How a Brazilian Tummy Tuck Is Performed: Abdominoplasty Plus Waist Liposuction in One Session

She had already read the pamphlet twice. Two pregnancies, a stubborn fold of skin that no plank could flatten, and a search history full of terms that sounded like flavors rather than operations. “Brazilian tummy tuck” kept appearing next to photographs of hourglass waists. What she wanted was simpler: a plain account of what a brazilian tummy tuck procedure actually involves, who it suits, and what the weeks afterward feel like.

That plain account is harder to find than it should be. Most of what ranks online is written to sell, and it blurs three separate things: a tummy tuck, liposuction of the waist, and fat transfer to the buttocks. Each has its own evidence, risks and recovery. Bundled under one name, they become a single glossy promise.

This explainer takes the bundle apart, piece by piece, using what mainstream medical sources say about each component, and leaves every decision where it belongs: with you and the surgical team who examine you.

What is a Brazilian tummy tuck, and is it a real medical procedure?

Open a surgical textbook and you will not find a chapter with this title. “Brazilian tummy tuck” is a commercial label that has attached itself to a combination operation. The medical building blocks are ordinary and well described. An abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, removes excess skin and fat from the lower abdomen and usually tightens the abdominal muscles with sutures. Liposuction removes fat through thin tubes inserted under the skin. Neither the NHS nor the Mayo Clinic describes a Brazilian variant; both describe these two procedures separately, with their own risks and recovery timelines.

The word “Brazilian” is borrowed from two places. Surgeons in Brazil helped popularize aggressive body-contouring approaches, including operating on the waist and flanks at the same time as the abdomen. The word also echoes the “Brazilian butt lift,” a procedure that moves a person’s own fat into the buttocks. Some clinics fold that in; others do not.

In practice, when someone says Brazilian tummy tuck, they usually mean one of three things:

• A full tummy tuck plus liposuction of the flanks and waist, sometimes called “360” contouring because it circles the torso.
• The above, with the harvested fat purified and injected into the buttocks or hips.
• Occasionally, just a tummy tuck with a slightly more curved incision and more emphasis on waist shape.

That variation matters more than the name. Two people can book “the same” operation and undergo procedures that differ by hours of anesthesia and by a meaningful gap in risk. The first useful question is therefore not whether you want a Brazilian tummy tuck, but exactly which components a surgeon is proposing, and why each one is being recommended for your anatomy.

How the Brazilian tummy tuck procedure works, step by step

The operation is planned before anyone is asleep. You stand while the surgeon marks the skin: the low horizontal incision, the areas of the flanks and back to be suctioned, and any fat to be kept for transfer. Standing matters because skin folds and fat pockets flatten out once you lie down.

You then receive a general anesthetic, meaning you are fully unconscious. Both the NHS and Mayo Clinic describe tummy tuck under general anesthesia as standard.

Liposuction usually comes first. The surgeon injects tumescent fluid, a diluted solution of salt water, a local anesthetic and a medicine that constricts blood vessels, into the fat of the waist, flanks and sometimes lower back. This firms the tissue and limits bleeding. A cannula, a thin hollow metal tube, is passed back and forth through small nicks in the skin while suction draws fat out. Some surgeons use ultrasound or power-assisted cannulas; the principle is the same.

The abdominoplasty follows. Through the low incision, typically running from hip to hip, the skin and fat are lifted off the muscle wall. In lipoabdominoplasty the lift is deliberately more limited than in a classic tummy tuck, preserving small blood vessels that keep the skin healthy. The two vertical rectus muscles, which often separate during pregnancy (a condition called diastasis recti), are stitched back toward the midline. The skin is drawn downward, the excess removed, and the navel brought out through a new opening. Drains, small tubes that carry fluid away, may be placed; Mayo Clinic notes they can stay for several days. The wound is closed in layers and a compression garment applied before you wake.

Brazilian tummy tuck vs traditional tummy tuck: what actually differs

The honest comparison is less dramatic than the marketing suggests. The abdominal portion is largely the same operation. The differences lie in what happens around it.

