What To Expect During A Tummy Tuck Consultation
March 9, 2023Everything You Need To Know Before Talking To Your Surgery Professionals
The Tummy Tuck is an incredible, life-changing procedure. Making the decision to move forward on this journey is an important moment that requires a lot of transparency from your surgeon of choice. At Donaldson Plastic Surgery, we aim to give you that sense of clarity and comfort every step of the way — from the initial planning stage, to the day of your surgery, to the aftercare process and beyond!
Today, we’ll be taking a closer look at what to expect during a Tummy Tuck consultation.
Bring All Of Your Questions
Your consultation is your time to share information about yourself and to gather as much feedback as possible. The consult typically lasts 30 – 60 minutes and includes personal time with your surgeon and/or their trusted staff — questions are encouraged, and your team will listen carefully to understand your goals and concerns in order to help.
Some Information You Will Want To Obtain
You may have already extensively searched online, spoken with friends and even had other consultations – but this is the time to get answers directly from the professionals. First, you will want to know whether you are a good candidate for abdominoplasty. Ask how your specific anatomy will influence the surgical technique. Find out whether your medical history, medications, or current health status will have an impact.
We highly suggest clarifying your pre-operative and post-operative instructions so you know exactly what to expect. Once you have spoken to the staff and read through the written guides, you may want to ask the surgeon more questions that relate more personally to your body and your specific circumstances. It’s also a good idea to go over the Tummy Tuck Recovery Must-Haves checklist to ensure you have everything you need during that phase.
Remember: This procedure is all about you and your confidence! Not just your post-surgery confidence, but also your comfort with making the decision to move forward. Please, do not hesitate to ask any question as it pertains to Tummy Tuck surgery. That’s why we are here!
Additional Procedures May Be Added To Reach Your Goals
In addition to learning about the nuances of this operation during your consultation, you may also explore other related procedures and discuss various combinations if you like. While you are asleep during surgery, it may make sense to consider a combination of two or three procedures so that you have only one recovery period.
Popular adjuncts include breast augmentation and/or lifting, as well as liposuction or labiaplasty.
Examination & Measurements
After your initial conversation, your surgeon will examine your belly and take measurements and photographs in order to further study your needs. They will take note of your skin quality, your muscular tone, the amount of superficial versus deep fat, and whether you have previous scars or underlying hernias.
Tailored Before & After Photos Matter
The surgeon and/or their team will share before and after photos with you to give you a sense of what results you can expect — and to show you why patients are so pleased after surgery! They will try to match body types and appearances so you have a reasonable sense of what you could expect.
What To Focus On With Tummy Tuck Before & Afters
- Be sure to notice the feminine umbilical shapes and silhouettes and how hard it is to find the umbilical scars.
- Notice how low the incisions are placed so that low-cut jeans and underwear will still hide them.
- Check out how nicely the flanks curve in before the hips curve out and imagine that is you!
Safety Is Top Priority
Your board-certified plastic surgeon will go over your medical records to confirm that you are a good candidate for surgery. They may ask you for further information and may want to contact your primary care physician. You may be asked to follow through with a referral to a specialist or have basic labwork completed. No stone should be left unturned throughout this phase of the process.
Pricing, Financing & Scheduling
The final part of your consultation is a meeting with our Patient Experience Director. Together, you will discuss Tummy Tuck pricing and scheduling to match your lifestyle, as well as the logistics surrounding the preparation, transportation, lodging and aftercare.
Donaldson Plastic Surgery offers flexible financing, and we will be happy to explain the options in great detail. We invite you to visit our financing page if you’re interested in learning more about credit and payment.
About The Author
Jeffrey Donaldson, MD, is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Columbus, Ohio. Throughout his tenure, he has performed hundreds of successful Tummy Tuck surgeries. He remains dedicated to his mission to obtain the highest quality results using the most modern surgical techniques with minimal scarring. Dr. Donaldson believes that knowledge is a crucial pillar of self-confidence and continues to publish articles to shed light on different areas of the procedures he performs.
