Category: Body

A tummy tuck surgically removes redundant skin and unwanted fat from the abdominal area and may also tighten the muscles of the abdominal wall. The result is a sleeker profile and a tighter, flatter tummy.

Proper diet and exercise does not always result in the flat stomach you seek. Loose skin, excess fat and lax abdominal muscle can sometimes limit your abdominal appearance no matter how many stomach crunches you do. If you are bothered by the less than sleek appearance of your stomach, a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) may be a good option for you.

Though tummy tuck information is provided on this website, the best way to get answers to specific questions about your needs is to schedule a personal consultation with a Harley Body Clinic Doctor.

Am I a good candidate for abdominoplasty?

Abdominoplasty offers great benefits to health men and women of all ages. It is best suited to those in relatively good shape, but with loose abdominal fat that won’t respond to dieting or exercise.

Men or women bothered by any of the following conditions are often good candidates for a tummy tuck:

• Loose, sagging abdominal skin
• Excess fat in the abdominal area
• A protruding abdomen
• Abdominal muscles weakened by pregnancy or aging

Because pregnancy and weight fluctuation can mar your tummy tuck result after surgery, many postpone their procedures until they plan no more children and their weight is stable. Abdominal scars from previous surgeries can limit your abdominoplasty result. Though in some cases, such as with many Cesarean section scars, the new incisions can be made below the existing scar which can then be removed at the time of your tummy tuck.

An incision just above the pubic area

is used to remove excess skin and fat from

the middle and lower abdomen.

What should I expect from the consultation?

What should I expect from the consultation?

A personal consultation with your surgeon is the first step for any patient considering abdominoplasty. Harley Body Clinic believes in careful patient consultation to assess your physical and emotional health, discuss your aesthetic goals, and address any questions or concerns you may have.

Issues you should be prepared to discuss during consultation with Harley Body Clinic Doctors include:

• Medical conditions, both past and present
• Current medications, including nutritional supplements and herbal remedies
• Previous surgeries
• Weight loss history and goals

During your initial examination, Harley Body Clinic Doctors will evaluate:

• The quality and elasticity of your abdominal skin
• The status of the underlying abdominal muscles
• The amount of excess fat in the area
• The location of any existing scars

In men and women with limited issues to correct, Harley Body Clinic Doctors may suggest alternate treatment options, such as liposuction or a mini-tummy tuck.

What does abdominoplasty entail?

Abdominoplasty procedures generally use a horizontal incision above the pubic area. When possible, the incision will be kept within average swimsuit lines. The incision length will depend upon the amount of loose skin to be removed.

Skin is separated from the abdominal wall all the way up to the ribs.

Using this incision, Harley Body Clinic Doctors may tighten the abdominal muscles if needed, by pulling them together and stitching them in place. He will also trim any excess skin from the lower abdomen. Though it is not always possible to remove them all, stretch marks are often removed with the excess skin. A second incision around the navel is used so the skin can be pulled down and the excess removed. In this instance, the navel will remain intact in the underlying tissue, but will be exposed through a new section of skin. Although the navel’s position remains unchanged, its appearance may be slightly altered and is often improved due to Harley Body Clinic Doctors’s refined techniques.

Are there other options?

A full, traditional tummy tuck is not needed for all patients. Some patients will achieve the results they seek with a limited or “mini” abdominoplasty. Liposuction alone may also meet the needs of some. During consultation for abdominoplasty, Harley Body Clinic Doctors will explain these options to you and evaluate whether they are viable options for you.

The “mini” abdominoplasty – This procedure is used to correct issues in the lower abdomen only. It entails less scarring than a full tummy tuck, but will not address loose skin above the navel.

Liposuction alone – This option is viable only in those with good skin elasticity and muscle tone. Though Liposuction can remove abdominal fat, it cannot smooth loose skin or tighten abdominal muscle. It is, however, a popular option for women who are planning future pregnancies.

The surgeon draws underlying muscle and

tissue together and stitches them, thereby

narrowing the waistline and

strengthening the abdominal wall.

Are there safety concerns associated with a tummy tuck?

Though thousands women undergo tummy tuck surgery each year and experience no major complications, the procedure does carry some degree risk. It is important you be well informed of these risks when considering tummy tuck. Harley Body Clinic Doctors sees the discussion of potential risks and complications as one of the most important aspects of patient consultation. During your consultation, he will discuss these potential complications with you, listen to your safety questions, and offer instructions on how to minimize your risk.

How should I prepare for my abdominoplasty?

It is important to follow Harley Body Clinic Doctors’s instructions when preparing for tummy tuck surgery to ensure the best possible results. Those instructions may include:

• Refraining from smoking for several weeks before and after surgery
• Avoiding certain medications
• Arranging for help following surgery, such as a ride home and in-home care for the first 24 hours after you leave the hospital

What will happen the day of my surgery?

For your comfort and convenience, Harley Body Clinic Doctors maintains privileges in several hospitals in greater Dallas/Fort Worth. Abdominoplasty may require a short, one to two night hospital stay, though some patients are able to return home the same day.

