Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)

You would be an ideal candidate to consider a tummy tuck procedure if you have:

• Loose, saggy lower portion of the tummy / abdominal region
• Abnormal protrusion of the central tummy region, especially common after childbirth or weight loss.
• A stable weight and exercise regime
• Despite your healthy diet and exercise regime, you are not able to get rid of excess skin and fat and achieve a flat, firm tummy contour.
• Loss of self-confidence or difficulty in fitting into clothing/swimwear due to the loss of your previous figure / abdominal contour.

Pre-operative preparation: Our team would provide you with the necessary pre-operative instructions and preparatory steps before surgery. For example, cigarette / e-cigarette smoking would have to be strictly stopped for (at least) 1 month before and after surgery, as this severely impairs wound healing and recovery, and significantly increases rate of complications. We would encourage you to maintain your good diet and exercise regime, and set up a safe space at home or home recovery area to optimise your healing. If you have young children at home, we encourage you to make childcare arrangements beforehand, so that you may recover with complete peace of mind. 

Operative phase: On the day of surgery, you and your plastic surgeon will mark out and discuss the areas which are to be addressed during surgery. Tummy tucks / abdominoplasty surgery can be performed under local/regional anaesthesia with sedation or general anaesthesia. MOH accredited anaesthetists will be engaged to ensure you will be kept safe and comfortable throughout the procedure. The components of a typical abdominoplasty would include: (1) Removal of the marked out excess skin and fat, (2) liposuction to sculpt the remaining abdominal wall, (3) Repair of fascia to correct rectus diastasis (LINK) (4) Umbilicoplasty (re-siting or re-creation of the belly button).

 

Post-operative recovery: Some tummy tucks / abdominoplasty techniques can be done as a day surgery procedure, or with one night’s stay. More extensive procedures would require longer hospital stay (typically 3-5 days) where post-operative nursing requirements are higher. Compression garments would be applied after surgery and you will be required to wear a compression garment for about 6 weeks to help with reduction in swelling. Sometimes, there would be surgical drains used after surgery to remove excess surgical fluid; drain care would be taught to you prior to discharge. 

The extent of the surgical scar would be directly related to how much skin excess needs to be removed. For example, a conventional tummy tuck scar would typically stretch from hip to hip, concealed beneath your undergarments. If only a small amount of skin is removed, a mini tummy tuck can be considered and this will have a consequently smaller scar. If there are existing surgical scars from previous caesarean delivery or other abdominal surgery, we typically can incorporate them to improve overall scar appearance.

The torso, more specifically the breast and abdomen, often suffer the brunt of post-pregnancy change and is the most disconcerting. It is not uncommon to feel more conscious about these changes, and it is important that we help to restore self-confidence and body image. We’d recommend that all bodily changes stabilise for a few months (shrinkage of abdomen, cessation of breast feeding etc) prior to surgery. This would be at least six months to a year after delivery, or beyond. Check out Mommy Makeover (LINK) for more details.

If you have undergone bariatric / metabolic surgery and have had massive weight loss, certain abdominoplasty procedures can be covered by insurance on a case by case basis. Certain components of your tummy tuck that can be considered as functional correction may also be covered by your insurance as well. Speak with your insurance provider and plastic surgeon to find out more.

Soreness or tightness may last for several weeks after your surgery. You may also have numbness, bruising and overall fatigue during that time; these should all gradually resolve.

As with any surgery, there are risks. You may have an increased risk of complications if you have poor circulation, diabetes, heart, lung, or liver disease, or if you smoke. Complications can include: suboptimal scarring, hematoma (bleeding), Infection, Seroma (accumulation of fluid), Poor wound healing / wound dehiscence, Blood clots, Numbness or other changes in sensation

For more extensive operations, especially with patients who are still obese at the time of surgery, some of the complications can include: Fat necrosis, Wound separation, Asymmetry (unevenness of contour).

It is also crucial to communicate with your plastic surgeon about your surgical goals or targets before any surgery, so that all your needs and expectations can be addressed adequately. Lastly, long term scarring after surgery can be minimized through optimal surgical design and technique, but the long-term result can vary greatly between individuals.  Overall, the complication rate would be related to the complexity of the surgery.