Abdominoplasty

Everyone needs to be evaluated on a case by case basis, but generally speaking there are several changes that happen during pregnancy and especially after C-section that require abdominoplasty to repair.

We all know about “baby weight,” which if this was the only problem you’d be able to fix on your own. The next issue is the extra skin from the expansion of the uterus causing the belly skin to stretch. Over the first few weeks after delivery, some of this will bounce back due to the natural elasticity of your skin, but some of this may not and what remains loose afterwards will not change — there are no exercises or natural solutions to cause this skin, that was stretched beyond its elastic ability, to recoil... think of it like a rubber band that you stretched out too far.

And the last, and most pertinent to this discussion, is the changes to the rectus abdominis muscles... these are the paired muscles that make up the front and center of your abdominal wall. Before pregnancy, these muscles are aligned together in a straight up and down fashion with no gap between the two of them, also because of the stretching upon them by the uterus, they become stretched out, and rounded, and the weak-spot between the two muscles allows them so completely separate and leave a permanent zone that runs vertically along the center that has no muscle, preventing there to be a complete continuity of core muscle resulting in weakness. This is called the “rectus diastasis” and it happens, to some degree, in all first term pregnancies and is made worse by additional pregnancies. This is further complicated in C-section patients because the procedure damages a significant amount of the nerves running within the lower rectus muscles responsible for helping to keep those muscles’ resting tone. When resting tone is lessened, there is less resistance to “sucking in your gut” and the inner belly contents can push outwards, making your belly seem rounder when you aren’t flexing your abdominal wall.

The solution to this is abdominoplasty, with or without liposuction. The key part of abdominoplasty for C-section patients is the reconstruction of the abdominal wall. If it’s belly roundness that bothers you, imagine this.

The skin and fat on your belly is like the blanket on your bed. It can be thick and fluffy like your winter down blanket, or you have lost the baby weight, and you have minimal extra skin, then it can be more like a top sheet. When either the blanket or sheet lies on your bed, it’s flat. If you take that blanket or sheet and throw it Over your kitchen chair, it takes the shape of your kitchen chair. Either way, thick or thin, it takes the shape of what lies beneath. In other words, if your abdominal muscles are round, have lost their tone, and there is a space absent of muscle in the center of the abdomen, your belly may appear and feel rounded even if you lose weight.

Liposuction can be used to thin your “blanket” into a “sheet” and can be used to contour your waistline and re-establish the hourglass shape of your hips, but it is not a substitute for abdominoplasty in patients who need abdominal wall reconstruction.

Absolutely. An abdominoplasty can be part of a mommy makeover procedure that targets multiple areas for a full-body rejuvenation. Abdominoplasty is commonly paired with a breast lift, breast augmentation or liposuction in other areas of the body. Let us know during your initial consultation if you are interested in additional procedures, and we will create a personalized treatment plan that meets all of your needs.

Good candidates for abdominoplasty will have loose abdominal skin and excess fat around the midsection, along with abdominal separation or an unfavorable C-section scar if the patient has previously been pregnant. The ideal candidate will be a non-smoker in good health with realistic expectations about the procedure. All female patients should be done having children, as future pregnancy can harm results. Patients should wait at least six months to one year after completing breastfeeding before undergoing an abdominoplasty.

We will perform an in-person evaluation during an initial consultation to determine if you are a good candidate for the procedure.

Abdominoplasty scars are located around the navel and above the pubic region. The scar around the navel is typically not noticeable, as it is situated within the belly button itself. The horizontal scar from the skin excision is placed in the bikini line where it can be easily hidden by clothing. The scar will curve down slightly toward the center and stretch from one side of the midsection to the other. The exact length of the scar will vary among each patient. We will work with you after the procedure to help promote a healthy and favorable healing process, ensuring your scarring is as minimal as possible.

Lipoabdominoplasty combines liposuction with an abdominoplasty for a comprehensive approach to body contouring. Patients with mild to moderate excess fat that has been resistant to a healthy diet and exercise routine are good candidates for lipoabdominoplasty. For patients with loose abdominal skin and a minimal amount of fat, a traditional abdominoplasty tends to be the recommended procedure. We will determine which option is better for you after an in-person evaluation.

A mini-abdominoplasty, or mini tummy tuck, is a popular procedure that targets only the lower abdomen to create a tighter, slimmer stomach. Patients with loose skin, excess fat, and abdominal separation located below the navel are suitable patients for a mini tummy tuck. Patients with any postnatal or weight loss concerns situated above and below the navel are better candidates for a traditional abdominoplasty.

The length of the procedure will vary with the addition of liposuction but tends to last between two and four hours.