Tummy Tuck Before and After: These side views of Abdominoplasty before and after pictures show what a Tummy Tuck can do to address overstretched abdominal muscles and abdominal skin laxity seen after pregnancy or weight loss.
The Tummy Tuck remains one of my most frequently performed cosmetic plastic surgery procedures, and one of my favorites. Plastic Surgeons have to be a bit obsessive to get the very best results. The Tummy Tuck, or Abdominoplasty, gives us the ability to not only remove fat, like Liposuction, and remove extra skin like a panniculectomy, but also allows a Plastic Surgeon to tighten the abdominal wall muscles. Tightening the abdominal muscles is the only way to tighten the foundation of the abdominal wall and obtain the flattest possible results.
Muscle Tightening – The Foundation of the Tummy Tuck
The Tummy Tuck Before and After Pictures above show what can be accomplished. The bulge that starts well above her belly button is from laxity of the muscles that make up the abdominal wall. This is often seen after pregnancy, and no matter how many sit-ups are performed, if the muscle fascia is over-stretched, the muscles will not tighten properly.
During your Abdominoplasty, the tough case the covers the front of abdominal muscles (the fascia) is tightened. Sutures are placed that act like an internal corset and flatten the belly. It is effective as long as the fascia is normal and the belly is not full of fat. Tummy Tucks are best performed when we are near our ideal body weight and are not planning to have more children.
Abdominoplasty Before and After Pictures
Abdominoplasty Before and After Pictures: The front view of the above Abdominoplasty shows how much the abdominal muscles and skin are tightened. The shadows of the muscles are brought closer to the midline and skin is much smoother. The belly button is also rejuvenated.
Skin Tightening – The Icing of the Tummy Tuck
Sometimes the abdominal muscles are in good shape, but there is too much skin covering them. Abdominoplasties directly remove extra skin right off the front of the belly, and the skin removal is sometimes continued around the sides for an extended Tummy Tuck, if the skin excess continues around to the sides. An Abdominoplasty will not tighten the skin of the back. This is why the Lower Body Lift was invented.
Fat Removal for Disproportionate Fat
Liposuction is frequently combined with the Tummy Tuck to maintain the trunk’s proportions. If the sides or back are full, but the skin is tight, Liposuction can be used to reduce this fullness. More recently, this fat has also been repurposed to enhance the buttocks as part of a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL). In the BBL, fat is grafted into the buttocks to enhance its shape and restore absent volume. An example is shown below.
Tummy Tuck and Brazilian Butt Lift Before and After Pictures: In this case, Abdominoplasty is combined with Liposuction of the back and flanks. The fat is harvested and grafted into the buttocks to create fuller, curvier buttocks.
Tummy Tuck Consultations
If you are considering a Tummy Tuck, give my San Francisco Bay Area Plastic Surgery office a call today at (925) 943-6353. My friendly staff can help arrange a convenient appointment time, so that we can discuss the details of your procedure, and choose the type of Abdominoplasty that is best suited to your needs.