Abdominoplasty or “tummy tuck” is a body contouring technique which refers to a range of surgical procedures that address excess abdominal skin and fat to improve the aesthetic appearance of the abdomen. Some of the commonly performed procedures include: mini-abdominoplasty, full abdominoplasty and fleur-de-lis abdominoplasty. Sometimes abdominoplasty is used in combination with liposuction to achieve the desired body contour.

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Who is suitable for abdominoplasty?

At TPSG both men and women are offered the procedure. Excess abdominal skin and fat can be a problem for example after pregnancy or weight loss, where diet and exercise alone will not help. The excess abdominal skin hangs over the waistline like an apron and can appear unsightly. Abdominoplasty is not suitable for patients who seek weight loss by means of surgery.

What areas can be treated?

The primary goal is to remove excess skin and fat overlying the anterior abdominal wall. In some cases, patients who have a loosening of the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall and will need to have this tightened surgically at the same time as the abdominoplasty.

How do I decide what I need?

At TPSG all patients will be seen by the surgeon who is going to perform the procedure on them. A careful medical history and examination will be carried out. All concerns are discussed and an appropriate, achievable and safe abdominoplasty procedure will be chosen.

What does the operation involve?

The operation is carried under general anaesthesia. Patients are marked pre-operatively to ensure the resulting scar will lie within or as close as possible to the undergarment/bikini line to make it less visible. If liposuction is to be carried out this is performed first. Following this the actual abdominoplasty is performed removing the excess skin and fat. Muscle tightening procure is performed where appropriate. The skin that is not resected will therefore remain, and be displaced inferiorly as a result to aid closure. The scar is sutured with absorbable sutures and staples. A padded dressing is placed on the scar, and all patients are put in elasticated compression garments. NO DRAINS ARE USED.

What happens after the operation?

Normally patients stay one to two nights in the hospital. They are encouraged to mobilise after the operation, discomfort permitting. All patients wear a compression garment for 6 weeks after the operation to help minimise swelling and discomfort. Patients can expect to be off work and driving for 2-4 weeks, gentle sporting activity for 6 weeks and contact sports for 3 months. The benefits of abdominoplasty should become evident fully by 3-6 months after the operation. The scars take anything up to 12-18 months to reach their state and patients will be encouraged to start massaging the scars from 6 weeks post-operatively.

How long do the results last?

The benefits of body contouring procedures can last a life time. However, if the patient gains weight excessively for example, the shape of the anterior abdominal wall can return to the pre-operative state. Therefore it is essential for patients to maintain their results by adopting normal diet and exercise.

What are the risks abdominoplasty?

There is a substantial amount of evidence that suggests a strong link between increased weight, smoking and hormone therapy/diabetes on increasing complications, particularly wound healing, infection and deep venous thromboembolism (DVT). Minor wound Infection and wound dehiscence are the most common complications, followed by bleeding and/or seroma formation. Occasionally some excess skin and fat remains at the corner of the scars termed “dog ears”, and these can be removed under local anaesthesia once the scar has settled. At TPSG, utmost care and attention is paid to every detail of the surgical journey to ensure the risk of any complication is absolutely minimised.

Further information of Abdominoplasty:
BAAPS Patient Information On Abdominoplasty

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