During Surgery
A tummy tuck is usually performed under general anaesthetic although they are sometimes performed under sedation where the area being treated is numbed but you remain drowsy but awake.
Your surgery will usually take place in a hospital environment, as it is a fairly invasive procedure, and may involve an overnight stay.
A full tummy tuck will take between two and five hours depending on how much work is being done and whether or not it is being combined with other procedures such as liposuction. A mini tummy tuck will take significantly less time, between one and two hours.
The number and type of incisions you have during your surgery will depend on the type of tummy tuck you are having. The mini tummy tuck, also called a partial abdominoplasty, involves only a single incision made below the navel on the lower abdomen whereas a full tummy tuck involves a larger incision along the front of the abdomen from hip bone to hip bone. A circumferential tummy tuck involves the removal of loose hanging skin from the entire hip area, including the back, and requires an incision that cuts across the entire waist line. Your surgeon will carefully plan the positioning to ensure the resulting scars will be as easily hidden as possible.
Most tummy tucks, except for very minor partial abdominoplasty surgeries, also involve repositioning of the belly button. To do this a second incision is made across the abdomen to detach the navel. Depending on what your surgeon thinks will create a more appealing result, another small incision is made to either reattach your existing naval or artificially sculpt a new one.
Tummy tuck surgery also allows the surgeon to tighten sagging abdominal muscles. After the incisions have been made then the surgeon separates the skin from the abdominal wall to reveal the muscle. He/she is then able to pull the muscles closer together and stitch them back into a position that will give you a more toned stomach and defined waistline.
Liposuction is sometimes used to remove any unwanted fat pockets before the skin is stretched back over the abdominal wall and the excess skin and fat is removed. Stretch marks can also be improved and/or removed at this stage as any that are positioned below the navel are often removed along with the excess skin while the remaining stretch marks often appear less prominent after the skin has been stretched.
Once the surgery is complete the surgeon will stitch the original incision closed. A surgical drain will be inserted to allow excess fluid to drain away as build up of fluid can lead to post-surgical complications. Dressings and support bandages will be applied.
