Cosmetic Surgery

Breast Augmentation Plastic Surgeon

Surgical Center For Cosmetic Tummy Tuck Surgery

There are several different kinds of breast reductions, similar to the different types of breast lifts. The choice of which breast reduction is best for you depends on how much tissue will need to be removed and how much extra skin you have in relationship to that breast tissue. During a consultation with board certified cosmetic plastic surgeon Dr.Fryer in his Salt Lake City area medical office, he obtains specific measurements that help determine the best plan for your specific situation. Dr. Fryer helps each patient understand the balance between removing breast tissue to improve symptoms and leaving enough tissue to ensure a feminine curve and shape. He is not able to guarantee a final cup size because of inconsistencies between different bra manufacturers, but his system for planning the amount of tissue to be removed consistently achieves harmony and balance between the breasts and the woman’s other curves.

Dr. Fryer reviews your health history and performs a focused physical exam in his Salt Lake City area plastic surgery clinic to ensure that you are a good candidate for tummy tuck. The amount of excess skin is important to recognize, as is the position and orientation of that excess skin. He tries to determine if the abdominal wall muscles have separated or split because of pregnancy or significant weight fluctuation. Prior surgical scars and stretch marks on the abdomen are likewise important for Dr. Fryer to document while planning for a tummy tuck. The amount of localized excess fat of the flanks or “love handle” area is determined during the exam. All this information is necessary to determine the best surgical plan for your Tummy Tuck.

Tummy tuck operations are performed in Dr. Fryer’s Salt Lake City area ambulatory surgery center under general anesthesia enhanced with local anesthesia. Although he uses permanent sutures in critical components of the tummy tuck procedure, you will not need to have any sutures removed. Tightening and closing your loose abdominal musculature is typically part of a tummy tuck procedure. Dr. Fryer is well known for better positioning of scars, better looking scars, and the best-looking belly buttons in Utah. Not all tummy tuck results are the same; the cheapest option is not necessarily the best option and he is definitely not the cheapest. He will help you develop realistic expectations of what improvements can be achieved; he will likewise stress that minor, persistent asymmetries will always be present. Drains are almost always necessary in order to prevent fluid accumulations beneath the skin (seromas) and are removed as soon as output decreases to the point where removal is possible, usually within one to three weeks. Your incisions are covered with tape to help reinforce the closure and bandages are held in place by a compression girdle. Dr. Fryer instructs his patients to wear the compression girdle continuously for at least one week after the last drain is removed.

…next to finishing my college degree, my tummy tuck stands as the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. Just for myself.

Annette; Idaho Falls, ID

Tummy Tuck

Dr. Fryer has his tummy tuck patients return to his Salt Lake City area plastic surgery clinic the day after surgery, and each week thereafter until one week after the last drain has been removed. Experts have developed an innovative way to control discomfort and pain after a tummy tuck and this protocol has made a significant improvement in their patients’ recovery. They rely on alternative pain medications in favor of narcotic pain pills to help their patients control their discomfort. They also administer a long acting local anesthetic into the muscle tissues of the abdomen while in the operating room at the Salt Lake City area ambulatory surgical center. The use of these alternative pain medications significantly decreases the amount of narcotic pain medication that you will require after a tummy tuck or Treatment for obesity El Paso TX. Improved comfort and less pain after tummy tuck encourages you to be more active and walk more frequently, which is the best option for preventing blood clots in your legs. Decreased reliance on narcotic pain medications also results in fewer side effects, faster recuperation, and a safer recovery. Reading more about how this innovative method of reducing the pain after a tummy tuck helps you recover much more comfortably and enhances safety in your free tummy tuck planner. Doctors also recommend to consult them before doing Body Contouring in Venture, Ca.

The specific risks and the suitability of abdominoplasty can be determined only during your consultation. All surgical procedures have some degree of risk, but major complications are unusual.

Dr. Fryer is FANTASTIC!! …. Some of my friends had the same procedures done with different doctors. NONE of them look as good as mine and their recoveries were so much harder. Not to mention, my belly button totally rocks with no visual scar!!! He and his staff are all so friendly and always made me feel comfortable …. I have sent some of my closest friends to him. They have all called me and told me how wonderful he was and how fabulous they look and feel. This is a very big and scary decision to make, but I knew I made the right decision the first time I met with him and I would do it again in a heartbeat!!

