• People with too much skin and extra fat in the stomach.
• People with streched abdominal muscles which cause the stomach to buldge.
• Pregnancy is the most common cause but men can have this too.
• Both thin people and overweight people can be good candidates for a tummy-tuck and the operation can be individualized.

• There has been great progress in tummy-tuck surgery in the last 10 years and the surgeon must have mastered the latest operations.
• Because there are so many choices, I spend a lot of time and thought in planing an individualized operation for each patient.
• If you do not have too much loose skin, a tummy-tuck can be avoided by using superficial liposuction which tightens skin.
• I keep the scar low in the pubic hair and short. The lower the scar, the better the result.
• I perform tummy-tucks with the patient receiving low-dose heparin (a blood thinner). This precaution does not cause any increased bleeding and it does prevent blood clots.
• A tummy-tuck cannot be thought of as just cutting off excess skin. I shape the abdomen; this is like sculpture and cannot be rushed. I spend as much time as necessary in the operating room to give you the best possible result.

The Procedure:

• Some patients who used to require a tummy-tuck, can now be treated with liposuction alone. This works when there is too much fat in the stomach but the skin and muscles are not too bad.
• A mini-abdominoplasty improves the area below the belly button.
• A full-abdominoplasty treats the whole stomach from the ribs to the groin.
• In some patients, the belly button is left where it is and in others the belly button is slid downward.
• With the newest "no undermining" technique, liposuction is combined with the abdominoplasty to get a more dramatic result, especially in the upper part of the abdomen.
• The muscles of the stomach are tightened to flatten the stomach and improve the waistline.
• Abdominoplasty can be performed in our fully accredited office surgical suite or in the hospital. If in the hospital, you can choose to do it as an out-patient or to spend the night.

The Scar:

The scar is shaped like a smile and is kept low near the groin. It is kept as short as possible by proper tailoring and by doing liposuction at the corners of the scar. The scar is kept from spreading by closing the incision without tension. The scar fades with time but it does not disappear and some people do have prominent scars.

Recovery Time after Abdominoplasty:

• You will have swelling and bruising and some pain for a few days. We will give you pain mediciation that takes care of the discomfort.
• People recover at different rates but I recommend that you take two weeks off from work.
• You can resume vigorous athletic activity one month after a tummy-tuck.

Update on advancements in our program to minimize scars.