Maybe you’ve fulfilled a New Year’s resolution and dropped the weight, or you’ve successfully carried your last baby into the world. Whatever their cause, those last few pounds might linger, or you may notice some sagging skin as a result of all your hard work.
At Cosmetic Surgery Affiliates, our expert surgeons combine advanced surgical techniques and artistic vision to help you finally achieve your aesthetic goals. Our surgeons have performed over 3,000 successful abdominoplasties.
Procedures like abdominoplasties, or tummy tucks, best suit patients looking to remove stubborn fat and excess skin around the midsection. You should feel able to love your body, and our team of surgeons has helped over 27,000 patients rediscover their confidence.
Our award-winning, board-certified cosmetic surgeons provide unmatched care with your unique needs in mind.
If you’re ready to experience the Cosmetic Surgery Affiliates difference, contact our front-desk team or schedule your initial consultation online. Or continue reading to discover how a belly tuck in Oklahoma City supports your body goals.
How to Select a Belly Tuck Surgeon
When considering an abdominoplasty, choosing a compassionate, skilled team makes all the difference. At Cosmetic Surgery Affiliates, each of our doctors is board-certified in cosmetic surgery.
A surgeon with board certification has graduated from medical school, fulfilled a surgical residency, and completed rigorous examinations in their desired field to pass board standards.
Our leading surgeons, Dr. Nuveen and Dr. Caplin, are both triple-board certified in general cosmetic surgery, facial cosmetic surgery, and oral and maxillofacial surgery. This education and experience yield a deep understanding of cosmetic surgery and human anatomy. As the highest possible level of surgical credentialing, board certification attests to our doctors’ passion and expertise.
In trusting Cosmetic Surgery Affiliates with your belly tuck in Oklahoma City, you are selecting an expert team that prioritizes your wellness and satisfaction without compromising on medical excellence.
What Causes Lingering Loose Skin or Belly Fat?
Many patients find it difficult—if not impossible—to reduce excess skin or body fat without surgical intervention. Once it has stretched out from weight gain or pregnancy, skin loses much of its elasticity.
Even after a patient loses weight or gives birth, that skin doesn’t snap back into place. The result is excess skin that might droop or feel uncomfortable under clothing.
Genetics
Many people are genetically predisposed to store additional weight around the midsection. This means that, in spite of regular exercise and a healthy diet, you might struggle to drop weight or see results where you want them.
Hormonal Changes
Women carry weight differently after pregnancy and menopause as hormones fluctuate. Estrogen influences where fat gets distributed throughout the body, and a decrease in estrogen production often leads fat to collect around the waistline.
Natural Aging
As we lose muscle mass with age, the body processes foods differently. A slowing metabolic rate leads to fewer calories burned, which then causes additional body fat to accumulate.
Stress
When we feel stressed, our system stays in constant fight-or-flight mode. Your body defends you against whatever is threatening you by triggering overproduction of the hormone cortisol. The cortisol prompts your body to hold onto fat and increase your appetite to survive the “stressors” you’re facing.
Abdominal Separation
Pregnancy, lifting heavy weights, and rapid weight loss can lead to a condition called diastasis recti, or a separation of your vertical abdominal muscles. About 6 in 10 women experience this gap after childbirth as the body stretches for delivery.
Symptoms include lower back pain, a bulge above or below the belly button, and difficulty performing everyday activities.
What Does a Belly Tuck Do?
A belly tuck in Oklahoma City contours your figure by removing excess skin and stubborn pockets of fat sitting just below your skin. In trimming away the unwanted skin, we also tighten the surface appearance of the stomach for a smoother look. Removing excess belly fat helps eliminate bothersome rolls and lumps, contributing to a slimmer figure.
The CSA surgeons also stitch together the connective tissue within your abdominal wall for a tighter core. This step adds to the sculpting effect and offers support to formerly weakened or stretched muscles. Our surgeons offer the option of mesh reinforcement along this connective tissue for patients with severe diastasis recti, or advanced abdominal separation.
In many cases, our surgeons use liposuction to remove additional fatty tissue for further toning and definition.
What Doesn’t a Belly Tuck Do?
Though an abdominoplasty addresses a protruding stomach and loose skin, patients should maintain healthy routines before and after the procedure. A belly tuck in Oklahoma City supplements your weight loss journey—it doesn’t replace the work altogether.
If your goal is to lift and tone your whole body, abdominoplasty works well alongside other cosmetic procedures, like a thigh lift, arm lift, or targeted liposuction, as well as xSculpt tailored liposuction for men.
You can also combine surgeries to achieve your body goals by consulting our surgeons to develop a personalized treatment plan.
Abdominoplasty Options
Our belly tuck options range in their extent and specific results, but our board-certified surgeons aim to minimize your scarring regardless of incision placement.
Tummy Tuck
During a full tummy tuck, our surgeons make an incision between the belly button and pubic region. Your surgeon determines the length of the incision based on the amount of skin you want to target around your midsection.
Extended Tummy Tuck
Ideal for patients with extensive loose skin, an extended tummy tuck addresses unwanted skin and fat on the hips, waist, and stomach. Because of its more comprehensive nature, an extended abdominoplasty involves a longer incision stretching across the front of the abdomen to the hips.