Dina; Bountiful, UT

Who is a good candidate for a tummy tuck?

The best candidates for a tummy tuck are at, or near, their optimal weight and want improvement in the looseness or laxity of the abdominal skin. Considering using supplements for weight loss can complement surgical procedures like a tummy tuck by promoting overall body fitness and health. Often patients will complain of skin that hangs down or wrinkles excessively when they lean forward or bend over. Significant weight change after a tummy tuck (either loss of weight or gaining weight) will negatively impact the long-term aesthetic results. Patients need to be in good health without any health issues that are not well controlled and managed by medications or healthy behaviors. Patients need to be active and able to ambulate well and frequently. Ideal candidates for a tummy tuck have realistic expectations that some changes of the boney pelvis and rib cage resulting from pregnancy are irreversible and therefore one cannot expect to look like they did in high school. Significant improvements in the looseness of the abdominal wall and skin laxity can be achieved but this is in exchange for scars that are permanent. Asymmetries can be improved, but some asymmetries will inevitably persist.

Good candidates for a tummy tuck will have a support system in place that can help and assist them during their recovery. Although Dr. Fryer’s innovative methods for pain management after tummy tuck will help improve your comfort significantly, you need to be aware that this is still a big recovery and will require frequent rest. A good support system that can look after younger children is necessary. Usually ten to fourteen days off work (sometimes longer depending on work requirements) is necessary after a tummy tuck. The best candidates for Tummy Tuck in Tampa also understand that the recovery can often require “mental” recovery every bit as much as a physical recovery. Patients’ support systems should also consist of people that can cheer them on and cheer them up.

Who is a good candidate for a mini tummy tuck?

Patients often request a mini tummy tuck and have misperceptions about what a mini tummy tuck actually means. Mini tummy tuck does not have anything to do with the length or size of the scar; the scar of a mini tummy tuck can be just as long as a full tummy tuck. Rather, mini tummy tuck relates to how high the skin is separated off the abdominal muscles. Dr. Fryer separates the skin off the abdominal wall muscles from the incision up to the rib cage in a full tummy tuck in his Salt Lake City area surgical center. In a mini tummy tuck he only separates the skin up to the level of the belly button and does not make an incision around the belly button. Therefore, ideal candidates for a mini tummy tuck only have excess skin below the level of the belly button and no loose skin at or above the belly button. Very few patients fit this ideal criterion. Performing a mini tummy tuck on someone who has loose skin at and above the belly button creates a strange “hooding” and angle to the belly button that is far from ideal. He can determine if you are an ideal candidate for a mini tummy tuck or what other options you might have in order to obtain the best results during a consultation in his Salt Lake City area plastic surgery clinic.

Can I have liposuction at the same time as a tummy tuck?

Dr. Fryer frequently performs liposuction of the flanks (love handle area) at the same time as a tummy tuck. He believes that this usually results in better smoothing of the abdominal contour and improved shape. Although liposuction of the flanks can be performed at the same time as a tummy tuck, he discourages patients from having multiple other areas liposuctioned simultaneously because of increased operative times and increased risks. Dr. Fryer does not perform liposuction of the anterior abdominal area at the same time as a full tummy tuck because it increases the chance of wound healing delays and other wound complications.

What is the recovery time after a tummy tuck?

Tummy tuck is the procedure with the biggest recovery that cosmetic plastic surgeons perform. You need to be prepared with a support system at home that can help you recover and allow you time to rest and recuperate. Experts have developed an innovative combination of surgical methods and alternative medications that significantly reduces the amount of narcotics his tummy tuck patients require. In fact, they had many patients that did not take ANY narcotics after their tummy tuck. Every patient’s recovery is unique and not using narcotics after a tummy tuck is not a realistic goal for all patients, it is nevertheless remarkable how well this innovation in pain control after tummy tuck works.

Just because tummy tuck patients don’t typically take as many narcotics after surgery does not mean that they don’t still have a significant recovery. After a Tummy Tuck in Wellington, FL, patients still have significant fatigue and will need to rest after simple and small activities. Healing takes a significant amount of energy and it is not uncommon to feel tired and drained. Napping several times a day is not uncommon for the first several weeks. He does not want his patients to spend their recovery in bed. When you are napping or sleeping it is permissible to be in bed; otherwise he wants you sitting up or walking, which helps keep your lungs healthier and decrease the chance for blood clots in your legs (DVT’s).

