Abdominoplasty or a “Tummy Tuck”

Abdominoplasty or a “tummy tuck” is plastic surgery procedure that removes loose skin and excessive fat from the abdomen and tightens the abdominal muscles for improved contour, tone and function. Doctor Chad Wu performs this procedure at his private clinic in Irvine, Los Angeles, California.

This surgery also allows for repair for the abdominal muscles that may have stretched during pregnancy that may have led to lower abdominal bulging. The result is a firmer, flatter and more youthful looking abdomen.

A tummy tuck is beneficial for those who have:

  • A protruding abdomen from stretched muscles and skin.
  • Loose, sagging abdominal skin that may hang over previous abdominal scars, such as caesarian section or appendix scars
  • Abdominal muscles weakened by pregnancy or ageing, which has caused muscle separation and a “gap”
  • Excess fat in the abdominal area that will not budge with diet and exercise.
  • Are at their ideal weight and have a healthy lifestyle.
  • Non-smokers

There are different types of tummy tuck techniques due to variability in degree of muscle weakness, skin stretch and overall contour problem:

STANDARD (FULL) TUMMY TUCK

Standard abdominoplasty is the most common form of abdominoplasty. In the full abdominoplasty, the scar is carefully positioned below the bikini line and, although long, allows for the maximum improvement in the abdominal shape and strength and usually heals extremely well with time. In the standard abdominoplasty, the belly button is cut around and freed from the skin, which is pulled down to allow maximal removal. This procedure allows the abdominal muscles to be tightened full length, from pubic bone to breastbone. Finally, the bellybutton is brought out through a new hole at the end of the procedure.

Standard abdominoplasty gives a more widespread contour improvement to the abdominal region, and it is the typical technique if you require improvement of larger amounts of skin, fat and muscles as can be seen in multiple pregnancies, or following dramatic weight loss.

“MINI” TUMMY TUCK

Mini-abdominoplasty is helpful if you have a small amount of skin looseness, and that skin is mostly restricted to the lower abdomen below the bellybutton. It is best if there is less need for major muscle tightening.

The scar is kept short above the pubic area, and is shorter than the full or standard abdominoplasty. Loose fat and skin are removed from the area above the pubis, and some additional liposuction is often done to improve the overall shape.

In mini-abdominoplasty, the belly button is not moved, and little work is done above the level of the bellybutton. Unlike the full abdominoplasty, with a mini-tummy tuck there is no scar around the bellybutton. Since there is less muscle tightening, recovery is usually quicker and the scar shorter.

“FLEUR-DE-LIS” AND REVERSE ABDOMINOPLASTY

For more extreme skin excess, there is a range of variants of abdominoplasty performed. A “reverse” tummy tuck is for excess skin and fat in the upper abdomen, usually as a result from massive weight loss. In this surgery, the incision is made under the breast and excess skin is pulled from the bottom up, not top down.

If there is extreme excess skin, an incision that runs top to bottom, rather than side-to-side, may also be required. This is known as the “fleur-de-lis” technique.

There are different types of tummy tuck techniques due to variability in degree of muscle weakness, skin stretch and overall contour problem:

STANDARD (FULL) TUMMY TUCK

Standard abdominoplasty is the most common form of abdominoplasty. In the full abdominoplasty, the scar is carefully positioned below the bikini line and, although long, allows for the maximum improvement in the abdominal shape and strength and usually heals extremely well with time. In the standard abdominoplasty, the belly button is cut around and freed from the skin, which is pulled down to allow maximal removal. This procedure allows the abdominal muscles to be tightened full length, from pubic bone to breastbone. Finally, the bellybutton is brought out through a new hole at the end of the procedure.

Standard abdominoplasty gives a more widespread contour improvement to the abdominal region, and it is the typical technique if you require improvement of larger amounts of skin, fat and muscles as can be seen in multiple pregnancies, or following dramatic weight loss.

“MINI” TUMMY TUCK

Mini-abdominoplasty is helpful if you have a small amount of skin looseness, and that skin is mostly restricted to the lower abdomen below the bellybutton. It is best if there is less need for major muscle tightening.

The scar is kept short above the pubic area, and is shorter than the full or standard abdominoplasty. Loose fat and skin are removed from the area above the pubis, and some additional liposuction is often done to improve the overall shape.

In mini-abdominoplasty, the belly button is not moved, and little work is done above the level of the bellybutton. Unlike the full abdominoplasty, with a mini-tummy tuck there is no scar around the bellybutton. Since there is less muscle tightening, recovery is usually quicker and the scar shorter.

“FLEUR-DE-LIS” AND REVERSE ABDOMINOPLASTY

For more extreme skin excess, there is a range of variants of abdominoplasty performed. A “reverse” tummy tuck is for excess skin and fat in the upper abdomen, usually as a result from massive weight loss. In this surgery, the incision is made under the breast and excess skin is pulled from the bottom up, not top down.

If there is extreme excess skin, an incision that runs top to bottom, rather than side-to-side, may also be required. This is known as the “fleur-de-lis” technique.

  • Procedure time: 2.5 – 3.5 hours
  • Downtime required: 2 – 3 weeks (depending on vocational requirements)
  • Costs: 7300$ – 12800$ depending on the additional requests of the patient.
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