Mini Tummy Tuck
Only patients with a small amount of excess skin and fat qualify for a mini tummy tuck procedure, as it targets a smaller area than a full tummy tuck. During a mini abdominoplasty, our surgeons make a small incision in the groin region, focusing only on skin and fat removal below the belly button.
Corrective Abdominoplasty
Some patients come to CSA unhappy with the results of a procedure performed by another doctor. Dr. Caplin specializes in corrective plastic surgery, even starring on the series Botched Bariatrics, where she helped resolve patients’ complications after past failed abdominal surgeries.
Whether you feel dissatisfied with your scar placement or have difficulty with bodily functions after a tummy tuck, you can trust your abdominoplasty corrections with Dr. Caplin and the board-certified surgeons at CSA.
Am I a Candidate for a Belly Tuck?
Whether you’ve successfully completed the 75 Hard Challenge, hit your fitness goals, or otherwise shed weight without seeing the full results you want, you likely make an ideal candidate for a belly tuck in Oklahoma City.
An abdominoplasty supports a more sculpted, defined look to reflect your hard work. If you want to slow the hands of time and combat the effects of gravity on your body, excess skin removal through a tummy tuck procedure helps you maintain a more youthful figure.
Candidates Experiencing Diastasis Recti
This procedure also helps women who want to reclaim their bodies after pregnancy, especially after C-sections or severe diastasis recti. A T-line polypropylene mesh distributes tension and permanently corrects protrusion of the abdominal wall, strengthening abdominoplasty results and supporting the abdominal wall for patients with muscle separation.
Since 2022, our board-certified surgeons have successfully placed over 200 T-line mesh reinforcements during tummy tuck procedures with 100% satisfaction, making us #1 in the U.S. for use of this permanent reinforcement method.
Prior to 2008, there were limited options for long-term treatment of diastasis recti. Today, our physicians are some of very few in the world using FDA-approved Deep Blue T-Line Mesh to correct abdominal protrusions. Dr. Nuveen regularly places reinforcement mesh for postpartum and hernia patients, often asked to lecture on this revolutionary corrective procedure.
Individuals experiencing back pain or urinary incontinence due to separated or weakened abdominal and pelvic muscles benefit from the core-tightening aspect of a tummy tuck surgery. During the procedure, CSA surgeons help strengthen the core, allowing for greater control and improved posture.
Who Is Not a Candidate for a Belly Tuck?
We rarely recommend abdominoplasty for individuals who smoke, plan on becoming pregnant soon, or are not within their ideal body weight range. Our surgeons also do not operate on patients with unmanaged diabetes, bleeding disorders, or heart disease.
The CSA team prioritizes your health at all times, even if this means advising against surgery.
How Can I Enhance and Preserve My Tummy Tuck Results?
Your results after a belly tuck in Oklahoma City should be permanent if your weight remains stable. However, you can take a few steps to care for your healing incision site and foster optimal recovery.
Use Proper Incision Aftercare
Our board-certified surgeons use the smallest incisions possible to minimize your scarring, but you need to perform proper aftercare, which influences your healing. The Cosmetic Surgery Affiliates team provides scar management instructions to guide you in caring for your incision sites. Follow these directions to promote optimal healing and minimal scarring.
Protect the Skin From Sunlight
Be sure to protect your surgical site and its delicate skin by applying sunscreen or wearing clothing that covers your scar when venturing outside, as sun damage can affect the long-term appearance of your incision.
Wear Compression Garments
Your CSA surgeon may also recommend a compression garment or abdominal binder to help prevent fluid buildup and support your abdomen as you heal. Most patients wear this binder for 6 to 8 weeks following surgery.
Limit Intense Activity
As with any surgical procedure, limit your strenuous exercise for at least 6 weeks to avoid reopening the incision. Regular follow-ups after your belly tuck in Oklahoma City help your surgeon track your progress and determine when you can safely return to normal activities.
Avoid Significant Weight Fluctuations
Ongoing weight fluctuations, pregnancy, and other abdominal surgeries after your procedure can affect the final look of your tummy tuck.
What Sets an Abdominoplasty With CSA Apart?
When you invest in a belly tuck in Oklahoma City, you’re investing in yourself. At Cosmetic Surgery Affiliates, we strive to help you reignite your confidence and self-love.
Cosmetic procedures like a tummy tuck enhance your natural beauty and support the results you’ve worked so hard to achieve.
And our team isn’t just committed to personalizing your procedures—we’re trained to do so. The CSA team includes 4 board-certified surgeons. Our leading surgeons, Dr. Nuveen and Dr. Caplin, both hold triple-board certifications.
This means we practice the highest level of medical excellence with your goals in mind, specializing in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery for the face and body. With over 27,000 satisfied patients served since 2003, our surgical leadership is second to none.
Book Your Belly Tuck Consultation
Don’t put your body goals on hold once your weight loss journey ends. Come visit the leading surgeons with the innovative techniques to help you love your reflection again.
Schedule a consultation with Cosmetic Surgery Affiliates to discuss your belly tuck in Oklahoma City!
Still debating your procedure options? Browse our blog to learn more about the factors associated with abdominoplasty cost. Or read about other skin removal surgery options that can enhance your appearance.
