Pregnancy or a major weight loss—or even simple genetics— can leave you wishing for a smoother, tighter abdomen. If diet and exercise haven’t successfully flattened your belly, an abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, may be the solution. I offer three procedures to help tighten your tummy: the standard abdominoplasty, the mini tummy tuck, and the modified tummy tuck. The issues you want to correct will help determine which procedure is right for you.
- Loose skin. If your area of concern is confined to the area below your belly button, a mini tummy tuck may be appropriate. This procedure leaves the shortest scar and only addresses issues of loose skin in your lower abdominal area.
- Lax skin or lax muscles. Sometimes you can have firm muscles but lots of excess skin in your general abdominal area, or perhaps your abdominal muscles aren’t as tight as you’d like but your skin doesn’t need to be tightened up. In this case, a modified tummy tuck could be a suitable option. This tummy tuck modification corrects either loose skin or loose abdominals, but not both.
- Lax skin and lax muscles. If both your skin and muscles are loose above and below your navel, a standard tummy tuck is likely called for. This full version of the procedure tightens both muscle and skin to give you a smoother, sleeker look.
You can combine a tummy tuck with other body contouring procedures, especially if you’re trying to re-shape your body post-baby or post-weight loss. I often recommend liposuction to refine the results of a tummy tuck. Another example is the combination of procedures commonly called a “Mommy Makeover,” which combines a tummy tuck with a breast lift and/or augmentation, and may include liposuction as well.
Each variation of tummy tuck surgery is performed as an outpatient procedure, and patients are usually placed under general anesthesia. The recovery time for a tummy tuck can be longer than that of many other procedures; allow 8 to 12 weeks before resuming strenuous physical activities. Although you’ll be encouraged to get up and move around within a day or two, it’s important to give yourself plenty of time to rest and heal. Ease back into mild activities as you feel comfortable. Once you’ve recovered, the results of a tummy tuck are long-lasting unless you gain a lot of weight or become pregnant.
Are you ready for a svelte new profile? Come in for a consultation and let’s discuss your options for regaining a tight, toned core.
