Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)

In sunny Southern California, bikini bodies are highly sought-after. However, changes brought on by pregnancy and weight loss can make flat abs seem out of reach. People lose body fat with hard work, but they rarely regain the original tone of belly skin after extreme stretching.

When diet and exercise have achieved all they can, you may still struggle with loose, hanging abdominal skin and separated muscles. Some people have a “pooch” or protruding belly, even though they have minimal body fat. Diastasis recti is the medical term for this condition, which results from a separation of vertical abdominal muscles.

Tummy tuck surgery targets muscles for tightening, and removes the lax skin for a firm, tight contour.

Through trimming away skin and using liposuction to recontour, Dr. Sajjadian can completely transform your midsection.

Patients often report renewed confidence no matter what they’re wearing – even tiny, barely-there bikinis. The scar created from abdominoplasty is typically small enough to hide below the underwear line, and will fade over time.

The full or standard tummy tuck is similar to a mini. The differences lie in incision length and how much of the abdomen each surgery will treat.

Full abdominoplasty will improve the appearance of areas above and below the navel. In the process, Dr. Sajjadian will reconstruct the belly button and repair diastasis recti for a slimmer, tight waistline.

Your procedure may include liposuction on the abdomen and flanks. The incision required for full tummy tucks spans from hip to hip across the lower belly, allowing Dr. Sajjadian to remove a significant amount of excess fat and skin.

Alternately, mini tummy tucks treat the area below the navel. With a shorter incision, Dr. Sajjadian can still repair muscles, remove excess skin, and perform liposuction. Mini tummy tucks are best suited to those with minor muscle separation, unwanted fat, and skin laxity below the belly button.

Most of our patients don’t report much pain during their tummy tuck recovery, though tightness and sensitivity in the area are typical parts of the healing process.

You can manage pain with over-the-counter medication, and we recommend getting plenty of rest while avoiding strenuous activities such as heavy lifting.

Most Newport Beach tummy tuck patients return to non-strenuous jobs after one to two weeks, depending on their procedure’s specifics.

Yes. A tummy tuck does not affect your ability to become pregnant and give birth to a healthy baby. However, we recommend waiting to have your tummy tuck until after you are no longer planning to have children. While there are no major risks associated with pregnancy after abdominoplasty, the stress and strain of carrying a child to term can effectively undo many of the results achieved with your initial surgery. If your surgeon tightened your abdominal muscle fascia during your procedure, you may find that you redevelop diastasis recti and stretched, excess skin again after childbirth.

Understanding the differences between a tummy tuck and liposuction is a good starting point if you are considering body contouring but not sure what you need. Liposuction is a surgical procedure designed to remove excess subcutaneous fat only. Many people have difficulty working off love handles or fat on their lower belly with diet and exercise. If you have good, elastic skin tone, liposuction may be ideal to achieve the smooth abdomen you want.

Tummy tuck procedures can remove excess fat, but they also use a long, horizontal incision to excise extra skin and will sometimes involve tightening abdominal muscles too. When sagging, loose skin or diastasis recti are a concern, your plastic surgeon will likely recommend a tummy tuck.

Diastasis recti is typically visible as a “pooch” or protruding belly, even for those who have little excess fat. It usually results from excess inner-abdominal pressure during pregnancy. Sometimes only a small, one- to two-inch separation exists and may be below the navel. In other cases, a wide separation is present from the pubic bone to well above the umbilicus.

Abdominoplasty procedures allow a plastic surgeon access to the muscle and tough, overlying material called fascia. Dr. Sajjadian pulls this strong layer toward the center on each side and sutures it in place with durable, medical-grade nylon stitches. This process works like a corset to slim the waistline and flatten the abdomen.

Abdominoplasty requires more patience for results than some cosmetic surgeries. It’s not uncommon to wait six months or more for residual swelling to disappear and for scars to mature and fade. However, in most cases, patients are excited to see very visible improvements right away. You’ll be able to celebrate each milestone as you heal and your new form continues taking shape.

Because a tummy tuck involves substantial surgical work, the normal swelling that lasts around the midsection can take a long time to resolve. Muscle and tissue tightness also persist for a few months or longer in some cases.

Rest assured that between six months to a year after your surgery, you’ll see and feel dramatic improvements from your procedure.