During surgery, medications will be administered to ensure comfort. General anesthesia is used to allow you to sleep during the procedure. Harley Body Clinic Doctors uses only doctors (anesthesiologists)-not nurses (CRNA’s or anesthetists)-to administer anesthesia to their patients. We will carefully monitor your physical status throughout the operation and during your recovery.

Abdominal skin is drawn down and excess

is removed. With complete abdominoplasty,

a new opening is cut for the navel. Both

incisions are stitched closed.

What should I expect during my recovery?

Harley Body Clinic Doctors uses advanced techniques to foster faster recovery in all patients. Directly after surgery, you’ll be taken to a recovery area. To prevent the accumulation of fluids, small drainage tubes will have been placed beneath the skin. Though you will feel some soreness, it is generally well-controlled with pain medication. Dressings may be applied to your abdomen and covered with tape or an elastic bandage.

To promote blood circulation, you will be encouraged to get up and move around soon after surgery. Bending and lifting, however, should be avoided at this stage. Sleeping on your back with your knees up may also be recommended for the first few weeks after surgery.

Though everyone heals at a different pace, your recovery will roughly follow this general time line:

Within the first 7-10 days

• Swelling and bruising will reach their peak
• Drainage tubes will be removed
• Stitches may be removed

After several weeks

• Activity and exercise will gradually increase
• Non-strenuous work will resume
• Bruising and swelling will continue to subside
• Your results will begin to emerge

After a few months?

• Your final results will begin to appear
• Tightness will disappear
• Sensation may slowly improve
• Your incision line may begin to fade

After6 surgery, the patient has a flatter,

trimmer abdomen. Scars are

permanent, but will fade with time.

When will I see my results and how long will they last?

Soon after surgery, you may begin to notice an improvement to your abdominal shape. As you heal and your swelling subsides, your firmer, sleeker contour will begin to emerge. Many patients report a boost in their confidence and a heightened body image after surgery. Though your tummy tuck scarring is permanent, it is generally easy to conceal beneath undergarments and will fade significantly over time.

Generally, you can expect long-lasting results from your abdominoplasty procedure. If you maintain a fairly steady weight, you can expect to keep your new contour for many years. Gravity, aging, and weight fluctuation may loosen the abdominal skin somewhat. If this occurs, additional surgical treatment can be used to restore your sleek contour.

How long will I continue to see my plastic surgeon?

Harley Body Clinic Doctors believes in the importance of follow-up visits, to answer any questions you may have and monitor your healing process. Rather than delegating all of these visits to a nurse, he enjoys seeing his patients as they heal over time. Your first post-operative visit will be scheduled after the initial healing period, during the first few days after surgery. In the following months, Harley Body Clinic Doctors may ask you to return for periodic checkups. Keeping these appointments is important to allow him to assess your long-term results and address any questions or concerns you may have.

Choosing a plastic surgeon

When considering undergoing abdominoplasty, Harley Body Clinic Doctors believes choosing a qualified surgeon to perform it is one of the most important factors. Though it’s hard to believe, not all physicians who perform cosmetic surgery have had formal surgical training. It’s important to research the credentials of all surgeons you consider for your procedure. Harley Body Clinic Doctors is fully trained in Plastic and Reconstructive surgery as well as Otolaryngology (head and neck surgery). We invites potential patients to fully explore their training, experience during a personal consultation.

Ask about the surgeon’s hospital privileges

It is very important to find out if your surgeon has operating privileges in an accredited hospital for the procedure you are considering, even if you are planning to undergo surgery in your doctor’s office or at a surgery center. Before granting privileges, hospital review committees evaluate a surgeon’s training and competency for specific procedures.

Liposuction is a cosmetic surgery procedure that provide for removing extra body fat which are unaffected by other remedies like dieting and exercising. The new age VASER Liposuction is the surgical removal of body fat that is minimally invasive, which means that the surgery is performed using small puncture incisions in the skin as deep as 1.0 to 2.0 centimeters. Vaser Liposuction is a trendy name in London with an increasing ratio of patients undergoing this surgery with happy and improved results and lifestyles.

A Vaser Liposuction surgery can be done on more than areas of the body together under one surgery, however, there is a limit of body fat to be removed from the body, and the surgeon explains this to you in the consultation period. The surgery is conducted under general, local or IV sedative depending upon how much fat and how many areas are treated.

A specially designed cannula which carries the ultrasounic vibrations is inserted in the fatty flab in the muscular level, through a small 1-2cm incision and the surgeon gently pokes the fat rupturing them and melting them. The melted fat inside the body is further drained out from the body with the help of an aspirator. The patient can go home the same or the next morning after an overnight. Patients will be heavily padded with a special corset and pads covering the puncture wound and tighten the skin preparing for the fat loss. With some following up massage therapies and prescribed exercise regimes and drinking lots of warm liquids, or, have the little traces of melted fat squeezed out of the body.

It is uncertain to say how it works for best results, because the results depend a lot on the doctor’s talent, patient’s metabolism and attention towards following the instructions. Results mainly vary because of these variations. This can be evaluated at the consultation period. Although the complications are minimal, with some swelling, discomfort and delaying results, with proper instructions there has to be some fair change to occur.

