Tummy Tuck
A tummy tuck, known medically as abdominoplasty, is a surgical procedure that removes excess skin and fat from the abdomen and repairs stretched or separated abdominal muscles. It is a genuine operation—performed under anesthesia, through an incision, with a recovery measured in weeks—and is most often discussed after pregnancy or major weight loss, when loose skin no longer responds to diet and exercise.
- Body surgery
- About 4–6 weeks before normal activity
- Surgical
Overview
A tummy tuck addresses problems that diet and exercise cannot fix directly: an apron of loose, excess skin on the lower abdomen, and a pair of vertical abdominal muscles that have been stretched apart along the midline (rectus diastasis). It is most often considered after pregnancy or major weight loss, when the skin has lost the ability to retract. Stretch marks sitting on the strip of skin that is removed—typically below the navel—go with it; those elsewhere remain.
It is worth being clear about the boundaries. A tummy tuck is not a weight-loss operation and does not remove visceral fat, the deeper fat around the organs that responds only to overall weight change. It also differs from liposuction, which removes pockets of fat but does not address loose skin or muscle separation; the two are sometimes combined in one operation, a decision made case by case in consultation. The surgery reshapes the abdominal wall—it does not prevent future weight changes from altering it again.
How it works
No community notes yet