Dr. Fryer’s tummy tuck patients may begin more strenuous activities and light exercise after six weeks. Patients must be aware that they need to start slowly and gradually increase the extent of activity they participate in. They will need to listen to their bodies about how much is too much. Sometimes it is not until the day after when they are feeling more sore that they realize that they pushed things a little too much. After eight to twelve weeks most of his tummy tuck patients report being back to normal activities but may still experience increased soreness or fatigue after more strenuous exertions for months longer. Patients also report that they like to have more support of their abdomen in the form of a girdle or similar binder for months after a tummy tuck especially for longer days or more strenuous activity.

I finally got up the courage to have [a tummy tuck]. It was the best decision that I could have made! [Dr. Fryer] recently changed his medicine regimen for post-operative pain. His intention was to reduce the need to use narcotics, and I can tell you by experience that he must be a genius!!!! 🙂 The prescription list contained several medications, in the list it shows oxycodone, but just as a precaution in case I needed to use it. I was told that the odds of me taking one was 100%, but never ended up even taking one of them!!! My husband and I were shocked! On a scale from 1 to 10 with 1 being the lowest rating for pain and 10 being the highest, my pain level averaged out around 3.5. I was definitely not expecting that!

Michel; Salt Lake City, UT

Do I have to have drains after a tummy tuck?

Dr. Fryer uses drains for the majority of his tummy tucks to help prevent fluid from accumulating under the skin and creating a seroma. Seroma is the most common complication after a tummy tuck and requires drainage with a syringe in the office. He usually performs a significant amount of liposuction of the flanks, which produces increased tissue inflammation and therefore more fluid. In cases where no liposuction is planned then he may elect not to place drains in his tummy tuck patients. He understands that no one likes drains, but if it helps to decrease the chance of a fluid collection beneath the skin then he feels like the drains are worth the inconvenience and annoyance.

Are there different types of tummy tucks?

There are several different types of tummy tucks, each offering different advantages and accomplishing different things. Dr. Fryer customizes each patient’s surgical plan to give them the best result and provide them with the beauty and confidence that they desire. He assesses each component of poor abdominal appearance, which includes excess skin and fat, as well as muscular laxity or weakness and even the presence of hernias that can influence the choice for the best tummy tuck result. Liposuction may be recommended in addition to the tummy tuck to enhance the results of a tummy tuck. The goal is to have a smoother tummy that harmonizes with the rest of the body. Since no two patients present with the same issues, having multiple different options to produce the best tummy tuck result is important. He has extensive experience performing each of these options in his Salt Lake City area plastic surgery clinic and can customize an operation to fit your individual circumstance.

Dr. Fryer has outlined the difference between mini tummy tuck and full tummy tuck in the information regarding mini tummy tuck. But what if someone is kind of in between these two categories? Sometimes he suggests a floating umbilicoplasty (AKA umbilical float) in this scenario especially if the patient’s belly button is slightly higher than normal. This option allows him to get the aggressive results of a tummy tuck with full muscle plication (tightening the muscle) and prevent having a vertical component of the lower scar in patients that don’t have as much excess skin above the belly button. This technique moves the natural belly button slightly lower and the patient does not have a scar around their belly button.

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A tummy tuck removes excess skin of the lower abdomen. What happens if the patient has excess skin not only of the anterior abdomen but also of the flanks and even back? This is when a belt abdominoplasty (belt tummy tuck or belt lipectomy) is necessary. The scar for a tummy tuck needs to be slightly longer than where the excess skin is located. If there is excess skin all the way around the trunk then the incision needs to go all the way around the trunk as well. Failure to remove the excess skin results in a significant contour abnormality called a “dog ear” or a “standing skin cone”. A dog ear is excess skin that protrudes outwardly near the end of a scar because the skin was pulled tightly together at the center of the scar, but progressively has less tension at the lateral side of the scar with absolutely no tension at the end of (and lateral to) the scar. Almost all tummy tucks result in very minor temporary dog ears that typically resolve spontaneously several months after surgery, but the dog ears that result from failure to remove skin that should have been removed in the operation usually do not resolve.

