The Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)
Reduce the size of the abdomen
I found the perfect dentist and saved a fortune. Thank you RevaHealth.com
The tummy tuck is a procedure to reduce the size of the abdomen by removing excess fat and tightening stomach muscles. Ideal candidates for the procedure are healthy individuals who want to tackle areas of fat or muscle that are not responding to exercise.
Combined with diet and exercise the effects of the procedure can be long lasting.
A full abdominoplasty lasts between two and five hours with a partial abdominoplasty taking one to two hours.
The operation is usually carried out under general anaesthetic. In a full abdominoplasty an incision is made following a semi-circle from hip to hip, just above the pubic area, a second incision frees the navel. Excess fat is removed and muscles are tightened by the use of stitches. A partial abdominoplasty involves a smaller initial incision with work being carried out between the incision and the navel.
Recovery periods are different for each patient and can be affected by a number of factors such as a patient’s general physical condition and postoperative exercise. All stitches should be removed within two to three weeks at which stage some patients will be able to return to normal activity, others taking a few weeks longer. Temporary bruising and swelling as well as discomfort can all be part of the recovery process and again vary from patient to patient. Scarring will result from the incisions, the appearance of which may grow more noticeable in the first few months before fading over time.
Procedures may, in rare cases, result in abnormal clotting or infection. Scarring resulting from the procedure can require an additional operation to meet the desired appearance.
Cosmetic Surgery in The Philippines
A guide to plastic surgery regulations in the Philippines
I found the perfect dentist and saved a fortune. Thank you RevaHealth.com
Organizations
The Department of Health is the governmental overseer of health and medicine in the Philippines. It maintains statistics on health as well as licensure of medical facilities.
Independant of government control, the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) unites the aims of the medical profession in the Philippines. It is responsible for organizing the continuing education of doctors as well as recognizing medical specilaties within the country.
The Professional Regulations Commission (PRC), Board of Medicine, registers all doctors. An online facility to allow verification of credentials is currently in developement.
The Philippine Association of Plastic, Aesthetic, and Reconstructive Surgeons (PAPRAS) is the professional organization for Plastic Surgeons in the Philippines. The association has a list of its members online.
Education
The basic medical degree takes 6 years. Following completion of a medical degree, graduates may opt to become registrars in a medical specialty. Plastic surgery is a recongnized sub-specialty of surgery in the Philippines. At the completion of registrar training a board examination is required to complete the specialty.
About 4 surgeons complete training in plastic surgery each year. Training programmes for specialization are accredited by the the PRC and are evaluated every 4 years.
Over 20,000 patients have used RevaHealth.com to find the right clinic or hospital for them.
There is mandatory continuing education and doctors must re-register every 3 years. Re-accreditation is based on a CME credit system, with physicians required to obtain 100 credits a year under the PMA's ethical guideline (250 credits in a 3 year period are required by law before re-registration).
Credits are obtained from training courses, lectures, conferences - for example attendance at a one hour lecture is worth 5 credits - so a physician would need to attend 20 hours of lectures each year to retain the right to practice.
Complaints
Formal complaints may be dealt with by the Professional Regulations Commission, which has the power to discipline, fine or suspend the right to practice of physicans found negligent or culpable.
Complaints may also be addressed to any professional body to which a physican belongs and will be looked at by the ethical committee of that body. Civil proceedings may also be undertaken, though compensation claims cannot be lodged as there is no professional liability in the Philippines.
Storage and Access to Medical Records
There are no specific data protection laws in the Philippines, though a right to privacy is part of civil law. Doctors are bound by ethical rules to protect their patients information and provide access to that data upon request.
Resources
Ministry of Health
San Lazaro Compound, Tayuman, Sta. Cruz, Manila
tel: +63 2 743 830
website: http://www.doh.gov.ph/
Philippines Medical Association
PMA Building, North Avenue Quezon City, 1100 Philippines
tel: +63 2 929-6366
email: phimedas@yahoo.com
website: http://www.pma.com.ph/index.php
Professional Regulations Commission
Registration is by the Professional Regulations Commission, Board of Medicine
website: http://www.prc.gov.ph/
Formal complaints procedure:
website: http://www.prc.gov.ph/legalservices.asp?svc_id=2
The Philippine Association of Plastic, Aesthetic, and Reconstructive Surgeons
Room 305 Medical Arts Building
Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital
P. Sanchez St.,
Sta. Mesa,
Manila, Philippines
fax: (632) 714-7465
website: http://www.papras.org
locate members: http://www.papras.org/papras_members.html