Excess skin and fat deposits around the abdomen resulting from weight loss, pregnancy, or other reasons can be both uncomfortable and unsightly.

You may experience discomfort from sagging skin that rubs together or simply be self-conscious about the lack of an attractive, natural abdominal contour. If you would like to achieve a healthier, contoured body shape, tummy tuck surgery, also called abdominoplasty, may be a very attractive option.

Abdominoplasty Procedure

Tummy tuck surgery is performed by making an incision across the abdomen horizontally between the hips. Carefully, the surgeon detaches the skin from the abdomen and tightens the muscles underneath. Excess fatty tissue and skin are excised as the incision is closed to create a smooth contour and slimmer appearance.

There are several tummy tuck surgery techniques, and your board certified abdominoplasty surgeon will help you decide which particular technique best suits your needs.

Tummy Tuck Recovery

After tummy tuck surgery, you will be provided a special garment to protect the incision site and reduce swelling. Some swelling, along with numbness and bruising, is perfectly normal and should disappear within a few weeks. The day after your tummy tuck surgery, your surgeon will check the incision site for any potential infections or problems, and will probably prescribe an antibiotic regimen along with pain management medications.

Because abdominoplasty is a major surgical procedure, it may take several weeks to recover fully. After about a month, however, most tummy tuck surgery patients are able to resume your normal activities. In the next few months, you may worry about the visibility of the incision scar. Though it will never completely disappear, your scar will fade significantly over a six to nine month period.

Combination with Other Procedures

Many patients who undergo liposuction surgery or VASER® Lipo choose to combine those procedures with tummy tuck surgery to remove the excess skin after abdominal fat is removed. This gives the stomach a sculpted, fit appearance.

To get an idea of what tummy tuck surgery can do for you, we invite you to take a look at the impressive results in our abdominoplasty before and after gallery.

If you are ready to see similar results for yourself and achieve the body contours you have always wanted, The Austin-Weston Center for Cosmetic Surgery is ready to help.