Tummy Tuck in Chicago and Vernon Hills, IL

How it Works

The Consultation

Like all successful surgeries, a tummy tuck requires an effective consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon. We charge $100 for surgical consultations that last about 40 minutes. Dr. Lu will discuss the different types of tummy tucks and match the optimal procedure for you.  A “mini tummy tuck” is for patients who have looseness of the skin from the belly button down and may involve a shorter scar (with no scar around the belly button).  A “full tummy tuck” addresses loose skin and muscle both above and below the bellow button and will involve a low abdominal and belly button scar.  A “fleur-de-lys tummy tuck” has a vertical and horizontal scar and corrects skin laxity in an up-and-down and side-by-side direction.  A “body lift” is a circumferential procedure that combines a tummy tuck with an outer thigh lift and direct buttock lift.

In order to create a tailored treatment plan, the surgeon will discuss the following with each patient:

• Tummy tuck goals
• Overall health condition, which includes drug allergies, past and current medical treatments
• Medications, which includes herbal supplements, vitamins
• Drug, alcohol and tobacco usage
• Previous major or minor surgeries

On the day of the tummy tuck consultation, the surgeon will evaluate any possible pre-existing health conditions that may increase the risk factors of your surgery. The doctor will also take photographs of the target area, discuss options, and answer any questions you may have about the tummy procedure.

The Procedure

Abdominoplasty, often called a tummy tuck, is a body contouring procedure that removes saggy, excess skin from the abdomen and tightens underlying abdominal muscles to give the stomach a flatter, firmer appearance. The muscle tightening is often referred to as an “internal corset or girdle” and is achieved with suturing the separated muscles together.

Liposuction is frequently done at the same time to remove fat from the areas that are not directed excised by the tummy tuck. Although it’s not a method of weight loss, tummy tuck procedures can offer significant improvement for patients who are frustrated by loose skin or a flabby belly despite enjoying a healthy weight.

Dr. Lu sculpts the trunk and focuses on a natural inset of the umbilicus (belly button), while keeping the scar low so that it is covered with most underwear.  In some cases, Dr Lu recommends an “extended tummy tuck” where a longer scar is used that maximizes skin excision, avoids dog ears and creates that “snatched” waist.

The Recovery

Tummy tuck procedures require general anesthesia and are performed as an outpatient procedure in our accredited surgery center in Vernon Hills. Dr. Lu injects long-acting local anesthetic as nerve blocks in the abdomen to decrease post-operative pain and to minimize the use of narcotic pain medication.  Recovering from a tummy tuck requires rest and downtime, as your stomach muscles become engaged with almost every movement or activity. Dr. Leonard Lu will ask you to refrain from strenuous activity for up to 6 weeks, and may ask you to wear a compression garment for several weeks after surgery in order to reduce swelling, bruising and fluid retention.

There may be drains that stay in for about a week and are easily cared for at home.  Since the drains are threaded out through the incision, there is very little discomfort to remove the drains.