The Tummy Tuck remains one of the most requested and among my favorite cosmetic plastic surgery procedures. It helps restore a youthful, flat, pre-baby belly, and works after weight loss, too. Unlike bariatric surgery, it is not for weight loss. Abdominoplasty is designed to tighten the abdominal wall, muscles and skin, after weight loss or pregnancy.
Tummy Tuck Before and After Pictures
Tummy Tucks work well for the post baby bump. Diet and exercise are important for recovering abdominal tone after pregnancy, but sometimes despite your best efforts, loose skin and abdominal wall laxity persist. Abdominoplasty tightens the muscle wall, removes fat and reduces excess skin, to flatten the belly.
Tummy Tuck Results After Pregnancy
The before picture above shows the typical results after having a baby. The abdomen is stretched out and the baby bump is still present. This patient is healthy and physically fit. Her abdomen is strong and her weight is ideal, but her lower abdomen is bulging. The disproportionate abdominal fullness makes her look out of shape.
The after picture reveals all her hard work. Her Tummy Tuck gave her back a body representative of her fitness level. Her abdomen is flat and tight. Abdominoplasty eliminated the lower abdominal bulge by removing the excess skin and fat and flattened the entire abdominal wall by tightening the rectus and oblique muscles. Now, her clothes fit well. She can appreciate the results of her workouts and just feels better about herself.
Full Abdominoplasty After Weight Loss
Even after the weight loss, the abdomen may appear loose or full. This case shows what a full abdominoplasty, including muscle tightening, can do for a flaccid belly.
Sometimes, even after massive weight loss, abdominal fullness and bulging persist. It’s frustrating. The skin, left damaged after being overstretched, is unable to recoil back to its original form fitting shape. In this case, the muscle wall was also overstretched by intra-abdominal fat caused by weight gain. This allows the abdominal content to push the entire abdominal wall forward. Ironically, the engineering term for this is “plastic deformation,” but we can reverse this appearance with Plastic Surgery. By removing excess skin and fat, and tightening the remaining skin and muscle, the flat belly is restored.
I Only Need A Mini Tummy Tuck
Sometimes a Mini Tummy Tuck is just what the doctor ordered. When the stretching and fullness is confined to the lower abdomen, a mini tummy tuck might just do the trick.
For some patients, the procedure of choice to restore a flat belly is a Mini Tummy Tuck. The Mini Tummy Tuck tightens the lower abdominal wall, and it is a smaller procedure than a full tummy tuck. If you cover the skin below the belly button, and are satisfied with how flat your upper abdominal wall is, a Mini Abdominoplasty might be all you need.
The patient shown above had a great looking upper abdomen before surgery, but the skin on her lower abdomen was loose and jiggled when she walked. The muscles underneath the skin were firm, but bowed outward due to excessive stretching of the lower abdominal muscles during pregnancy. A Mini Tummy Tuck was performed to remove excess skin and disproportionate fat, while tightening the muscles of the lower abdominal wall. The smaller operation provided her a great result with a quicker recovery than a full Abdominoplasty. Not everyone is a candidate for a Mini Tummy Tuck, but it never hurts to ask.
Tummy Tuck Consultations
Tummy Tucks are one of my favorite operations. The results are dramatic, predictable and very rewarding. My patients are delighted with their new and improved bellies. If you are considering a Tummy Tuck or other abdominal rejuvenation call (925) 943-6353 now and schedule a personal consultation appointment.
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