Newport Beach
400 Newport Center Drive, Suite 100
Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949) 760-0600
Mon–Fri: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
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Temecula
31150 Temecula Pkwy, Suite 103
Temecula, CA 92592
(951) 414-3530
Mon–Fri: 8 a.m.–5 p.m. | Closed 12 p.m.–1 p.m.
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You may think that working out harder or losing weight can help you regain your youthful abdomen. For most adults, it’s simply not the case. Abdominal skin and muscles stretched by pregnancy or weight changes are often damaged and lose their ability to bounce back, leaving wrinkled, stretched-out skin and a belly bulge. At United Plastic Surgery, Dr. Phuong Pham can accomplish what you can’t on your own with abdominoplasty, often called a tummy tuck, in Newport Beach and Temecula, CA.
A tummy tuck rejuvenates the abdominal area by providing a personalized combination of the following benefits:
Our board-certified plastic surgeon often removes fat from the abdomen, waist, and hips with liposuction for additional sculpting.
Drains are one of the most dreaded parts of tummy tuck recovery for many people. While not all patients are candidates for a drainless tummy tuck, Dr. Pham uses this advanced technique whenever possible because it:
Dr. Pham uses various abdominoplasty techniques personalized to your unique needs and cosmetic goals. Options include:
Also called a standard or complete tummy tuck, this option is used for most tummy tucks at our practice. It rejuvenates the abdominal area from below the ribs to the pubic bone by tightening loose skin and repairing the abdominal muscles.
This option removes excess skin and stretchmarks below the navel using a smaller incision than the traditional technique. It does not include muscle repair or bellybutton reshaping.
This technique extends the traditional tummy tuck by removing excess abdominal skin from the sides of the hips/flanks and the front of the belly. Muscle tightening is included if needed.
Dr. Pham is an experienced, highly trained board-certified plastic surgeon dedicated to superior patient care and surgical outcomes. He is committed to each patient from the initial consult to surgery to a personal phone call after surgery and beyond.
Dr. Pham often combines abdominoplasty with other plastic surgery procedures. This combination is called a mommy makeover, and it is performed to address multiple concerns with a single surgery and recovery period. Popular options include:
During your initial consultation, Dr. Pham will meet with you to discuss the changes you envision, perform a physical exam, and create a personalized surgical plan. You will have plenty of time to ask questions and address your concerns.
Dr. Pham performs tummy tuck surgery as an outpatient procedure in our private surgery center using a general anesthetic. For a traditional tummy tuck, he makes a low incision that spans between the hip bones just above the pubic area. He carefully releases the abdominal skin from the underlying fascia and the bellybutton (umbilicus), which remains in place attached by a stalk. Dr. Pham then repairs the vertical abdominal muscles by bringing them together along the midline and binding them with sutures. He uses liposuction to remove pockets of fat and sculpt the waist and hips.
Once the new body contour is complete, Dr. Pham redrapes the overlying skin, tightens it, creates a new opening for the bellybutton and stitches it in place, removes the excess skin, and sutures the horizontal incision closed.
Expect your abdomen to feel sore and tight for at least a week after surgery. While it is important to stand and take slow, short walks regularly throughout each day, don’t expect to stand completely upright.
Here is a general timeline of tummy tuck recovery milestones:
You may experience pain and tightness during early recovery. Dr. Pham offers lasting pain control by injecting a non-narcotic local anesthetic called EXPAREL® directly into the surgical area before completing the surgery. While you won’t be completely numb, this will reduce your discomfort significantly during the first few days after surgery, when pain is usually most intense. You will have the option of taking prescription pain medication and muscle relaxants if needed.
Request a complimentary consultation using our online form or call to meet with Dr. Phuong Pham.
