRAM for breast reconstruction, or other abdominal or chest surgeries, may not be eligible for a tummy tuck. These surgeries and their associated scar burden can compromise the lower abdominal skin and soft tissues of the abdomen that remain following a tummy tuck procedure.

Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Scarring

The biggest hesitation that most people have when considering a tummy tuck is not the associated cost but their fear of the resultant tummy tuck scar. Using the lipoabdominoplasty tummy tuck technique, Dr. Traci Temmen is able to perform most tummy tucks through an incision only slightly longer than a C-section scar. Dr. Temmen places the tummy tuck scar low on the abdomen so that it is covered by most underwear and swimming suit bottoms. The tummy tuck scar rarely goes past the hipbones or extends onto the sides or back of the patient.

The other scar associated with a tummy tuck is the necessary scar around the belly button. To make a natural appearing, pretty belly button, the belly button (or umbilical stalk) is usually shortened and attached the abdominal wall with the scar placed deep inside the belly button. This way, the belly button Dr. Temmen creates during a tummy tuck is small and naturally indented with an almost imperceptible scar.

Tummy Tuck Procedure and Recovery Timeline

Southwest Florida plastic surgeon Dr. Traci Temmen performs her cosmetic tummy tuck and body sculpting surgeries in an accredited, private surgical suite, custom-made for plastic surgeons. For patient comfort and safety, Dr. Temmen performs tummy tuck surgery under general anesthesia with the patient completely asleep and closely monitored. Lipoabdominoplasty surgery takes 2-3 hours to perform, depending on the complexity and size of the patient. Patients recover in the luxury of a private recovery suite with a recovery room nurse dedicated solely to them and their comfort.

Dr. Temmen’s tummy tuck patients will have two to three drains placed in the abdomen and areas treated by liposuction. These drains help speed recovery, decrease postoperative complications, and are generally removed in one to five days after surgery. A postoperative compression garment is worn for six weeks to aid in healing and shaping of the body following a lipoabdominoplasty tummy tuck. Compression stockings must be worn for two weeks following a tummy tuck to decrease the risk of blood clots and promote circulation. Patients are prescribed oral pain medications, antibiotics, and anti-nausea medicines postoperatively. Most of Dr. Temmen’s tummy tuck with liposuction patients are able to return to work within 5 to 7 days, drive when they are no longer taking narcotic pain medications, and return to full exercise by six weeks.

Tummy Tuck Cost

Like all cosmetic surgery, cost should not be the determining factor when choosing a tummy tuck surgeon. Because of the high level of skill required to perform this surgery well, only plastic surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery should be considered. Dr. Temmen is proud to be one of the few female board certified plastic surgeons in the Tampa area to offer advanced tummy tuck, lipoabdominoplasty, and liposuction surgery to her patients.

The cost of a tummy tuck with liposuction varies by plastic surgeon and by region of the country. In the Tampa Bay area of Florida, the average price of a lipoabdominoplasty tummy tuck starts around $12,900 including the additional liposuction, surgeon fees, anesthesia fees, facility fees, and garments. The cost of a tummy tuck may increase with the complexity, re-visionary surgery, and increases in planned surgical time.

Dr. Temmen offers convenient payment options for tummy tucks and all other cosmetic surgery. They accept check, credit, card, and CareCredit, a credit card that offers special financing and low monthly payments for cosmetic surgery procedures.

Tummy Tuck Risks and Complications

With proper patient selection and by performing the lipoabdominoplasty tummy tuck technique, Dr. Traci Temmen is able to keep tummy tuck risks and complications to a minimum. However, there are still risks and known problems associated with tummy tuck and body sculpting surgery that cannot be totally eliminated. The most common problem associated with tummy tuck surgery is postoperative wound healing problems. Current literature states that approximately 20% to 30% of patients undergoing a tummy tuck procedure in the United States may have some degree of wound healing problems at the lower abdominal incision. Because of proper patient selection and a strict “no-smoking” policy, this percentage is much lower and virtually nonexistent in Dr. Temmen’s practice.

Other risks associated with a tummy tuck are postoperative blood or fluid collections that can usually be managed with prolonged drains or minor in-office procedures. Occasionally, superficial infections may occur following a tummy tuck that can be managed with antibiotics in the clinic. Rare, more serious infections of the deeper soft tissues may require hospitalization for intravenous antibiotics and additional surgeries.

The most serious risk of a tummy tuck is a potentially life-threatening blood clot in the legs or lungs. To help prevent blood clots in the legs and lungs, all of Dr. Traci Temmen’s patients are fitted with sequential compression devices (SCD’s) during surgery and turned from side to side to keep the blood moving and circulating. Additionally, immediately after surgery, patients are dressed in and required to wear lower extremity compression stockings and encouraged to walk as much as possible even on the night of surgery.

All the risks of a tummy tuck with liposuction surgery are increased in patients that smoke, have poorly controlled medical problems, or are overweight. Thus, the risk and complications associated with a tummy tuck can be minimized with proper patient selection and postoperative care. Dr. Traci Temmen, and most other credible plastic surgeons, will not perform a tummy tuck on patients who have high-risk medical problems or are extremely over weight. Plastic surgeons like Dr. Traci Temmen, certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, are trained not only in tummy tuck surgery and body contouring techniques, but also in diagnosing and appropriately treating the complications and risks associated with cosmetic body sculpting procedures. You can be sure that you are in caring and safe hands when you choose Dr. Traci Temmen to perform your tummy tuck surgery.

Tummy Tuck Before and After Photos

Everyone wants to see before and after tummy tuck photos. Dr. Traci Temmen knows she performs some of the best tummy tucks in the area and is proud to let her before and after tummy tuck pictures speak for themselves. Dr. Temmen encourages her patients to scour the internet and try to find before and after tummy tuck photos that can match theirs!

Feel free to look through the Gallery section of this website and print off your favorite before and after tummy tuck photographs to discuss with Dr. Temmen at your free tummy tuck consultation. In addition to those on the website, Dr. Temmen has many more before and after tummy tuck photos available for viewing during your consultation.

Please note that many of our tummy tuck before and after photos are taken six weeks to three months after surgery, thus areas of swelling and scar visibility will continue to decrease for up to one year following surgery.

For more information on Dr. Traci Temmen, tummy tucks with liposuction, and all other cosmetic body sculpting and contouring procedures offered at Temmen Plastic Surgery, please contact us at (813) 771-6393.