Excess skin, fat, and loose muscles around your abdomen can be a difficult issue, and exercise and weight loss aren’t always enough. A tummy tuck, known as an abdominoplasty, is a surgical procedure to correct these issues for a flat and firm midsection.

Benefits of a tummy tuck

A tummy tuck isn’t an alternative to a healthy diet and exercise, but it can help with persistent problems like loose skin, excess fat, and weakened or separated abdominal muscles. The procedure firms up your abdominal wall, slims your waistline, and eliminates apparent sagging skin around your belly and above your pubic area. Incisions are made along your bikini line so they are hidden by your bathing suit.

How tummy tuck surgery is performed

Abdominoplasty can be done under local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia. Liposuction is commonly done during a tummy tuck to help remove fat deposits and more effectively slim your abdominal area.

During a full tummy tuck, your cosmetic surgeon will make an incision from hip to hip just above your pubic area.  Your abdominal muscles are sutured together to tighten them and create a flatter abdominal wall. Your excess belly skin at the bottom is trimmed, and a new hole for your navel is made. The incisions are then stitched.

A partial abdominoplasty, known as a mini tummy tuck, is a milder form of this surgery that just corrects the area under your navel, and your original navel is left in place. The incisions are smaller.

An extended tummy tuck can correct loose skin around your sides as well as your belly. The incision is much longer and goes past your hips and into your sides to allow removal of more excess skin.

Recovery after surgery

Recovery can take anywhere from two to 12 weeks depending on how much surgical work was done. Most people can return to their normal routine after one to two weeks. You’ll have temporary pain, soreness, swelling, and numbness that will subside with time. Your surgeon will prescribe pain medication to help.

Costs

Tummy tuck costs vary depending on what type of surgery you select—mini, full, or extended—and whether or not liposuction is performed. Other factors that affect cost are your area, surgeon, and health care coverage. Health insurance providers usually do not cover abdominoplasty.