Tummy tuck / abdominoplasty

A flat and well-toned abdomen is something many of us strive for through exercise and weight control. Sometimes, these methods alone cannot help us reach our goals.

Patients often elect to have a tummy tuck procedure done once they are done having children, after fluctuations in weight, or because there is just excess skin and fat that is proving difficult to manage. The goal is to tighten the abdominal wall and remove excess tissue to achieve a flatter belly and to feel confident about your body in clothes and at the beach.

Also known as abdominoplasty, tummy tuck surgery removes excess fat and skin and often repairs weakened or separated rectus abdominis muscles in the abdomen that occurs after weight loss or pregnancy. Liposuction may be performed in conjunction with this procedure to improve contour around the flanks, lower back and hips.

Best results are achieved on patients with large amounts of abdominal fat or loose skin. Surgery is performed under general anesthesia on an outpatient basis. Recovery typically lasts from 4-6 weeks and we ask patients to refrain from strenuous exercise and core training during that time.

In certain patients, a staged procedure is recommended with liposuction first and the removal of the excess skin with abdominoplasty 3-6 months later.

Some patients with a small amount of localized fullness of the lower abdomen are candidates for a mini-abdominoplasty. This surgery is shorter and the recovery time and scarring are reduced.