I often call a tummy tuck, medically known as an abdominoplasty, as the ‘facelift’ of the body. It is a dramatically effective procedure that makes a change in the mid-section of the body that no amount of exercise or weight loss can ever do. While it is not a simple and quick recovery, the long-term benefits are enormous for most patients. The analogy of a tummy tuck to a facelift is a good one, because the surgery is all about layers. Removing and moving different layers of the abdominal wall to get the desired effect.
Whatever you don’t like about your stomach and waistline area, what you are seeing is a function of the three layers; skin, fat, and muscle. Each patient’s problem’s is composed of different contributions (excess or looseness) of these three layers. Knowing the contributions of each goes a long way in picking the right tummy/waistline solution.
If ones stomach area or waistline is full but the overlying skin is not loose, for example, then this problem is better treated by liposuction and you probably don’t need a tummy tuck. If, however, the stomach skin is loose, has stretch marks, sticks out, if you have had children, then some variation of a tummy tuck is probably in order.
A tummy tuck can deal with all three layers of the problem; removing loose skin, excess fat (even in areas where skin is not removed), and tightens the muscle. This three-layer approach produces the best result as all problem layers are adjusted.
Tummy tucks come essentially in two varieties; a mini- or limited tummy tuck and a maxi- or full tummy tuck. The fundamental difference between the two is in the amount of skin removed. If the cut-out of skin and fat is done below the belly button, this falls into the mini-tummy tuck variety. In this more limited operation, a new belly button does not have to be created, at the price of cutting out less skin. In the full tummy tuck, the cut-out of skin and fat goes above the belly button. A new belly button hole is needed to bring out the original stalk of the belly button. In either case and for most patients, liposuction is done around the waistline and into the back removing fat from areas that the cut-out does not reach. This is an extremely valuable companion procedure as you need to think of this operation as a 270 degree result, not just a 180 degree (or frontal only) effect.
Dr Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana