Tummy tuck makes the top 5

I'm headed for a tummy tuck on Wednesday. And so I'm all eyes and ears when I come across something about this surgery, also known as abdominoplasty. I've been absorbing all kinds of insight from women who've had the procedure. And I've been reading every tummy tuck tidbit I can get my hands on. Like this nod given to the tummy tuck by Oprah.com.

It's a pretty hopeful bit I came across. I'm just not sure it's entirely accurate. First, the tummy tuck -- one of the top five plastic surgeries, says this source -- is positioned as a method for getting the perfect bikini body. I wouldn't actually recommend it for this. Well, maybe if all diet and exercise has failed to produce results and it just happens to be swimsuit season when you go under the knife, then this might be advisable. It's kind of my own personal situation actually, except I'm not prepping for a bikini; I'm just trying to feel good in my clothing, and my skin.

Second, this article reports: "There is a marginal scar that is like one-half the size of Cesarean-section scar, there is minimal downtime, it looks good right away." The scar: I think it's more like three times the size. The downtime: At least two weeks initially and a whole six weeks for total healing. The results: Yes, I hear the change is apparent right away.

Gosh, if things go as this Oprah wisdom predicts, I'll be pretty happy. I'm counting on a pretty rough road but maybe it will be nothing but smooth sailing. Wouldn't that be nice.