Tummy Tuck

An abdominoplasty, or a tummy tuck, is a procedure that is typically used to remove excess loose skin and fat from the stomach area. Most patients who are interested in abdominalplasty are interested in the procedure because they have extra loose skin following weight loss or following pregnancies. There are several different kinds of abdominoplasties that we perform, it depends on how much loose skin a patient has and how far on the waist it extends. If a patient has a small amount of loose skin on the lower part of the stomach, then a mini tummy tuck with a limited incision can be performed. If they have additional skin that goes up to or above the belly button, then often times a standard tummy tuck that removes the skin and fat from the belly button down to the pubic area and from one hip bone to the other is removed during the procedure. The stomach muscles can also be tightened to give patients a flatter and tighter tummy. Afterward, the incision falls down below the level of the belt line. Most patients will take about a week off from work after an abdominoplasty. However, it will take up to 2 or 3 months before they can resume all their full and previous activities. For an abdominoplasty, we tell most patients to plan on discomfort in the range of about a 6 or 7 on a scale of 1-to-10. After the surgery, we encourage patients to avoid unnecessary bending and lifting, which can slow down their recovery process. I ask most patients to consider whether or not the timing is right for their tummy tuck. Things to consider are whether or not they can take time off of work, whether or not they're going to have additional children in the future, and whether or not they have some support or help around the house for a week or so afterwards, until they can be more active on their own. There is more information for this and other procedures throughout our website. We offer free consultations. We encourage anybody with additional questions to contact our office to schedule an appointment.