Tummy Tuck for Goldens Bridge, NY

Skin, muscle or fat?

A stomach that will not flatten can have three quite different causes, and they are treated in three different ways. Working out which you have is the first job of a consultation with Dr. Chang Soo Kim at Bellava. From Goldens Bridge that means a little over four miles south on I-684 and the Saw Mill River Parkway to Bedford Hills — about eight minutes without traffic.

• Loose skin stretched by pregnancy or weight change, which diet and exercise have not tightened. A tummy tuck deals with it by removing it.
• Separated abdominal muscles, known as diastasis recti, leave a bulge even in people who are lean and fit. A full tummy tuck repairs them.
• Localised fat over skin that still has good tone is a different matter. A non-surgical option such as laser lipo or CoolSculpting may suit it better.

Many people have more than one of the three, which is why a tummy tuck with liposuction of the flanks, hips or thighs is among the combinations Dr. Kim performs most often.

After a large weight loss

Losing a great deal of weight, whether through diet or after weight-loss surgery, often leaves skin that hangs around the sides as well as at the front. Two versions of the operation are designed for that:

• the extended tummy tuck, whose incision runs from hip to hip so the flanks and outer thighs are treated too;
• the fleur-de-lis tummy tuck, which adds a vertical incision to the horizontal one where there is surplus skin in both directions, typically after bariatric surgery.

A cosmetic tummy tuck is generally paid for privately. Where loose skin is causing a medical problem, such as intertrigo (a rash in the skin folds), part of the operation may qualify for partial insurance coverage, and the Bellava team can provide documentation to support your enquiry.

Getting the timing right

The best results come when you are at or close to your goal weight and planning to stay there, and when your family is complete. If you are still losing weight, say so at the consultation: a tummy tuck reshapes, and the result holds best once your weight has settled.

Your surgeon

Dr. Chang Soo Kim has carried out more than 500 abdominoplasties. He is a graduate of the Yale School of Medicine, completed his plastic surgery residency at Yale–New Haven Hospital and is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Surgery takes place in Bellava’s Joint Commission–accredited suite, and you go home the same day.

Goldens Bridge patients ask

Could CoolSculpting do the same job? Not if the problem is loose skin or separated muscle. CoolSculpting reduces fat without surgery; it does not remove skin or repair the abdominal wall.

Will I have drains? Drainage tubes are used in some cases. If you have them, they come out during the first days of recovery.

Where do I start? With a free consultation. The main tummy tuck page and Dr. Kim’s before and afters are good reading beforehand, and Bellava offers financing.