Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)

When patients have loose muscle and skin following weight loss, giving birth to a child or following abdominal surgery, liposuction alone may not address these problems. The loose skin and muscle must be modified and there are several options available for this depending on the severity of the problems. A traditional tummy tuck is typically performed on patients whose entire abdomen is loose with excess skin and muscle. Surgery is performed by making an incision hip to hip. The muscle is tightened, fat is liposuctioned and the excess skin is removed. The belly button is also reshaped. This procedure will yield the best aesthetic result. A mini-tummy tuck can be performed on patients with loose muscle and excess skin confined to below the belly button. A mini-tummy tuck combines liposuction and tightening of the muscle along with the removal of a small amount of skin. The scar is much shorter than the traditional full tummy tuck. The recovery time is much shorter with this procedure.