Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)
When you lose weight after having children, weight loss surgery or making positive lifestyle changes, you want to be able to celebrate your new body shape. But the area around your abdomen can be one of the hardest areas to tone up.
If significant weight loss has resulted in excess skin around your belly that no amount of diet and exercise can shift, you might like to explore how abdominoplasty or a ‘tummy tuck’ can help.
What is abdominoplasty?
Abdominoplasty, also known as a tummy tuck, is a surgical procedure to remove excess fat and loose skin from your abdomen. It is recommended for patients who have excess skin or poor muscle tone around their tummy area for a variety of different reasons. It results in a tighter, slimmer tummy while correcting any underlying causes.
Why do people get abdominoplasty?
Abdominoplasty can be either a cosmetic or reconstructive procedure depending on why your tummy area has developed as an area of concern. Abdominal muscles can be over-stretched for many different reasons for example during pregnancy. Age can be another factor as it gets harder to achieve a toned flat tummy as you get older, even with a healthy lifestyle. Abdominoplasty may be recommended for patients seeking to:
Correct abdominal abnormalities caused by pregnancy, obesity, extensive weight loss, age, trauma or disease
Correct or relieve structural defects of the abdomen
Improve function of abdominal muscles
Create a more normal appearance of the abdomen
Repair an abdominal hernia from previous abdominal surgery
Remove the apron of fat known as a ‘pannus’ that can cause chronic dermatitis, skin infections and difficulty in walking.
Can abdominoplasty fix abdominal muscle separation after pregnancy?
During pregnancy, abdominal muscles stretch to make room for your baby. Afterwards, the abdominal muscles may remain separated and spread out in the middle of your tummy. This is called divarication. If you are having a tummy tuck to remove excess skin after having children, Dr Clement can also repair and reposition the separated muscles, tightening them to give you a toned, firm abdomen.
Can surgery fix a tummy ‘pouch’?
Some women may also have excess fat and skin over their mons pubis – the fleshy area over the pubic bone. Even after an abdominoplasty, women with large mons pubis can have an overhanging mons pannus and the mons can be seen protruding through their clothing. In these women, a monsplasty surgery may be necessary, which includes liposuction and a lift of the mons pubis in conjunction with the tummy tuck.
What are the different options for a tummy tuck?
There are different types of abdominoplasty. These are known as a mini, traditional, modified, extended or circumferential tummy tuck. Each one is used to address specific issues depending on the severity of the excess fat, sagging skin and muscle separation. Some patients only need minor tightening (i.e. a mini tummy tuck) while others will require more. The key differences are the size of the incision and how much skin and fat can be removed.
How will I look after a tummy tuck?
Abdominoplasty or tummy tuck can give you a nice flat and tight abdomen and enhance your appearance, self-confidence and body image. Liposuction can also be performed in conjunction with abdominoplasty to trim excess fat to create slimmer natural contours.
In most cases the results can be long-lasting, especially in conjunction with a balanced diet, exercise and a healthy lifestyle. Dr Clement will discuss all the options with you and recommend a suitable procedure for you to achieve a more desired natural looking tummy.
What is the recover like after tummy tuck?
It’s important for anyone considering abdominoplasty to know that it is major surgery and requires a lengthy recovery period. Dr Clement will discuss all the risks of the procedure, including recovery times, however it’s important to have realistic expectations about your outcomes and recovery from the start.