Türkçe Abdomen and breast operations are different surgical interventions, however, abdomen, waist and breast form a single aesthetic unit. Surgery in one area may result in unaesthetic imbalances. The torso should therefore be contoured as a single unit. Corrections may become necessary in particular after childbirths; this is why torsoplasty is also often called “motherhood aesthetics”.
Frequently asked questions about torsoplasty:
What is torsoplasty?
Torsoplasty is a body lift for the upper and lower body: abdomen, waist and breasts. The individual steps are breast reduction or augmentation and tightening (link: breast surgery), liposuction (link) and tightening of the abdomen with mini-abdominoplasty (link) or endoscopic abdominal tightening (link), and contouring of waist and legs through liposhaping (link). It may also include liposuction on the back.
Who is a good candidate for torsoplasty?
In particular women after childbirth when the torso is out of shape. It is also suitable for older patients who have lost shape after extreme weight gains and losses.
How is torsoplasty performed?
The problems of patients are always individual in nature. The procedure may involve breast reduction, augmentation or tightening, various forms of abdominoplasty or only liposuction, perhaps combined with high-definition liposhaping.
What to do and what not to do before treatment?
Three weeks before an invasive / surgical treatment patient must stop smoking and taking aspirin. In the last week, patients must stop taking any anticoagulant (“blood-thinning”) medicine.
The following substances are also prohibited:
• pain killers such as Apranax, Voltaren and Vermidon (alternative brand names are Minoset and Novalgin)
• multivitamin tablets containing ginseng, ginkgo biloba and coenzyme Q,
• green tea, herbal products containing linseed, sour cherry stalks, tomato seeds
• all diet products.
Three days before surgery you should avoid eating anything that can cause constipation. The preferable diet is vegetables and food stuffs that are easily digested.
Do I have to lose weight before the intervention?
Overweight is a surgery risk and has a negative impact on the healing process. Patients should reduce their weight to a level they are able to maintain permanently.
Does the procedure require anaesthesia?
The operation is performed in a hospital under general anaesthesia.
How long does the procedure take?
That depends on the individual scope of intervention. The average abdominal tightening and breast reduction takes up to 5 hours.
Is torsoplasty painful?
Contrary to a widely held belief, torsoplasty is not very painful. All intervention points are locally anaesthetised for about 10 hours. Patients feel no pain for a couple of hours immediately after the intervention. Complaints the next day usually refer to a feeling of tightness in the abdominal region and the inability to stand upright due to the sutured incision. Mini-abdominoplasty and endoscopy cause only a mild inconvenience.
What happens after the operation?
Compression stockings are put on to prevent embolies, a urinary catheter and surgical drains are placed to remove fluids. A corset is placed around the abdomen. Three hours after the procedure you can eat and get up. In the first 4-5 days after surgery, you should avoid walking upright in order not to strain the scar. In case a mini-abdominoplasty or an endoscopic intervention have been performed you can return much sooner to an upright position. Patients are usually discharged the next morning. The drains may stay in place for a little longer, if necessary. At night you can sleep on the side. You can take a shower 24 hours after drain removal. The sutures are placed under the skin and need not be removed. A week later you can return to your regular activities. After 3 weeks physical activities are permitted; however, exercises involving movements of the abdomen should be avoided. After 6 six weeks, you are free to exercise as you please.
What complications can occur after surgery?
The most severe complication is pulmonary emboli. The risk increases with age, it is aggravated by overweight, diabetes and cigarette smoking. Heavily overweight patients are, therefore, advised to lose weight before surgery. Other problems are excessive skin removal due to wrongful planning, as well as insufficient bleeding control and difficult wound healing. Serum may accumulate under the skin (seroma) and need to be removed. If the skin is too tight, the scar may spread. However, scar spreading can be corrected a year later under local anaesthesia.
Do combination surgeries pose a health risk?
A plastic surgeon avoids any health risks. For this reason, combination surgeries are not advised for extremely overweight persons, for elderly person, for diabetics and for heavy smokers. Patients at risk undergo a sequence of operations instead of one single combined surgery.
Are the results of torsoplasty permanent?
The intervention addresses the root cause of the problem and is permanent. After childbirth or if you gain weight again, a certain amount of loosening is unavoidable. A return to the pre-operation status is, however, impossible.
How can I maintain my new body shape?
Patient must maintain their weight; this means in particular a healthy diet and moderate alcohol consumption to prevent abdominal fat formation. Regular skincare to prevent skin cracks and regular physical activities to strengthen the abdominal muscles are also strongly advised.
What are the advantages of torsoplasty?
The result of the holistic intervention is a new body shape. It tends to increase people’s confidence and to improve their attitude towards life. A combination surgery is also more cost-effective than individual operations.
