Tummy Tuck

     Among the popular procedures of cosmetic surgery, the "tummy tuck" or abdominoplasty operation is high on the list. The tummy tuck removes excess skin and fat from the abdominal wall. At the same time, the muscles of the abdomen are often indirectly tightened and reinforced. Though it does remove fat, it is not considered a method to reduce obesity.

The primary goals are contouring, tightening, and flattening of the flaccid abdominal wall. It is a varied group of people who seek an abdominoplasty. Some are the relatively thin women who have had multiple pregnancies. They may have had just one pregnancy, but the skin and muscle was severely stretched. Exercise and diet alone will not achieve a flat tummy without stretch marks. Also, there may be a lower abdominal protuberance that is covered with stretch marked and wrinkled skin. Others include men and women who have lost a massive amount of weight.

Diet, stomach stapling, gastric bypass, or the "bubble" may have achieved large weight loss. Nevertheless, a prolonged skin stretch and/or aging may have decreased the skin's ability to contract. The patient is now faced with a hanging apron orpanniculus of skin. No matter how much the weight loss or exercise performed, the apron of skin will not shrink.

There are also people who seek improvement of their abdominal wall who have undergone multiple surgical procedures that have resulted in pouches or overhanging skin. In some cases, liposuction may be able to flatten the bulges; however, an abdominoplasty can remove excess skin and tighten the muscles of the abdominal wall at the same time. There is a tremendous variety of defects: some require just suction of fat, others require a smaller or greater amount of skin removal, while others will want to have the casing of the muscles tightened for the maximum flatness and waistline reclamation. The latter is never done if a woman is still going to bear children.