Always wanted a tummy tuck but was afraid of pain? We have a solution for you – Dr Turowski is one of a few plastic surgeons offering revolutionary pain reliever Exparel.

EXPAREL is a non-narcotic local analgesic. It is administered during your tummy tuck procedure directly into the surgical site. It will help with your pain control for over 72 hrs! After 3 days the pain is usually much less disturbing and well controlled with NSAID’s such a Motrin or Advil

EXPAREL is also proven to help patients use fewer narcotics as they start their recovery.

• EXPAREL starts controlling postsurgical pain before you wake up from surgery— Dr Turowski injects it directly into the site of your surgery during the procedure
• EXPAREL is long lasting, which can mean less pain, and less of other pain medications, such as narcotics. some patients didn’t need to take narcotic pain medications at all

It is a surgical procedure designed to flatten a protruding abdomen by tightening the muscles in the abdominal wall while removing excess fatty tissue and skin. It is usually required in a situation of post-pregnancy changes or after massive weight loss. The procedure underwent many improvements over the years. Ideal shape is achieved by performing either a mini-abdominoplasty or so called lateral tension abdominoplasty. Most of the time it is combined with ultrasonic liposuction.

Tummy tuck FAQ

Who is a candidate?

A protuberant abdomen can be the result of excess fat, weak abdominal muscles, pregnancy or loose skin that has been over-stretched and no longer responds to diet and exercise. Also, for those who have experienced a massive weight loss, their only alternative to loose overhanging skin is surgery. The procedure is very common and can benefit both men and women. Frequently, it can be combined with other surgeries such as breast augmentation, liposuction or hysterectomy. Dr. Turowski will gladly work with patient’s gynecologist to arrange for a combined hysterectomy/abdominoplasty procedure.

How is abdominoplasty performed?

The procedure is usually performed under general anesthesia to provide not only complete pain relief but also relaxation of abdominal wall necessary for optimal muscle tightening. Various surgical techniques can be used, depending on your goals and your specific problem. In some cases, a mini-abdominoplasty (combination of liposuction, muscle tightening and below the navel skin removal) may suffice. For those with severe laxity of abdominal muscles or excessive skin, a full tummy tuck may be the best solution.

During abdominoplasty an incision is made in your bikini area and after liposuction, excess amount of skin is removed and muscles are tightened with permanent sutures. In mini-abdominoplasty, no incision is made around the navel. The incision is closed right above pubic hair area resulting in low lying, transverse scar.

What is the typical recovery?

The procedure is usually performed on an outpatient basis although some patients prefer to stay overnight in the hospital. Any pain or discomfort that follows surgery can be controlled with oral medications. To avoid fluid build up the drains are placed during surgery. They remain in place for a few days until discharged fluids decrease. During your recovery you must refrain from any strenuous activity or heavy lifting for about 4 to 6 weeks. Most patients return to work after about one week.

Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) Chicago – Testimonials *

Patient Reviews & Recommendations *

RealSelf Patient Reviews of Gregory Turowski, MD, PhD, FACS

*Individual results may vary and there are no guarantees that you will experience the same results as those mentioned here.

The Mommy Makeover – Not every mom can look like supermodel Heidi Klum after having three kids and parade down the Victoria Secret runway in a tiny bikini and bra. In fact, most women don’t have such a smooth transition from pregnancy to motherhood. Many return to or start a regular workout regime to lose the extra baby weight and some go on diets to get their bodies to look like they did nine months ago. But even all of these efforts can’t help some moms get back into shape and they are surprised to see their body change so dramatically after pregnancy. Sometimes plastic surgery is the only option for mothers to revert back to their previous figure.

Patient of Dr Turowski *

Many mothers turn to the “mommy makeover,” which reconstructs both the abdomen and the breasts. Depending on the severity of the changes, there are several options for women. To reconstruct the tummy, there are several different options available at my practice. After pregnancy, some mothers only find the skin on their stomach to be somewhat stretched and don’t experience much weight gain. In this case, a noninvasive treatment is usually the best—Thermage can be used to shrink the skin. This is a non-surgical skin tightening device that utilizes microwaves to contract collagen. For those who only have a little outstretched skin and small amount of extra fat, CoolLipo laser liposuction can be an excellent choice. This minimally invasive procedure will break up and eliminate fat cells, while at the same time, promote skin tightening. All this without scars. *

There are two more invasive alternatives for moms whom had more dramatic weight gain. The first is mini abdominoplasty, which is for those who have some residual fat after pregnancy and a lower abdominal skin overhang. In my practice, this is typically 10 to 20 percent of my post-pregnancy patients. During this procedure I only make a lower abdominal incision, unlike in a traditional tummy tuck, the navel would not be repositioned making women virtually scarless in the bikini. A full tummy tuck is the most popular abdominal procedure for mothers and is best for women who have gained a lot of weight and have a large amount of extra skin. This will transform the abdomen from the chest belly button down. During the two and a half hour procedure, the excess skin is removed, muscles are tightened and liposuction is performed to sculpt the stomach back into shape.

Actual patient of Dr Turowski *

For the sake of efficiency and time, these procedures are sometimes combined with either a breast reduction or augmentation and lift. The joint procedure only takes about four to five hours. It provides the patient with many advantages: they only have to undergone one operative procedure and anesthesia, the combined operative time and recovery is shorter than doing the procedures separately, and it’s more affordable.

Unlike the abdomen, nothing can be done for the breasts without surgery. Though there is some research being done with injecting fillers such as Juvederm or fat into the breasts, neither option had been approved in the United States. Typically after pregnancy and breastfeeding, women lose volume in their breasts and they tend to sag. Many mothers require a reduction to remove the extra skin that was stretched out when the breasts were engorged with milk. Others need augmentation to morph the breasts into their shape prior to pregnancy. And some are combined with lift to rectify the sagging. An advantage of these surgeries is they can be done at any time—prior to, in between, or after pregnancy—unlike a tummy tuck, which is typically done after all pregnancies. And if breast surgery is done prior or in between pregnancies, patients usually don’t need the surgery again because extra support is provided and the breast won’t lose its shape.

Videos about Mommy makeover*

What is mommy makeover?

How soon after having a baby can I get a mommy makeover?

Can mommy makeover be done during one visit?

Patients of Dr Turowski: *

Mommy Makeover Chicago – Testimonials *

Patient Reviews & Recommendations *

RealSelf Patient Reviews of Gregory Turowski, MD, PhD, FACS

*Individual results may vary and there are no guarantees that you will experience the same results as those mentioned here.