For any plastic surgery, including a tummy tuck, Dallas is a premiere destination offering luxury facilities, strong medical legislation and experienced plastic surgeons.
On top of offering high-quality plastic surgery operations, Dallas also offers patients lower prices.
If you're a Dallas resident or interested in obtaining a tummy tuck in the Dallas area, keep reading for more information on the actual procedure, along with tips and tricks for finding a high-quality surgeon in the area.
The Tummy Tuck Procedure A tummy tuck is technically known as an abdominoplasty.
Essentially, it's a surgical procedure that actually moves and tightens your abdominal muscles and then eliminates excess skin while tightening and repositioning the remainder.
The goal of an abdominoplasty is to give the abdomen a better shape and get rid of excess skin or loose muscle.
The Typical Tummy Tuck Patient Ideally, anyone who gets a tummy tuck, Dallas resident or not, should already be at a normal, healthy weight.
The purpose of the procedure is to reshape and tighten the abdomen, not to get rid of excess fat deposits.
The surgery is therefore targeted toward patients recovering from extreme weight loss or post-pregnancy mothers.
What's Involved With a Tummy Tuck For a tummy tuck, Dallas and the state of Texas require patients and doctors to have several consultation appointments.
These meetings are designed to assess the purpose of the surgery, its suitability and to make the patient aware of any possible risks.
Once your preliminary appointments are complete, a surgery date will be set.
After you arrive at the hospital, you will receive general anesthesia, rendering you unconscious for the duration of the surgery.
Once you're under, your plastic surgeon will make a long incision across the lower stomach, just above the pubic region.
After the incision is made, the skin is pulled up to give the surgeon access to the rectus muscles below.
Then, your surgeon will reposition and tighten your muscles, sewing them back into place.
Upon completion, any extra skin is removed and the remainder is stretched back over.
The patient is then closed up and moved to the recovery area.
Cost of an Abdominoplasty For an average tummy tuck, Dallas patients will typically pay fees ranging from as low as $3000 to $9000.
These fees cover anesthesia, hospital costs, taxes and your surgeon's fees.
How in Dallas to Find a Tummy Tuck Surgeon Despite a tummy tuck being a strong medical procedure, Texas does allow any licensed physician to advertise themselves as a plastic or cosmetic surgeon.
So, before you hire a doctor to do your abdominoplasty, make sure they're experienced and a board-certified member of the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
This nonprofit organization monitors its members with experience requirements and ongoing certification.
To find a qualified surgeon with whom you are comfortable, especially for a tummy tuck, Dallas patients should either consult the American Board of Plastic Surgery and their full member database or the Texas Society of Plastic Surgeons, which requires its members to belong to the American Board.