Plastic Surgery

Tummy Tuck
PLASTIC SURGERY

Cosmetic Procedures

Dr. Conrad Tirre
Conrad J. Tirre, MD, FACS
Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery
Dr. Conrad Tirre

Conrad J. Tirre, MD, FACS

Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery

Dr. Conrad Tirre received his medical degree from Saint Louis University and completed his plastic Surgery Residency at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Dr. Tirre then completed a highly skilled and rigorous Hand and Microsurgical Fellowship at the Oregon Health Sciences Center. Dr. Tirre is Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery,as well as holding his Subspecialty Certificate in Surgery of the Hand.

Dr. Conrad Tirre performed plastic, hand, and complex microsurgery (including limb salvage/reattachment) in Denver, Colorado for more than twenty years. After visiting Hawaii Island for several years with his wife, they decided to join the community full time in 2019. Dr.Tirre was excited to join the prestigious Ali’I Health Center and offer plastic, hand, and reconstructive services to the Big Island.

Dr. Tirre is an active member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and the Northwest Society of Plastic Surgeons. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a former Associate Professor at the University of Colorado Department of Plastic Surgery.

Tummy Tuck

Tummy tuck is a surgical method of tightening the abdominal muscles and removing loose and excess skin and fat. Tummy tuck will help you on your way to a flatter, more sculpted stomach.

The abdominal wall may become stretched and weakened during pregnancy or after a significant weight gain. This weakened abdominal muscle may bulge and give the appearance of a fuller stomach. Our patients may also have excess skin and fat from pregnancy or a weight loss following Bariatric or Lap Band surgery. Unfortunately, the skin and weakened abdominal muscles will not significantly improve with sit ups or exercise.

We perform both the full and the mini tummy tuck procedures. A mini tummy tuck is a less involved procedure and is ideal for those patients with a protrusion primarily below the naval.
Tummy tuck can give patients impressive results in a flatter and more youthful appearance, and combining it with liposuction is sometimes recommended to remove the fat from around the abdomen area (hips, flanks, love handles) to give an overall contoured appearance.

Who is a Good Candidate for Tummy Tuck?

  • Women and Men who are healthy and at a stable weight are good candidates for a tummy tuck.
  • Protruding abdomen as a result of aging, pregnancy, weight loss or other issues.
  • Excess skin and fat primarily in the area below the belly button area.
  • Do not smoke.

What is the Recovery Time for Tummy Tuck?
Most patients are able to go home the same day as surgery and begin to feel better within 7-10 days following surgery. Patients will have drains in place and may also have a garment which should be worn at all times. During the first few weeks, Dr. Tirre will not want you to be doing any heavy lifting or strenuous activities while the incisions are healing.
Exercise and strenuous activities can typically resume 6-8 weeks following surgery once Dr. Tirre has cleared you that the incisions are completely healed. We have a comprehensive packet of pre and postoperative instructions that we will review with you prior to surgery.

How is Tummy Tuck Performed?
Tummy tuck is performed under general anesthesia meaning that you will go to sleep. It is typically performed as an outpatient procedure so you will be able to go home the same day.
A full tummy tuck has a long incision that extends from hip to hip. Dr. Tirre will also make an incision around the navel to free it from the underlying tissue in order to re-position it. He will pull the abdominal muscles together that often have separated due to pregnancy or weight loss, and carefully sew them together. This gives you a smooth and flatter abdomen. Dr. Tirre will then remove the excess skin and fat and reposition the navel. The incisions are closed with sutures and sometimes a skin type glue is also used. Drains are placed in order to help in the healing process as well as a pain pump to control discomfort for the first few days.

In a mini tummy tuck procedure the incision is much shorter. The navel is also not repositioned during the procedure. This procedure only addresses issue below the belly button. The excess skin and fat below the belly button are removed and the muscle is tightened. This procedure is on a much smaller scale than a full tummy tuck. At the time of your consultation, Dr. Tirre will discuss which option is best for your particular concerns and body goals.

It is important to remember that tummy tuck surgery will leave a scar. This scar is designed to be hidden by most swimsuits and undergarments, but it is important to realize that the scar will never fully disappear.

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