Element	Traditional tummy tuck	“Brazilian” or lipoabdominoplasty
Skin and fat removal from lower abdomen	Yes	Yes
Muscle repair (diastasis)	Usually	Usually
Liposuction of waist, flanks, back	Sometimes, limited	Central to the plan, often circumferential
Fat transfer to buttocks	No	Sometimes, by agreement
Extent of skin undermining	Wider	More limited, to protect blood supply
Operating time	NHS: about 2 to 5 hours	Longer; depends on components
Compression garment	About 6 weeks (NHS, Mayo Clinic)	About 6 weeks, often covering flanks too
Bruising area	Abdomen	Abdomen, waist, back, possibly buttocks

Two consequences follow from that table. First, more surface area is operated on, so bruising, swelling and numbness extend around the torso rather than sitting on the front. The NHS notes that bruising from liposuction alone can last around six weeks, and that is before adding the abdominal work.

Second, the operation is longer. Every additional hour under anesthesia adds a small amount to risks such as blood clots, which is why surgeons weigh how much to do in one sitting. A traditional tummy tuck is not a lesser option; for someone whose concern is purely loose abdominal skin with little flank fat, it may be the more proportionate one. The right version is the one that matches your body, not the one with the more evocative name.

Does a tummy tuck with BBL belong in the same session?

Some packages add a Brazilian butt lift, which despite its name is not a lift at all. Fat removed during liposuction is filtered, then injected in fine threads into the buttocks and outer hips to add volume and reshape the silhouette. It is called fat grafting or fat transfer.

The safety conversation around this step is different from the rest of the operation. Fat that is injected into or beneath the gluteal muscle can enter large veins there and travel to the lungs, a rare but potentially fatal event called fat embolism. Mayo Clinic lists fat embolism among liposuction’s serious complications. Surgical safety guidance has concentrated on keeping injected fat within the fatty layer above the muscle and on using techniques that let the surgeon know where the cannula tip is at all times. This is a place to ask direct questions about how and where fat will be placed.

There is also a practical conflict in recovery. After a tummy tuck you are asked to rest with your hips slightly flexed, often on your back. After fat transfer you are asked to avoid pressure on the buttocks so the grafted fat keeps its blood supply. Doing both at once means side-lying, special cushions and a more awkward first fortnight.

Because of these tensions, many surgeons prefer to stage the procedures, doing the tummy tuck and waist liposuction first and offering fat transfer months later once the torso has healed and settled. Others perform them together in carefully selected patients. Neither approach is universally “right”; the reasonable path depends on your health, the volumes involved and the team’s experience with both procedures. Ask which they propose and why, and expect a clear answer.

Who is usually a candidate, and who is usually asked to wait

The people who tend to benefit share a pattern: skin that has been stretched and will not shrink back, often after pregnancy or significant weight loss; abdominal muscles that have separated; and pockets of fat at the waist that persist despite a stable weight and regular activity. Mayo Clinic frames the tummy tuck as an option when diet and exercise have not addressed loose skin and weakened muscle, and stresses that it is not a weight-loss operation.

Surgeons commonly ask people to wait, or decline to operate, in several situations:

• Planning another pregnancy. Pregnancy re-stretches the repaired muscles and skin, and most surgeons prefer to operate after a family is complete.
• Planning further weight loss. Mayo Clinic suggests being at a stable weight for around 12 months before surgery, so that the result is not undone by later change.
• Smoking or nicotine use. Nicotine narrows the small vessels that keep the abdominal skin alive; Mayo Clinic advises stopping before surgery because smoking raises the risk of wound complications.
• Uncontrolled diabetes, active heart or lung disease, or a personal history of blood clots, all of which raise anesthetic and healing risks.
• Taking anticoagulant medicines (blood thinners). These need a plan agreed with the prescribing clinician; no one should stop them on their own.
• Recent bariatric surgery, where weight is still falling and nutrition is still being corrected.

The NHS also encourages people to think carefully about motives and expectations, and notes that a GP or counselor can help if body image is causing significant distress. A good consultation examines your abdomen, asks about your health, and sometimes recommends a smaller operation than you came in asking for. That is not gatekeeping. It is the surgeon doing the part of the job that pamphlets leave out.

What weight do you need to be at for a tummy tuck?

There is no single number that unlocks the operation, which frustrates people who want a target. What surgeons care about is stability and safety rather than a figure on a scale.

