Abdominoplasty

Abdominoplasty, sometimes called a 'tummy tuck', is a surgical procedure involving the removal of abdominal fat, excess skin and the tightening of abdominal wall muscles. This firms and contours your abdomen; improving it's tone and shape. The procedure can be used to deal with excessive skin which follows rapid weight loss or pregnancy. It can also be used to get rid of undesirable bulges which can't be managed by exercise.

The surgery itself is performed using a general anaesthetic and taking between one and three hours; depending on the type of abdominoplasty you opt for. There's several types of abdominoplasty each with it's own features;

Mini-Abdominoplasty - In this procedure excess fat and skin occurring above the pubic bone is removed. The fat and skin of the lower abdomen are detached from the muscle fascia and any excess skin is removed. Liposuction is often used in combination with this to help contour the area.
Full Abdominoplasty - Following an incision made from hip to hip, another incision is made to extract the navel from the skin surrounding it. The skin is then detached from the abdominal wall which allows access to the area which needs tightening. There may be a tightening of the abdominal muscle fascia wall and Liposuction is often used in conjunction with this to help with contouring. Following surgery a dressing will be applied and a compression garment may be required. Any excess fluid in the treated area is drained.
Extended abdominoplasty - Similar to a complete abdominoplasty but with additional treatment for the sides or thighs.

Abdominoplasty may also be used as part of a complete lower body lift and can be combined with several other procedures including; liposuction contouring, breast lift or breast reduction.

Following surgery, the treated areas are likely to swell and you may need to wear a support garment for a few weeks afterward.

The recovery period will depend on the procedure used, the problems treated and several other factors. Following the operation its usual for the abdomen to feel very tight and you might not be able to stand up straight for a couple of weeks. Typically, patients stay in hospital for a couple of days afterward and the total recovery period ranges from four to six weeks. It's usually advised that patients take at least some of this time off work and avoid any strenuous activity.

As with all surgery there are some risks involved with Abdominoplasty and although most people are unaffected some complications may occur. There may be a numbness in the abdomen, usually feeling returns over the next few months however in some cases this can be permanent. Haematomas, which are the accumulation of fluid under the skin, can cause the area to swell and become very painful. An additional operation may be required to correct this. Poor healing can mean that scars become more noticeable and as such more surgery may be required to correct this. In rare cases blood clots can form; if these break off and travel to the lungs they can cause an pulmonary embolism and may be fatal.