Mr Zachary Moaveni - Plastic, Reconstructive & Hand Surgeon

The operation of abdominoplasty (or tummy tuck as it is colloquially known), is designed to remove excess abdominal skin and tissue which has most commonly resulted from pregnancy or weight loss.  Whilst diet and exercise are very helpful in improving your general health, this excess tissue is almost impossible to remove by these methods alone. In fact significant weight loss can make the lower abdominal tissue excess or “overhang” appear worse as the skin becomes deflated and hangs down further. This is often a great source of discomfort and causes difficulty in wearing suitable clothing.

For some women a significant bulge may appear following pregnancy (particularly twin or multiple pregnancies) in the lower or central portion of the abdomen even though they may be quite slim. This “bulge” does not respond to abdominal exercise and can actually be made worse by exercises to tighten the rectus muscles. The “bulge” is in fact a divarication or hernia of the rectus muscles, resulting from these muscles being pushed apart by an enlarging uterus and baby.  The muscles may not return to their normal position after pregnancy, leading to weakness and a bulge in the central abdomen.

Abdominoplasty involves removing excess skin and fat from the stomach and tightening the muscles of the stomach wall. Cuts (incisions) are made across the lower stomach and around the tummy button and the muscles underneath are pulled together and stitched.  The skin flap is stretched down and the excess skin removed.