Body mass index, or BMI, is weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. It is a blunt tool, but it correlates with things that matter during surgery: how thick the abdominal tissue is, how well blood reaches the skin edges, how easily wounds heal, and how the lungs cope under anesthesia. Many surgeons set an upper BMI limit for elective body contouring, and the limit varies between teams. Mayo Clinic’s guidance on liposuction describes candidates as being within about 30 percent of their ideal weight, with firm, elastic skin, and both Mayo Clinic and the NHS state plainly that liposuction is not a treatment for obesity.

Stability is the second half of the answer. Mayo Clinic advises being at a steady weight for roughly a year before a tummy tuck. If weight continues to fall afterward, skin can loosen again; if it rises, the remaining fat cells enlarge and the waist that was sculpted thickens.

A surgeon may therefore say something that sounds discouraging: “not yet.” That verdict is usually about reducing your risk of a complication rather than about appearance. If you are asked to lose weight first, ask what the specific concern is, and whether your primary care clinician can support that goal safely. Rapid crash dieting before surgery is counterproductive because it can leave you short of the protein and micronutrients that healing depends on.

How long does the operation take, and what happens on the day?

The NHS gives a range of about two to five hours for a tummy tuck and one to three hours for liposuction on its own. Combining them does not simply add the two numbers, since some steps overlap, but the total is longer than either alone. Your surgeon should give you a realistic estimate for the specific plan.

You arrive having fasted according to the anesthesia team’s instructions. Before the anesthetic, you will usually have compression stockings fitted and may have inflatable calf sleeves that squeeze rhythmically during the operation. Both are there to keep blood moving in the legs. MedlinePlus lists surgery and prolonged immobility among the major risk factors for deep vein thrombosis, a clot in a deep leg vein, which is why so much attention goes into prevention. Depending on your risk profile, the team may also prescribe an anticoagulant injection for a period afterward; that decision, and its duration, sits with them.

After surgery you wake in a recovery area, bent slightly at the hips to take tension off the new incision. The NHS notes that a tummy tuck usually involves a hospital stay of a few nights. Expect to feel tight rather than cut, as if a belt has been fastened one notch too far. Nurses will encourage you to stand and take short walks within hours, hunched over, because walking is the single most effective clot-prevention measure available to you.

Pain relief is typically a combination of simple analgesics and, for a short period, stronger medicines; some surgeons also inject long-acting local anesthetic around the muscle repair. The regimen is individual and adjusted by the team, not by anyone reading online.

What are the risks of combining abdominoplasty with waist liposuction?

Any honest account leads with risk, because the decision to have an elective operation is a decision to accept some. Mayo Clinic lists the recognized complications of a tummy tuck: fluid collecting under the skin (seroma), poor wound healing, unexpected scarring, tissue damage in which fat or skin along the incision loses its blood supply, and changes in sensation that can last months or, occasionally, be permanent. Bleeding, infection and reactions to anesthesia apply to any operation.

Liposuction adds its own list. Mayo Clinic cites contour irregularities such as bumps or waviness, fluid accumulation, numbness, infection, accidental puncture of an internal organ, fat embolism, and, with large volumes, fluid shifts that strain the kidneys and heart.

Combining the two changes the arithmetic in three ways:

• Time. A longer operation under general anesthesia raises the risk of blood clots in the legs and, rarely, the lungs.
• Blood supply. The abdominal skin that is pulled down depends on small vessels passing through the fat. Liposuction of the same area can injure them, which is why lipoabdominoplasty limits how far the skin is lifted. Aggressive suction over the flap is a recognized cause of skin necrosis.
• Fluid. Tumescent fluid and blood loss from a larger surface area mean more careful fluid management during and after surgery.

Alternatives exist and should be discussed. A tummy tuck alone, a mini tummy tuck (a shorter incision without moving the navel), liposuction alone if skin quality is good, staging the components months apart, or choosing not to operate are all legitimate options. Non-surgical skin-tightening devices are widely marketed; the evidence for meaningful tightening of significantly loose skin is limited, and no device removes a skin fold. The team’s job is to match risk to benefit for you; yours is to make sure that conversation actually happens.

Brazilian tummy tuck recovery time: the first six weeks and beyond

Recovery has a rhythm, and knowing it in advance is the best antidote to the panic of week one.

Days one to seven. You walk bent forward, sleep propped on pillows or in a reclining chair, and empty drains if you have them. Mayo Clinic notes drains may stay in for several days. The waist and back feel bruised and stiff from liposuction; the abdomen feels tight and numb. Showering is usually permitted once the team says so.

Weeks two and three. Drains are typically out. You stand straighter each day. Fatigue is common and often underestimated; the body is repairing a large wound. Short walks several times daily continue to protect against clots.

Weeks four to six. The NHS suggests most people need around four to six weeks to recover, and both NHS and Mayo Clinic describe wearing a compression garment for about six weeks and avoiding strenuous activity and heavy lifting for the same period. Desk work often resumes before physical work. Driving waits until you can brake hard without pain and are off strong pain medicines, with the team’s agreement.

Months two to six. Swelling is the slow part. The NHS notes that liposuction results may not be visible until swelling settles, which can take up to six months, and the same is true of the waist after a combined operation. Numbness of the lower abdomen fades gradually; Mayo Clinic cautions some sensation change can be long-lasting.

The scar runs low, from hip to hip, and is designed to sit below underwear. It looks its worst at around six to twelve weeks, when it is red and raised, and then matures over a year or more toward a pale line. Sun protection helps it fade. None of these timelines is a guarantee; they are typical ranges that your team will personalize.

What is lipoabdominoplasty, and is it the newest procedure for tummy tucks?

Lipoabdominoplasty is the term a surgeon writes in the operative note when the internet writes “Brazilian tummy tuck.” It means an abdominoplasty performed with liposuction of the abdomen and flanks, using a limited lift of the skin flap to preserve the perforating blood vessels. Far from being new, it has been refined over decades and is now a mainstream approach taught in plastic surgery training.

People searching for “the newest tummy tuck” usually encounter a rotating cast of labels. A few are worth decoding:

• Drainless tummy tuck. The surgeon places rows of internal stitches, called progressive tension sutures, that tack the skin flap to the muscle wall so fluid has nowhere to pool. This can reduce or remove the need for drains. It is a technique choice, not a different operation.
• High-definition or “HD” liposuction. Liposuction sculpted to reveal muscle outlines. It demands low body fat and carries a higher risk of visible irregularity if weight changes later.
• 360 tummy tuck. Liposuction all the way around the torso, sometimes with skin removal at the back as well, which then overlaps with a lower body lift.
• Extended tummy tuck. A longer incision that continues around the hips to remove loose skin on the flanks, typically after major weight loss.

None of these is inherently superior. Each shifts the balance between scar length, recovery, anesthesia time and the type of change achieved. A reasonable way to cut through the naming is to ask two questions: “What will this be called in my medical record?” and “What does the evidence say about its complication profile compared with the standard approach?” If a technique is described as new and better without a straight answer to the second question, treat that as information in itself.

What people often get wrong about the Brazilian tummy tuck procedure

Misunderstandings cluster around a handful of ideas, and each has a factual correction.

“It’s a way to lose weight.” It is not. The NHS and Mayo Clinic both state that neither a tummy tuck nor liposuction is a treatment for obesity. The tissue removed is measured in pounds, not tens of pounds, and the benefit is shape and skin tension, not the number on a scale.

“Once the fat is gone, it can’t come back.” The fat cells that are suctioned out do not regrow, but the ones that remain enlarge if weight rises. Mayo Clinic notes that weight gain after liposuction changes the result and can redistribute fat to untreated areas.

“Brazilian means a certified technique.” No board or guideline body defines it. Two surgeons can use the label for markedly different operations.

“Liposuction alone will tighten loose skin.” Liposuction removes volume; it relies on the skin to shrink afterward. Skin that has lost elasticity, after pregnancy or weight loss, generally does not, which is precisely why the tummy tuck component exists.

“The scar disappears.” It fades and flattens over a year or longer, and it is placed low to hide beneath clothing, but it is permanent. Mayo Clinic lists unexpected scarring as a known risk.

“More liposuction means a better result.” Removing more fat raises the risk of contour irregularity, fluid shifts and, over the abdominal flap, skin loss. Restraint is a skill.

“Drainless means easier.” It may remove one nuisance, but the internal sutures, the muscle repair and the recovery timeline are unchanged.

“You’ll bounce back in two weeks.” The NHS puts typical recovery at four to six weeks, with swelling settling over months. Planning around the two-week myth is the commonest cause of postoperative regret.

What I wish I knew before getting a tummy tuck: lessons patients share

Ask people a year on and the same themes recur, with a candor that pamphlets never manage.

The first is about help. For roughly the first week you cannot easily stand upright, lift a toddler, reach a high shelf or get up from a low sofa without effort. Someone else needs to cook, drive and, if you have children, do the lifting. Arranging that in advance is not optional.

The second is the length of the swollen middle. People expect to see a flat abdomen at the first dressing change. What they see is a bruised, swollen torso in a tight garment, and the disappointment can be sharp. The NHS timeline of up to six months for swelling to settle after liposuction is worth pinning to the fridge.

The third is numbness. The lower abdomen commonly feels wooden for months. Mayo Clinic notes altered sensation may persist; most people adapt, but it surprises them.

The fourth is mood. Around the second week, when the adrenaline of surgery fades and the result is not yet visible, a low patch is common. It is usually temporary, but it feels real, and it is worth warning family about. The NHS suggests speaking to a GP if body image concerns or low mood are significant before or after cosmetic surgery.

The fifth is practical: loose clothing that opens at the front, a step for the bed, a reacher for dropped items, and more pillows than seems reasonable.

The sixth is the one people rarely say aloud: the operation changed their shape, not their life. Those who went in wanting relief from a specific physical problem, a skin fold that chafed or muscles that would not support the back, tend to describe the experience most calmly. Those who hoped it would fix something else describe it less kindly.

Questions to ask your care team

A consultation is a two-way examination. You are assessing whether this team, and this plan, fit you. Bring a list; write the answers down, because recall after a long appointment is poor.

• Exactly which components are you proposing: skin removal, muscle repair, liposuction of which areas, fat transfer? What will the operation be called in my record?
• Why this combination for my anatomy rather than a tummy tuck alone, liposuction alone, or staging them months apart?
• How long do you expect the operation to take, and what is your threshold for splitting it into two sessions?
• What is your plan to prevent blood clots, and will I need an anticoagulant afterward? How will my current medicines, including over-the-counter and herbal products, be managed?
• If fat transfer is proposed, where exactly will fat be placed, and how do you confirm the cannula stays above the muscle?
• Will I have drains? If not, how is fluid managed?
• Where will the scar sit, how long will it be, and can I see examples of your scars at one year, not only at six weeks?
• What complications have you seen with this combined approach, and how are they handled?
• Who do I call at night or on a weekend if something worries me, and how quickly can I be seen?
• What does follow-up look like over the first year?
• What would make you decide on the day not to proceed with part of the plan?

Notice that none of these questions asks about a discount, a package or a promise. The answers you are listening for are specific, unhurried and comfortable with uncertainty. A surgeon who welcomes the question about staging, and who volunteers the circumstances in which they would do less, is telling you something reassuring about how they weigh your safety against your wish list.

When to call your doctor

Most recoveries are uneventful, and the surgical team will tell you what ordinary looks like: tightness, bruising, mild fever in the first day, drains producing pinkish fluid that gradually clears. The signs below are different. They warrant a same-day call to the surgical team, and in some cases emergency care.

Call emergency services or go to an emergency department for:

• Sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, coughing up blood, or a racing heart. These can signal a clot that has traveled to the lungs, or, after fat transfer, a fat embolism.
• Sudden confusion, fainting, or a bluish tinge to lips or fingers.
• Heavy bleeding that soaks dressings and does not slow with firm pressure.

Call your surgical team the same day for:

• Pain, swelling, warmth or tenderness in one calf or thigh, which MedlinePlus lists as classic signs of deep vein thrombosis.
• Fever with chills, or a temperature that rises after the first day or two.
• Spreading redness, increasing heat or worsening pain around the incision or liposuction sites.
• Cloudy, foul-smelling or pus-like drainage, or a drain that suddenly produces bright red blood.
• Rapid one-sided swelling of the abdomen or flank, which can indicate a hematoma, a collection of blood under the skin.
• Any area of skin along the incision turning dusky, dark purple or black.
• The wound opening, even partially.
• Persistent vomiting, inability to pass urine, or severe abdominal pain out of proportion to the surgery.
• Low mood that deepens rather than lifts, or thoughts of harming yourself.

Trust the instinct that something is wrong. Surgical teams would far rather answer an unnecessary call than learn about a complication late. Keep the after-hours number saved where you can find it without your reading glasses, and make sure whoever is helping you at home has it too.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Brazilian tummy tuck cost?

This explainer does not publish prices, because they vary widely with what is actually included and no figure would be reliable for your situation. What matters clinically is that a quote spells out every component: skin removal, muscle repair, which areas are suctioned, any fat transfer, anesthesia, hospital nights and follow-up. The NHS notes cosmetic surgery is not normally funded by public health services, so ask your team for an itemized, written plan.

What is the newest procedure for tummy tucks?

There is no genuinely new operation; there are refinements of established ones. Drainless techniques using progressive tension sutures, more limited skin undermining with liposuction (lipoabdominoplasty), and varied incision lengths are the main developments. Each trades scar length, recovery and anesthesia time differently. Ask what a proposed technique is called in the medical record and what evidence exists on its complication rate compared with the standard approach.

What weight do you need to be at for a tummy tuck?

There is no universal cut-off; surgeons look for a stable, healthy weight rather than a target number. Mayo Clinic suggests maintaining a steady weight for around 12 months beforehand and describes liposuction candidates as within about 30 percent of ideal weight. Many teams set a BMI ceiling for elective body contouring because higher BMI increases wound and anesthetic risks. If asked to wait, ask what the specific concern is.

What do people wish they knew before getting a tummy tuck?

That help at home is essential for the first week, that swelling hides the result for months, and that the lower abdomen stays numb for a long time. People also describe a low mood around week two, before the shape becomes visible. The NHS estimates four to six weeks to recover and up to six months for swelling to settle after liposuction, so plan around those figures rather than optimistic ones.

Is a Brazilian tummy tuck the same as a tummy tuck with BBL?

Not necessarily. Some surgeons use the term for a tummy tuck plus waist liposuction only; others include fat transfer to the buttocks (the Brazilian butt lift). Fat transfer adds its own risks, notably fat embolism, and recovery rules that conflict with tummy tuck positioning. Because definitions vary, confirm in writing whether fat transfer is part of your plan and, if so, how and where the fat will be placed.

What is lipoabdominoplasty in simple terms?

Lipoabdominoplasty is a tummy tuck performed together with liposuction of the abdomen and flanks, using a more limited lift of the skin flap so the small blood vessels feeding the skin are preserved. It is the surgical name for what is often marketed as a Brazilian tummy tuck. The muscle repair, low hip-to-hip incision and navel repositioning are the same as in a standard abdominoplasty.

How long is Brazilian tummy tuck recovery time compared with a standard tummy tuck?

The core timeline is similar: the NHS describes a hospital stay of a few nights, around four to six weeks to recover, and about six weeks in a compression garment and off strenuous activity. Adding waist and back liposuction spreads bruising and stiffness around the torso, so early mobility can feel harder, and the NHS notes liposuction swelling can take up to six months to settle. Your team will personalize these ranges.

Will the fat come back after waist liposuction?

Fat cells that are removed do not regrow, but the remaining cells enlarge if weight rises, and Mayo Clinic notes that weight gain after liposuction can alter the result and shift fat to untreated areas. The waist stays slimmer only as long as weight remains stable. This is one reason surgeons ask for a stable weight before operating rather than treating the procedure as a shortcut.

Can I have a tummy tuck before having children?

Most surgeons advise waiting until you are not planning further pregnancies. Pregnancy stretches the repaired abdominal muscles and the tightened skin, which can undo the result and occasionally cause discomfort. A tummy tuck does not prevent a safe pregnancy, but the timing decision belongs with you and your surgical team, who can discuss what a later pregnancy would likely mean for the outcome.

Does a Brazilian tummy tuck hurt more than a regular one?

The abdominal muscle repair is usually the main source of discomfort in either operation, and it feels like deep tightness rather than sharp pain. Adding liposuction produces bruised, tender areas around the waist and back that can make turning in bed harder for the first week or two. Pain relief is tailored by the surgical team, typically combining simple analgesics with short-term stronger medicines, and adjusted as you heal.

References

• NHS – Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty)
• NHS – Liposuction
• MedlinePlus – Deep Vein Thrombosis

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.