This is to be noted: that patients who have undergone Liposuction surgery anywhere in the world cannot get back to work within a couple of days. You would need at least 2 weeks to prepare your body for regular lifestyle.

A candidate for Liposuction is considered as a patient, though having body fat is not a pathological disorder, but since Vaser Liposuction is a minimal invasive surgery, and needs a person to have due candidacy in order to acquire it, and needs doctors to perform, they are called patients. A patient for Vaser Liposuction needs to be a healthy body. People suffering from asthma, diabetes, any lung, heart or kidney disease will not qualify to avail this procedure.

Gynecomastia is a hormonal disorder in men to develop an abnormal growth of glandular breast tissues. The main cause of Gynecomastia is an increasing amount of the hormone estrogen in the male body and decreased amount of testosterone. The most prominent effect of Gynecomastia can be of an odd-looking chest in men, often resulting in feeling awkward and self-conscious to take off their shirts, go to swimming, at the gym etc. and sometimes it can be tender or hard and painful. Cosmetic Surgery is the most effective treatment of Gynecomastia that allows the sufferer with fast and permanent removal of the breasts.

 

Main causes of Gynecomastia

 

Hormonal Disorder – Gynecomastia is often a combination of glandular tissue and extra fatty tissue, otherwise, it is a growth of breast tissue, not fat tissue. Growth of breast tissues is the main form of Gynecomastia that is caused purely as a hormonal disorder.

Sometimes excess fat develops in the chest area of men that can be very hard to remove. Hormonal imbalance is one of the main causes of Gynecomastia when the secretion of the oestrogen exceeds the level of testosterone. What cases this imbalance is yet undetected.

At adolescence, hormone levels are vulnerable to fluctuate, when the testosterone level is exceeded by the growth of oestrogen the breast tissues grow. This might minimalise as they get older and their hormone levels regain balance.

Gynecomastia is a hormonal disorder in men that causes them to develop breasts that might sometimes swell and become larger than normal and can cause many involuntary problems in the sufferer’s lifestyle and confidence. This is a common medical condition in the UK with around 20% of patients opting for male breast reduction surgeries every year, according toe

At Harley Body Clinic, our surgeons conduct avid research on the subject, practice with exciting new technologies and provide smart treatments and surgeries for Gynecomastia and male breast reduction.

 

Causes and Symptoms of Gynecomastia

Causes

 

• Hormonal imbalance is the main cause of Gynecomastia, where the imbalance between the sex hormones oestrogen and testosterone result in men to grow breasts. Oestrogen is primarily the female sex hormone which causes the development of breasts; and testosterone is the male sex hormone. Men also secrete some degree of oestrogen, but the much higher levels of testosterone controls the oestrogen from causing breast tissue to grow in men. If the level of oestrogen exceeds the level of testosterone more than it can control, then the imbalance cause men to grow breasts.
• Newborn babies can be affected by Gynecomastia when during childbirth oestrogen can transfer into the baby boy’s body from the mother. However, this is supposed to clear off with little time post delivery.
• Boy’s hormone levels at adolescence vary a lot with almost 3 out of 5 teenage boys develop some degree of breast enlargement at this age. But generally adolescent Gynecomastia disappears by itself over time as the boys grow up to be men and the hormone levels regain their balance.
• Men can develop Gynecomastia later in life as well as they grow older to their 40s and 50s, their body produces less testosterone, moreover gaining weight at older age can also cause the appearance of breast tissues in men that is medically referred as pseudogynecomastia.

Other Causes of Gynecomastia can include side effects of from drugs for heart disease, or drugs like cannabis or anabolic steroids; excess consumption of alcohol can deviate testosterone levels; Kidney/Liver failure and/or diseases; Klinefelter’s Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder and Infection in the testicles.

Symptoms of Gynecomastia is the appearance of small or much amount of extra tissue around the nipples of men and boys at puberty or mid-ages, either or both breasts can be affected by it and sometimes it can be tender, highly sensitive and painful.

 

Treatments for Gynecomastia

 

There are grades of severity of Gynecomastia. While there are some medications available to control testosterone levels, to treat higher grades of Gynecomastia surgical removal of the breast tissue or glands is highly preferred by surgeons and general practitioners.

Male breast Reduction surgery at Harley Body Clinic is done using only FDA approved technology and VASER Liposuction surgeries for men suffering from gynecomastia and the numerous physical as well as mental turbulences causing from it.

All surgeries at Harley Body Clinic begins with a personalized and up-close consultation between patient and surgeon where the surgeon asses the patient’s current medical condition, expectations and history. The whole procedure is thoroughly discussed and the patient’s and our surgeons aim to make the patient aware of all about the surgical procedures and help them feel comfortable and prepared for the surgery both mentally and physically.

The male breast reduction surgery (Reduction Mammoplasty) provided by Harley Body Clinic is a minimal invasive surgery usually done under local anaesthesia, which all in all takes about 2 and a half hours to conduct.

After-effects and complications are quite minimal and prone to disappear over time, this include: skin damage, scars and bumps; wound infection, changes in nipple sensation