3 Medical Conditions That Can Be Corrected When Your Tummy Tuck Is Performed

A tummy tuck can produce an attractive, flat abdomen. Thus, many people only consider a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty to be a cosmetic procedure. However, some tummy tucks may be performed for medical reasons or paired with other procedures that are considered medically necessary. If you are interested in having a tummy tuck but also suffer from other conditions involving the abdomen, you may be able to have the surgeries performed simultaneously. Here are a few instances in which a tummy tuck corrects a medical abnormality or is paired with another procedure that does:

Reduction of Distension in Stomach Muscles

If a person has been pregnant multiple times, has carried multiple babies at once or has lost an extremely large amount of weight, the abdominal muscles may have become distorted or stretched to the point that they are unable to return to normal. Diet and exercise can help reduce the girth of the abdomen. However, surgery may be required to tighten the distended stomach muscles.

Weakened stomach muscles can result in back problems. In addition, they can cause the posture of a person to become poor. However, after a tummy tuck, people may notice that the tightened muscles improve their posture. In some cases, back pain is fully alleviated.

Urinary Incontinence

Not only can pregnancy distort abdominal muscles, it can also affect the ability to control the bladder. Women who have had a vaginal birth sometimes suffer from stress urinary incontinence. This condition occurs when the bladder cannot be fully controlled by the patient, resulting in leakage when the patient sneezes, coughs, jumps or laughs.

In some instances, urinary incontinence can be improved by targeted exercises such as kegels. However, in extreme cases, surgery may be required. A tummy tuck can help reduce urinary incontinence through the formation of a bladder obstruction. During an abdominoplasty, the physician can create an obstructive pocket of tissue to give the patient more bladder control.

Hernias

When a portion of the bowels protrudes through the wall of the abdominal muscles, a pocket sometimes forms up under the skin. This pocket of bulging tissue is called a hernia. Sometimes, a hernia is caused by the loss of extreme amounts of weight or from surgical procedures such as an appendectomy.

An abdominoplasty can tighten weakened stomach muscles. During the procedure, a hernia can be simultaneously repaired. 

If you are interested in receiving a tummy tuck and have other medical conditions, schedule an appointment with a plastic surgeon in your area to determine whether or not you are a good candidate for simultaneous procedures. You can find a tummy tuck surgeon at a clinic like Renaissance Center For Facial & Body Sculpting.