Liposuction and abdominoplasty are generic terms to describe methods to remove fat or tighten the abdominal tissue.
There are no standards as to how much fat to remove, how much to leave behind, how tight to make the skin, or how loose is too loose. These are all dependent on what a patient desires.
Hopefully you fully discussed what you expected and what the surgeon could hope to deliver with the various procedures and techniques at his or her disposal.
Never assume you are going to get what you think you are going to get.
Communication between patient and surgeon is essential. (Robin T.W. Yuan, MD)
You should expect tightness and pain after a tummy tuck
Interesting question. It sounds like you have a lot of laxity in your abdominal tissues after you tummy tuck. This is somewhat unusual.
You should definitely discuss your concerns with your plastic surgeon and review how much tissue was removed and if they performed a plication (tightening of the muscles) during the surgery.
We have seen a lot of cases of patients presenting to our clinic after having had a tummy tuck by a non board certified plastic surgeon with too much laxity and tissue left over. I hope that this is not the case here. (Pat Pazmino, MD, Miami Plastic Surgeon)
To be able to judge this accurately and fairly a pre and post op pictures will be required. I would say check with your plastic surgeon on this matter. There is tightness after a tummy tuck but the perception of this is similar to preceiving pain which will depend on your pain threshold. (Hisham Seify, MD, PhD, FACS, Orange County Plastic Surgeon)
Discomfort and tightness is common tummy tuck pain
The skin tends to tighten somewhat as it heals. Also, the abdomen usually is tight due to spasm after a tummy tuck, and this usually lasts for weeks. Everyone is different however, and there are different types of tummy tuck. Your ps can give you an idea of what to expect. (Scott E. Kasden, MD, Dallas Plastic Surgeon)
Abdominoplasty and postoperative pain
A true abdominoplasty procedure involves resection of skin and subcutaneous fat; tightening of muscles; and a repositioning of the external umbilicus with respect to the overlying skin flap. In the early postoperative period, patients may experience pain or may be numb in certain areas. Seek the advice of your plastic surgeon for specific complaints about your abdominoplasty procedure. In general, the long term satisfaction with the procedure is extremely high. (Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS, Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon)
During your initial consultation with your plastic surgeon you should have discussed your goals and expectations. It sound to me like there was a degree of lack of communication.
I would review the procedure with your surgeon and discuss your findings and ask for an explanation. If you had a full abdominoplasty your would expect an incision around your umbilicus as well as a transverse incision across the bikini area. Otherwise you may have had some type of limited procedure combined with liposuction. (Jeffrey Zwiren, MD, Atlanta Plastic Surgeon)
Tummy still loose after tummy tuck
Typically 6 days after a tummy tuck, most individuals will experience a taut and swollen abdomen. I would discuss your procedure with your surgeon. (Otto Joseph Placik, MD, Chicago Plastic Surgeon)