Tummy Tuck Surgery Types

A tummy tuck, also known as abdominoplasty, is a type of cosmetic surgery that removes excess abdominal skin, sagging tummy skin or a bulge from your abdomen.

Abdominoplasty is especially suitable for women who have given birth or for people who have lost a lot of weight quickly, and now find that they have excess sagging skin in their tummy area.

Depending on the amount of skin involved, there are a number of different abdominoplasty techniques a cosmetic surgeon can use.

However, in general, all types of abdominoplasty involve tightening the abdominal wall, removing excess skin and/or removing excess fat.

The end result should be a reshaped abdomen which makes you look slimmer and with more defined body contours.

But due to the invasive nature of this procedure, anyone considering abdominoplasty should be aware that there will be a significant amount of scarring.

A good cosmetic surgeon will be able to minimise the amount of visible scarring, but it is unlikely that they will be able to hide the scars completely.

Standard Abdominoplasty

Standard abdominoplasty can be used for men or women who have excess or sagging skin below the belly button that does not seem to go away no matter how much the person exercises or diets.

During your consultation, and also before your surgery, the cosmetic surgeon will mark your skin with a pen so that they can use those marks as a guide when they later make the incisions needed to carry out the procedure.

It is extremely important that during this time you let your surgeon know about any clothes you would like to wear in future.

For example, if you want to wear a bikini at some stage the surgeon may be able to make the incisions beneath your bikini line so that the scars are hidden.

Scars can also be hidden under panty lines. So bear this in mind, and if possible, bring any items of clothes you wish to wear with you to your consultation.

This way the surgeon will know exactly where to make the incisions so that they are in the least visible position possible.

What Happens During Tummy Tuck Cosmetic Surgery?

Although the exact steps a cosmetic surgeon takes to perform abdominoplasty may vary from surgeon to surgeon, you can expect something similar to happen as to the steps listed below.

1: An incision is made around the edge of your belly button, with another incision running hip to hip across your pubic hairline.

2: The skin is separated from the abdominal muscles underneath.

3: The abdominal muscles are tightened with large sutures.

4: Excess skin is removed from the abdominal region.

5: A new opening is made for your belly button, after which it is pulled through into place and then sutured.

6: Tubes are placed under the skin to remove any excess fluid and may remain there for up to a week. This is necessary for the healing process. The abdominal incisions are then closed.

Mini-Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)

Mini-abdominoplasty is a less invasive version of standard abdominoplasty. It results in a shorter scar and does not require the belly button to be repositioned.

However, like standard abdominoplasty, scars will be visible but can be hidden under a bikini or panty line.

Mini-abdominoplasty is most suitable for those who have excess skin or bulging in the lower abdomen. As a result, this procedure tends to be popular with women who are looking to regain their old figure after giving birth.

Extended Abdominoplasty

Extended abdominoplasty is very similar to standard abdominoplasty. The main difference is that the incision is extended slightly so as to remove excess skin and fat from the hips and lower back area.

Whilst extended abdominoplasty certainly can produce excellent results, due to the longer incisions there is less chance of the surgeon being able to hide the eventual scars. As a result, you may have visible scaring above your bikini line.

Belt Lipectomy

Belt lipectomy is basically a combination of standard abdominoplasty and a buttock lift. It is designed to remove excess skin and fat from the abdomen, hips, lower back and buttocks.

This procedure is most suitable for people who are having weight problems, and have lots of flabby or loose skin in the lower half of their body.

Belt lipectomy can give dramatic results, although the resulting scars will wrap around the body making them difficult to conceal.

So whether or not you choose to have this procedure done, really depends on the trade off you are willing to make between a slimmer mid-section and visible scarring.

If you don’t often wear bikinis, then the scarring may be less of a concern for you.

To give you an idea of the type of scar you can expect from belt lipectomy, imagine a scar line going around your waist like a belt, although thinner.

Modified Tummy Tuck

If you have a high belly button with little excess skin above it, a cosmetic surgeon can pull your abdominal skin down to lower your belly button.

This will leave you with tighter and more defined skin in the area between the top of your bikini line and the bottom of your belly button.

This is an area which is frequently a problem for women, as once they get a bulge there it can be difficult to completely remove through diet and exercise alone.