What To Expect During A Tummy Tuck Consultation

My name is Dr. John Wakelin and I’m a board-certified plastic surgeon at Columbus Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery. I’ve been at CAPS since 2005 and what I love about my job is the opportunity to get to know my patients and provide them with superb results. 

Out of the many procedures I perform here at CAPS, the tummy tuck is one I’m particularly passionate about. That’s why I’m excited to share with you what you can expect when you come to meet me, or one of our other six plastic surgeons for a consultation.

The Tummy Tuck Consultation

When you come to meet me for your consultation, what you can expect is that I’m going to spend a great deal of time listening to what it is you wish to get out of your procedure. Through that understanding, I’m going to be able to look at your anatomy and explain to you what it is that I’m going to be able to accomplish for you. I think this is an integral and important part of any doctor and patient relationship, but particularly in the field of plastic surgery, this is what sets CAPS apart.

Many of my patients tell me that they’ve thought about seeking consultation from a plastic surgeon for quite some time and that they’re a little nervous about it. We take a great deal of time to make sure that our patients are comfortable, not only in this environment, but throughout the entire process so that they feel confident in the support they’re going to receive from the first interaction until they’re completed in their healing process.

During your consultation, I’ll ensure you feel well educated on the procedure and how to prepare for your surgery. We’ll discuss your treatment options, set realistic expectations for your results, walk through the recovery process, and answer any questions you may have.

Personalized Care

First and foremost, we make sure that safety is our primary goal. Secondly, we want to make sure that we are truly going to be able to meet our patient’s goals.

I’m very passionate about my work and what I love about plastic surgery is the breadth of patients that I get to see on a day to day basis. No two patients are alike and it therefore requires that I look at each patient’s anatomy, listen to their goals and expectations, and then take my years of education, training, as well as my years of experience to formulate the best possible personalized treatment plan. From there, we’ll talk about what we need to do to execute that plan and get you the best possible results. 

Understanding The Tummy Tuck Procedure

A tummy tuck is a procedure that’s also sometimes referred to as abdominoplasty where we’re trying to tighten either the skin or the muscle of the abdominal wall and in many cases both. All of our Tummy Tuck or abdominoplasty patients are different and the benefits that they’ll get from undergoing this operation varies considerably from person to person. The typical things we do in a tummy tuck include removing loose skin, possibly tightening muscles, and sometimes removing additional fat. 

One of the other things that people don’t always realize is that sometimes the muscles have been stretched apart, either with weight gain or pregnancy, and by putting the muscles back together with a tummy tuck, it can also significantly improve patients’ core strength.

Choosing The Right Tummy Tuck Procedure

There are tummy tuck procedures to just remove loose skin on the lower abdomen, which we typically refer to as a panniculectomy. Then there are mini tummy tucks which are usually for someone who is thinner and just has loose skin on the lower abdomen and is looking to remove some of that excess skin.

And then there are full tummy tucks or different variations of the full tummy tuck. A full tummy tuck usually involves not only the removal of loose skin, but making an incision around the belly button which is called Umbilical Translocation. In many cases it also involves the tightening of abdominal muscles that can be stretched apart from weight gain, weight loss, or most commonly; pregnancy. 

So to answer the question of which procedure is right for you, it’s really something that needs to be answered on an individual basis. There are no strict guidelines, but seeing a patient in person, doing an exam, and talking to them about their goals allows us to determine the best tummy tuck procedure for that specific patient.

Preparing You For Plastic Surgery

I get a lot of questions from patients asking if they need to have a certain BMI before having a tummy tuck. The short answer is no, but everyone’s situation is going to vary. Each person has unique circumstances and sometimes people have lost a lot of weight but maybe still don’t have an ideal BMI. It really needs to be taken into account individually and it of course is dependent upon the patient’s health.

At the same time, we want to make sure that we’re going to meet the patient’s expectations for their tummy tuck. So in many cases, I’ll tell patients that we can certainly do your tummy tuck now at your current weight, but if you’re able to lose a little bit more weight, you’re going to have better results and ultimately be a lot more happy with your results.

Setting Realistic Expectations

Patients ask me all the time how long it will take to be completely healed and see the final results. The one thing I tell people about most of the procedures here at CAPS, is that you’re going to see immediate improvement right after your surgery, but it can take at least a full six months and sometimes longer for you to see your final result. So set your expectations accordingly. 

Schedule Your Tummy Tuck Consultation

I’m excited for you to come in and learn about your body and its potential, and what we can achieve together. Schedule your tummy tuck consultation to begin your journey towards the very best version of you.