Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)

Abdominoplasty removes excess abdominal skin and fat while restoring strength and shape to the abdominal wall. It particularly benefits patients with loose skin, muscle separation, or contour irregularities following pregnancy, weight loss, or aging.

Dr. Low approaches the tummy tuck as functional restoration as much as aesthetic refinement. The muscle repair is the part patients feel; the contour is the part they see.

What Is Abdominoplasty?

The procedure removes redundant skin and fat from the abdomen and tightens the underlying abdominal muscles where separation — diastasis recti — is present. Diastasis is extremely common after pregnancy and cannot be corrected by exercise: the muscles themselves are intact, but the connective tissue between them has stretched. No amount of core work brings them back together.

Commonly combined with:

• Liposuction of the flanks and waist
• Breast surgery as part of a mommy makeover
• Fat transfer to the hips or buttocks

Benefits

• Flattens and firms the abdomen
• Removes excess and stretched skin
• Repairs separated abdominal muscles
• Improves waist definition and body proportion
• Improves posture and core support
• Often relieves skin irritation beneath abdominal folds
• Long-lasting results at a stable weight

Techniques at YCL Plastic Surgery

Full abdominoplasty

Addresses skin excess and muscle laxity from the ribcage down. Muscles are repaired along their full length and the belly button is repositioned through a new, natural-looking opening. The standard approach for post-pregnancy patients.

Mini abdominoplasty

Treats the lower abdomen only, below the belly button. Suitable for limited skin laxity and minimal muscle separation. Shorter incision, faster recovery, correspondingly less correction.

Extended abdominoplasty

The incision extends toward the flanks for patients with skin laxity continuing around the sides, common after significant weight loss.

Abdominoplasty with liposuction

Liposuction of the flanks, waist, and upper abdomen refines the contour and creates the waist definition that skin removal alone does not achieve. Used in the large majority of cases.

Who Is a Candidate?

You may be a good candidate if you:

• Have loose or excess abdominal skin
• Have muscle separation following pregnancy
• Are at a stable weight
• Have finished having children, or accept that pregnancy will alter results
• Are in good health with realistic expectations
• Do not smoke, or can stop well in advance

Recovery & Expectations

Abdominoplasty asks more of patients than most body procedures, and Dr. Low is direct about it. Expect 1–2 weeks before light daily activity feels comfortable and returning to desk work is realistic. Strenuous exercise and core work resume at 6 weeks.

You will stand and walk slightly bent for the first several days — this is normal and resolves quickly. Swelling, tightness, and altered sensation across the lower abdomen are expected early. Final contour continues refining over several months as swelling resolves.

Dr. Low provides detailed post-operative instructions and close personal follow-up.

Scar Placement & Healing

The incision sits low across the abdomen, within the natural bikini line, concealed by underwear and swimwear. In a full abdominoplasty, the belly button is brought through a new opening designed to look natural rather than surgical — a detail worth attention, since an obvious umbilicus gives away an otherwise excellent result.

Scars are firm and pink initially, softening and fading over 12–18 months. Tension-free closure, silicone therapy, and sun protection all support the best outcome.