Brazilian Tummy Tuck

Brazilian Tummy Tuck vs Standard Tummy Tuck

I have just been asked to talk about the Brazilian tummy tuck.
There are often catchy names and new techniques that come out and I can see how someone considering a tummy tuck might want to know about the latest developments.
However, when you look in to it, you actually find that it is often just a variation on a theme.

I have looked at the ‘Brazilian Tummy Tuck’ to see how it differs from a standard tummy tuck.

What Are The Differences?

Limited undermining – a tummy tuck involves undermining up to the rib cage to free up the upper flap of skin and allow it to be pulled down to close the defect. They say that the Brazilian Tummy Tuck involves limited undermining centrally, just enough to create a space to allow repair of the rectus abdominis muscles (the 6 pack) which is often a standard part of any tummy tuck.However, the days of wide undermining have long past and we have been performing limited undermining just through a narrow tunnel for some time and in this respect a Brazilian Tummy Tuck is no different to a modern full tummy tuck.
This is nothing new.
Minimising dead space so no need for drains – they say that because undermining is limited with a Brazilian Tummy Tuck, there is less space underneath the skin flaps and so less room for fluid to occur in terms of seroma (this is known as the dead space).This means there is less need for drains.As you can see from 1. above, we already limit the dead space and have been moving towards not using drains for some time.Personally, I do still use suction drains to encourage the skin flap to stick down and I know that patients don’t like them, but I have an extremely low seroma rate and I am keen to keep it that way.
I have spoke before of the pros and cons of drains vs glue.
Liposculpture of the whole abdomen – this is perhaps the one area where I feel there may be some difference between a standard tummy tuck and a Brazilian Tummy Tuck.It is common to perform liposuction laterally to the hips and flanks when performing a tummy tuck, but we tend to steer clear of the front of the stomach because of concerns about the blood supply to the skin flap that we have raised.Contouring of the front of the stomach is often not required because when the skin gets pulled down, this tends to stretch it and improve the shape. However, with a standard tummy tuck, if there is excess fat in the upper part of the tummy, then you may need liposuction to this at a later date, however this is often not needed.

Don’t Believe The Hype

Anytime you hear about a revolutionary new technique that only one a small selection of surgeons perform, you need to question why everyone isn’t doing it!

It could be that it requires a particular device or special training
…or it could be that it isn’t that revolutionary and people have been doing it for years, but just haven’t given it a name.
I always say that the most important thing you can do is to choose your surgeon, remember, Never Accept A Lift From Strangers.

Of course you should research techniques and procedures too, but try to cut through and look for tangible differences rather than hype and hyperbole.

You need to find a surgeon with an eye for detail, who cares about his or her outcomes and will listen to you to achieve the result that you want.

Brazilian Tummy Tuck may have something to offer, but look at the results and see if you think they are significantly different to those achieved by others.

Look at Before And After Photographs

Click the photo below to see an enlarged image of one of my tummy tucks and you can see more of our before and after results here.

You must be the ultimate judge, but I would urge caution about the surgeon who reports to have the next big thing because it just may be his or her ego!
I spoke about the Brazilian Tummy Tuck on one of my LIVE Q&A sessions on Facebook that I do every Tuesday at 7pm, you can watch the clip below:

Leave a comment below or contact us on 0121-454 3680 if you have any questions or would like further information.