Called abdominoplasty in medical circles, a tummy tuck is surgery to tighten loose abdominal muscles. Sagging, excess skin and fatty tissue may also be removed at the same time.  A surgical tummy tuck is used by some to get rid of belly fat.

Description of the surgery.

General anesthesia is typically used on a ‘full’ tummy tuck.  A full tummy tuck involves a surgical cut above the pubic area and an incision all the way around the belly button (so it can be put back to it’s original position after the tuck). This cut goes up diagonally toward the hip (on each side) but under the bikini line.  The skin is then separated from the abdominal wall. The surgeon then pulls the loose abdominal muscles from the left over to the right and sews them.  The surgeon makes a new opening for a belly button and then removes any excess skin and sews or staples the incisions. The doctor typically will install drain tubes to allow fluids to drain out that might otherwise build up between the muscle and skin, and finally a sterile dressing is put over the whole area.

A partial tummy tuck treats problem areas below the belly button.  It may not require general anesthesia and might be done on an outpatient basis.

Liposuction (sucking the fat out of your body parts) may be done at the same time as either a full or partial tummy tuck.

What to expect.

The surgery can take between 2 – 5 hours to perform.  Most often, it is performed in a hospital, with at least an overnight stay but sometimes, for a partial tummy tuck, the process can be done in an office surgical suite.  Recuperation time can be from 2 – 4 weeks.

The doctor may prescribe some light exercise and the patient is usually cautioned against doing anything vigorous until the doctor has oked it.

There will be scars from the incisions, which may fade and flatten with time, but they will usually be covered by clothing – including a bikini swimming suit.

There is some post surgery discomfort due to the incisions healing as well as the tighter muscles in your belly.  There may be bruising and swelling of the area as well.  The drain tubes must also be managed – the outflow measured, recorded and discarded.  The drain tubes will later have to be removed by the surgeon.

A cosmetic surgeon and your general practitioner can help you decide if a tummy tuck would benefit you and help you finally lose your belly fat.

Read real stories about tummy tucks.

Members at Real Self   have posted a lot of information about their tummy tucks, including cost.  The posted values look to range from $6000 to more than $12,000.  Since this is usually cosmetic surgery, health insurance typically does not cover the cost.

Please remember, I am not a medical professional in any way, consult with yours if you are considering a tummy tuck or any surgical procedure to reduce your bellyfat.

Resources:

Cosmetic Surgery website: http://www.cosmeticsurgery.com/research/cosmetic-surgery/Abdominoplasty-(Tummy-Tuck)/

Cosemetic Surgeon website: http://www.ppskc.com/abdominoplasty/

Real Self site: http://www.realself.com/Tummy-tuck/reviews#tags=8095&sort=updated&page=3