Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)

Good candidates for a tummy tuck are women who are finished with child-bearing (not planning future pregnancies) and at a stable, preferably, body ideal weight. For the best cosmetic results, patients should have a body mass index (BMI) less than 30, and have most of their fat located under the skin instead of inside the abdominal wall. Alamo Plastic Surgery is one of the best plastic surgery clinics for tummy tuck surgery for women in San Antonio, TX. Dr. Albright will assess this during the physical exam.  As safety is of utmost importance to Dr. Albright, patients should be medically healthy enough for general anesthesia, and should not have had major abdominal surgeries or mesh-based large hernia repairs. Patients who have had bariatric surgery, should be at least 1 year after their procedure, and have stable weight with adequate follow-up appointment and laboratory studies by their bariatric surgeons prior to considering body contouring procedures.

Preparing for an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) is key to ensuring a smooth surgery and recovery process. To prepare for surgery, it's essential to maintain a stable weight, follow a healthy diet, engage in regular exercise, quit smoking, avoid certain medications and supplements, complete necessary health screenings, prepare your home for recovery, and follow preoperative instructions closely. These steps will help ensure a successful procedure and smoother recovery.

While you can expect some discomfort after an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), most patients describe the pain as manageable with proper care. During the surgery, you'll be under anesthesia, so you won't feel anything. After the procedure, it's normal to experience soreness, swelling, and tightness in the abdominal area, especially in the first few days. Your surgeon will prescribe pain medication to help manage any discomfort during the early stages of recovery. The intensity of pain varies from person to person, but most patients find that discomfort subsides significantly within the first week and continues to improve as healing progresses.

A tummy tuck surgery typically takes two to four hours, depending on the extent of the surgery and whether additional procedures are performed simultaneously.

During a tummy tuck, an incision is made across the lower abdomen, from hip to hip. Excess skin and fat are removed, and the abdominal muscles are tightened. The remaining skin is then repositioned to create a more toned look.

The common scar pattern is a horizontal (side-to-side) scar located above the pubic mound near where a C-section scar would be placed. The scar is contoured and positioned so that it should be fairly easy to hide with most types of underwear and bikini bottoms. The scar is longer than a C section scar, and the length depends on how much skin needs to be removed with a "mini abdominoplasty" having the shortest length scar. Occasionally, if the belly button is being relocated, a short vertical scar may be necessary between the belly button and the low horizontal scar, and a scar will be placed around the ‘new’ belly button.

Other scar options are a “reverse tummy tuck” where the scar is placed redundant skin is moved upward, and a horizontal scar is placed under the breasts. This is far less common than the traditional lower body scar. Finally, for patients who have had dramatic weight-loss success including after bariatric surgery, it may be necessary to perform a “fleur-de-lis” incision which combines a traditional lower side-to-side incision with a long vertical incision creating an upside down ‘T’ pattern. This is sometimes needed to address not only top-down skin excess but also side-to-side skin excess. Although the scar pattern is more visible and difficult to hide out-of-clothing, the resulting improvement in shape and waist definition is usually considered a fair trade by these patients.

Learn more about plastic surgery scar care.

In the first week after surgery, the patient will need to maintain a flexed waist (bent-over) position while standing, sitting and lying down. In the days following surgery if drains are used, they will typically be removed by the second week.  In the first week patients will wear an abdominal binder 24/7, followed by 5 weeks of a compression garment.   Walking exercise may be resumed by 4 weeks in most patients, followed by advancing to strenuous activities at 6 weeks.  Most patients will be unrestricted by 2 months after surgery (out of compression and performing all normal exercise or physical activities).  However, if a rectus diastasis repair was performed, Dr. A will recommend avoiding intense abdominal bracing movements like heavy weightlifting, until 3 months after surgery, and with precautions.
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One of the biggest reasons for the tremendous growth in non-surgical or minimally-invasive body contouring procedures is the longer recovery involved with surgery.  However the surgical result can not be replicated with these other technologies.  Every month, Dr A works with patients who have high work / life demands, including parental responsibilities.  Although individual recommendations may vary, most patients will need at least 2 weeks to recover from surgery prior to resuming less physically demanding work assignments, regular household chores and primary child care.  Ideally the patient’s younger children do not need to be lifted routinely, and are able to climb in and out of their car seat without help.  Most patients benefit from the assistance of a spouse or partner for the first week, and a family member for the second week.

As the proverb goes, good things come to those who wait. The healing process takes time.  The initial swelling from surgery is the body’s response to inflammation caused by surgical injury. When a surgically created space is made and inflammation is present, the body will allow clear fluid (serous fluid) from your circulation to move into the space. Swelling may take as long as 3-5 months after surgery to completely resolve and reveal your postoperative figure. Additionally, the scars will continue to mature their appearance over 8-12 month time period. Dr. Albright and his staff will help you through this transition period. He will tailor the procedures to best fit your goals! He is one of the best Tummy Tuck surgeons in San Antonio TX.

Yes, it is common to combine procedures as there is usually less total expense and only one postoperative recovery period. Additionally, patients will have a much more profound body makeover.  The most common procedures performed with a tummy tuck plastic surgery are breast surgeries (breast augmentation, breast lift, augmentation mastopexy or fat transfer to the breasts) and is commonly described as a “mommy makeover”. However, there are drawbacks to combining procedures and it may not be ideal for all patients.  The complications from combined surgeries is slightly higher than doing the procedures independently especially for blood clots.  Dr. William Albright, one of the best surgeons for tummy tuck surgery, and he will assess these risks and will be happy to give you his honest opinion.

Congratulations on the pregnancy! But now what?  Your body will accommodate the growing fetus and may do what it did with any previous pregnancies. This includes allowing the tissue (fascia) between the ab muscles (rectus abdominis) to stretch which produces “rectus diastasis” or “diastasis recti”. Depending on the type of tummy tuck plastic surgery you had (rectus plication or mesh for hernia repair), there is a chance that this repair could fail and you would develop similar issues that you had before your tummy tuck surgery. Additionally, skin on the belly will stretch again and with or without significant weight loss, you may develop some skin redundancy again.  Dr. Albright, one of the best tummy tuck doctors and tummy tuck surgeons, may need to perform a touch up to return you to your prepregnancy result.

No. A tummy tuck does not remove visceral fat, which is located deeper inside the abdominal cavity around the internal organs. Abdominoplasty primarily addresses excess abdominal skin and, when appropriate, abdominal wall laxity or muscle separation. Liposuction may be used to reduce selected areas of subcutaneous fat—the fat located beneath the skin—but it does not remove visceral fat. Dr. Albright can evaluate the different factors contributing to abdominal fullness during your consultation.

A tummy tuck and liposuction address different concerns. A tummy tuck primarily removes excess skin and can address abdominal wall laxity or muscle separation when appropriate. Liposuction removes localized subcutaneous fat but does not remove significant loose skin or repair the abdominal wall. Some patients may benefit from combining the two procedures, while others may need only one. The appropriate approach depends on your anatomy and goals.

Tummy tuck results can be long-lasting, but the body will continue to change over time. Significant weight fluctuations, future pregnancy, aging, and other factors can affect the abdominal skin and contour after surgery. Maintaining a relatively stable weight can help preserve the result. A tummy tuck cannot prevent future changes to the abdomen.