Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)
Overview
A tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) is a surgical procedure that can dramatically reduce a protruding abdomen and help your clothes fit better. The surgeon removes excess skin and fat from the lower abdomen and sometimes the middle abdomen, while also tightening the abdominal muscles.
Pregnancy, obesity, and age can loosen the skin of the abdomen and cause the muscles to lose tone. The best candidates for abdominoplasty are men and women who are in relatively good shape but have loose skin, excess stomach fat, and/or stretched abdominal muscles that cannot be corrected with weight loss or exercise.
If you plan to lose a significant amount of weight, you should postpone a tummy tuck until you have achieved a normal, healthy weight for your height. If you plan on becoming pregnant, you also should postpone a tummy tuck because the vertical muscles that are tightened during the procedure can separate again during pregnancy. Note that a tummy tuck is not a weight loss procedure and is not a substitute for proper diet and regular exercise.
At Summit Health, we have developed a set of protocols to limit the pain and discomfort from this procedure. These protocols involve providing medications before, during, and after the surgery, as well as optimizing our patient care. We also use Exparel, a long-acting advanced local anesthetic, which extends your comfort after surgery.
Liposuction is often included with a tummy tuck particularly to the flanks. If you have only excess fat with good skin elasticity and no stretched muscles, liposuction alone of the abdomen may be enough to provide you with your desired results. Read more about liposuction
You may also choose to have liposuction on other parts of your body at the same time as your tummy tuck. Some patients have additional procedures for a more polished look overall, such as a lower body and buttock lift, and/or a thigh lift. It is less costly to combine procedures, and often they can be done concurrently so that you have only one incident of anesthesia and one recovery period.
“After years of thinking about it, I finally decided to have a tummy tuck, and I am so happy I did. Dr. Hyans did such a great job, and he and his staff made me feel comfortable every step of the way. It's been about six months now since I've had my surgery, and my stomach looks amazing! I'm so looking forward to wearing a bikini this summer!”
“I had a tummy tuck with Dr. Momeni in December. The experience was nothing short of amazing. If anything, I think he and the office staff over-prepped me, as I expected the recovery to take 2-3 months. Dr. Momeni has worked out some great tricks; he used special drains that they removed in 3 days, and I only used pain medications for those 3 days. By 2 weeks, I was pain-free, driving the kids around, and ready to go back to work…. I can't wait to put on my bikini this summer.”
Ready to get started?
Your Tummy Tuck Consultation at Summit Health
When you meet with us for your tummy tuck consultation, we will have an honest discussion about your desires, expectations, and concerns, as well as the limits and risks of the surgery. We will review your medical history and recommend options that can best help you achieve your goals. We will give you thorough written instructions to prepare for your surgery and will answer any questions you have.
At Summit Health, the patient experience is of primary importance to us. We customize every single procedure we do so that it is tailored to what is best for you and you alone.
“Great tummy tuck experience with Dr. Momeni and his team. The doctor is first-rate, chairman of his department at the local hospital, and very respected by all the other doctors in the area. This is not a sales approach in this office, they educate you, take their time, answer their questions, and are not pushy at all. That would have turned me off.”
What to Expect from a Tummy Tuck
Some patients who are candidates for a tummy tuck only need lax muscles retightened (diastasis repair), while others require lax skin to be removed along with excess fat. A lower body lift (excision and tightening of skin from the flanks and sagging buttocks) may be preferable in some cases. Read more about a lower body lift.
Since patients have different needs, there are 4 types of tummy tucks:
This technique is for patients who only require removal of fat and lax skin and/or tightening of the abdominal muscles below the belly button. It requires only a limited lower abdominal incision and can be performed on an outpatient basis.
This technique involves removal of fat and lax skin both above and below the belly button, as well as muscle tightening, if necessary. It can be performed on an outpatient basis.
This tummy tuck includes everything in a standard tummy tuck but extends around to the flanks for a more comprehensive result. This method takes a bit longer in the operating room, so it requires an overnight stay.
This technique is used for those who have had massive weight loss or bariatric surgery and have a significant amount of loose skin all around the midsection of the body. Liposuction and muscle tightening are also performed as needed. This type of tummy tuck requires an overnight stay in the hospital.
The incision for a mini tummy tuck is shorter than the incision for the other procedures. An extended tummy tuck requires a longer incision than a standard tummy tuck, and a circumferential tummy tuck must have an incision that goes all the way around the body. The incision must be as long as the amount of excess skin to be removed.
If liposuction is performed as part of your tummy tuck, tumescent fluid is introduced to numb the area and reduce the chance of bleeding, as well as to loosen and soften the fatty tissues. This expansion of the fatty tissue allows the liposuction instrument to travel smoothly as it is moved in and out from beneath the skin in order to suction out the fat. The surgeon then inserts a small tube called a cannula to mechanically break down the excess fat.
After the excess fat and skin have been removed and the muscles have been tightened, the overlying skin is smoothed and stitched back into place over the flattened abdomen. The belly button also might need to be repositioned for some patients.
“I did a lot of research before having my plastic surgery. Dr. Hyans came highly recommended. I had a breast lift and tummy tuck. He did an amazing job, far surpassing my expectations. I feel so much more confident with my body now; he changed my life. Dr. Hyans and his staff treated me with respect and gave me wonderful care. I would highly recommend Dr. Hyans to anyone interested in cosmetic surgery.”
Recovering from Abdominoplasty
Dressings will be applied to your incisions, and you will have to wear an elastic bandage for a short time. Drain tubes also might be placed under the skin to catch fluids for a few days. If your sutures are not dissolvable, they will be removed a few days to a week after your surgery.
You can expect some swelling, bruising, and mild pain for a week or 2 during tummy tuck recovery. You can take prescription or over-the-counter medications to manage any discomfort. Because of the swelling, however, you may not be able to see immediate results from your surgery. It may take a few months before you see the final outcome. We will monitor your progress in post-operative examinations to make sure you are healing well.
You may be asked to sleep sitting up for the first few nights to avoid stretching the incisions. Most people return to work and normal activities 2 to 3 weeks after a tummy tuck, although you may be able to resume work and activities in less than 2 weeks after a mini tummy tuck. Exercise and sports can be resumed within 4-6 weeks.
The abdominal scar from a tummy tuck is often long and visible. In fact, it may get worse before it becomes less obvious over the first few months. The incision is usually made low on the abdomen, however, and within the bikini line. For this reason, most clothing, including swimwear, can hide it. We take great care to reduce scarring and return patients to their daily activities as quickly as possible. We apply scar cream and perform massage, and we also usually provide cortisone injections anywhere on the incisions where the skin might thicken. This prevents the scars from becoming raised and prominent.
Results from a tummy tuck are long-lasting. New fat can develop over a period of years, but you can best maintain the outcome if you keep your weight steady.
“Dr. Momeni is the most amazing doctor. He is everything you want in a Dr. and more. He spends as much time with you as you need. He follows up personally with you. He is a Dr. who TRULY cares about his patients. I have trusted this man to do breast reconstruction from cancer, lipo, and an abdominoplasty. Each and every time I have seen him he is nothing but wonderful. I am very pleased with the work that I had done. He did a fabulous job on my body. What he said he would do is what he did. He was honest and up front about what was going to happen. There were never any surprises.”
Our Plastic Surgery Specialists
Peter Hyans, MD, FACS
Plastic Surgery
Jain Joseph, MD
Plastic Surgery
Reza Momeni, MD
Plastic Surgery
Daniel Pyo, MD, FACS
Plastic Surgery