Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)

We all see the models on the magazine covers showing off their belly's (abdomen). The women have smooth flat contours with narrow waistlines. The men show off these amazing six-packs and oblique's. However, the effects of time, your hectic schedule, weight gain and weight loss, or the effects of pregnancy may have changed your abdomen in a way you find unsuitable.

The abdominoplasty is designed to enhance the abdomen and dramatically change your contours. Some patients may only need contouring of the fat of the abdomen to create their desired shape. For these patients, liposuction may be the perfect answer. Yet for others, loose or saggy skin, bulging of the belly wall, excess fat in certain areas, and / or stretch marks, may be best treated with an abdominoplasty.

There are several different types of abdominoplasties that we offer at the Schneider Centre for Plastic Surgery. Each is designed based on the patient's perceived problem and their desired results. Some patients have loose skin in the lower abdomen, some in the upper abdomen, and some throughout the entire abdomen. Patients may have a bulging of the lower abdomen caused by stretching of the muscle wall. This is common as a result of pregnancy. There may be bulging of the entire abdomen as a result of weight gain. There may also be excess fat in the waistline and hips.

One type of tummy tuck does not address every issue. “We typically perform four different types of tummy tucks” says Dr. Schneider. “And we have had a patient that asked us to design and perform a fifth type specifically to remove her stretch marks from above, below and around her belly button”.

The endoscopic abdominoplasty is a small incision procedure that is combined with liposuction and is used to flatten the tummy bulge and decrease the quantity of fat. A small incision similar to one used for a cesarean section is used, the skin is lifted up to the ribs, the muscle wall is tightened, and liposuction is performed. The procedure is designed for the patient with no looseness in the skin, bulging of the belly wall, and a little excess fat that needs to be contoured.

The mini-abdominoplasty combines a small removal of excess skin as well as liposuction to contour, and muscle tightening to flatten the abdomen. The incision is a little longer than in the endoscopic abdominoplasty allowing us to remove some excess skin. Then the muscle wall is tightened and liposuction performed.

The full abdominoplasty tightens the loose skin the most as well as allows for flattening the abdominal bulge and contouring the waist line. In this procedure, the skin excess from the pubic region to above the belly button is removed, the muscle wall is tightened and the liposuction allows us to contour the torso.

The reverse abdominoplasty is used for patients with looseness of skin in the upper abdomen. An incision is created in each breast fold so that it is hidden and then the skin of the upper abdomen is tightened, the muscle wall is tightened, and liposuction performed.

View photographs of abdominoplasty.