How and where the skin is situated is very important when Dr. Fryer is deciding the best options for your procedures. Most patients have extra skin in the up and down direction that they can pinch, but some patients also have extra skin oriented side to side and can pinch just as much, and sometimes more, skin side to side than they can up and down. A standard tummy tuck will not improve the skin excess from side to side, in fact it can sometimes make that excess skin seem worse. This is the situation when he may recommend a fleur-de-lis tummy tuck when he is consulting with you in his Salt Lake City area plastic surgery clinic. A fleur-de-lis tummy tuck includes removal of skin from side to side in addition to resection of skin up and down and results in an additional vertical scar that extends from the rib cage down to the pelvis. The scar looks like an upside down “T”. He knows that no patient would choose to have a scar down the center of their abdomen, but without the vertical scar no cosmetic plastic surgeon can control or contour the excess skin that is oriented from side to side. He tries to help his patients develop realistic expectations about their results, and when his patients understand that they may otherwise still be able to pinch loose and wrinkly skin from side to side after having a standard tummy tuck, they are more accepting of the vertical scar. The recovery for the fleur-de-lis tummy tuck is comparable to a standard tummy tuck.

Dr. Fryer sometimes recommends combining a belt abdominoplasty with a fleur-de-lis for patients that have a significant excess of skin all the way around their abdomen, flanks, and back as well as excess side to side skin of the anterior abdomen. This is usually found in patients that have had significant weight fluctuations or patients that had very large pregnancies. The recovery for a combination belt and fleur-de-lis tummy tuck is slightly longer and more involved than a standard tummy tuck.

Dr. Fryer routinely performs muscle plication (tightening of loose and stretched out abdominal muscles or the correction of a diastasis recti) as part of the tummy tuck procedure, but there are some situations where patients may elect not to have the muscle tightened or plicated. Patients that have strong abdominal walls without stretching or significant muscle separation have less to gain from the muscle plication. He has also had patients with good abdominal wall strength and extremely low body fat that want to preserve the six-pack appearance; this is also a situation where not performing a muscle plication may be selected. Performing a muscle plication with a tummy tuck folds the muscle on itself and removes any possibility of having a six-pack appearance.

Dr. Fryer was the only plastic surgeon that I consulted with that mentioned that I needed a vertical incision. I am so glad that I chose him and couldn’t be happier with my improved shape. My friend had her tummy tuck done somewhere else and when she saw my result, she wished that she had gone to Dr. Fryer too!

Kelli; Eagle Mountain, UT

What happens if I get pregnant after a tummy tuck?

Getting pregnant after a tummy tuck adversely affects your long-term results because it stretches your abdominal muscles and skin back out. There are no known risks with the pregnancy; there are many women who have had successful pregnancies after a tummy tuck surgery. Dr. Fryer tries to ensure that prospective tummy tuck patients are done having children because he wants to maximize the duration of their results. If a patient is planning on another pregnancy in the future, Dr. Fryer would advise them to wait to have a tummy tuck until a time when they believe they are done having children. Revision tummy tuck is possible after having a pregnancy but can result in positioning and placement of the scars that is less than ideal. It may also result in the addition of a shorter vertical component of the scar.

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Abdominoplasty is usually performed under general anesthesia in our Salt Lake City facility. Incisions across the lower part of the abdomen are required to remove excess skin and fatty tissue. The tissue is elevated off of the muscular layer and the muscles are tightened in order to obtain a flatter abdominal contour. Your umbilicus remains attached to your muscles in most abdominoplasty procedures and your abdominal skin is relocated around it. Drains are used to prevent fluid from accumulating beneath the skin, and are removed 10 to 14 days after the procedure. A girdle or binder is used to help provide comfortable compression during the healing process. You can also use a cordless vibrator wand while you recover. Plan on two weeks off work or family duties during recovery. Vigorous exercise or activities are usually restarted six weeks after surgery.

The specific risks and the suitability of abdominoplasty can be determined only during your consultation with Salt Lake City plastic surgeon Dr. Fryer. All surgical procedures have some degree of risk, but major complications are unusual.

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