Abdominoplasty, commonly known as a tummy tuck, is a surgical body contouring procedure designed to remove excess skin and fat from the abdomen while improving abdominal contour, flatness, and firmness. This procedure is often performed after significant weight loss or pregnancy, when loose skin and weakened abdominal muscles cannot be corrected with diet and exercise alone. This procedure is best performed on healthy adults whose weight is stable and who don’t anticipate further weight loss or pregnancy.
What Is a Tummy Tuck?
A tummy tuck is a skin removal and abdominal contouring surgery that addresses excess skin, localized fat, and weakened or separated abdominal muscles. Depending on the patient’s anatomy and goals, abdominoplasty may include:
- Removal of excess abdominal skin and fat
- Abdominal muscle repair (plication) to tighten separated muscles that run vertically between the pubic bone and sternum.
- Umbilical relocation (belly button repositioning) for natural appearance
- Contouring of the lateral waist and midsection
This procedure is often part of post-weight-loss body contouring and is also a core component of many mommy makeover procedures.
The Tummy Tuck Process
During your consultation, we will review your medical history, do a physical examination, and then discuss your goals, options, and alternatives together. When you decide to proceed, we will schedule a thorough pre-operative physical, take measurements for compression garments, prescribe medications, set up labs and medical releases as needed, review consents for surgery and anesthesia, review consents for stem cell deployments to assist in recovery, and take digital pictures for comparison after surgery. This is scheduled 2-4 weeks before your procedure.
In the days before your procedure, you will follow a high-protein diet and avoid medications that can cause bleeding and bruising (Aspirin, NSAIDs, fish oil, Vitamin E, blood thinners, etc.). Some patients prepare their bodies with Redvive red and NIR therapy. You will wash for several days with Hibiclens or a similar antimicrobial soap. You may be prescribed medications to start taking the day before your procedure. You will be told whether you can eat a light meal that morning or should fast from midnight, depending on the extent of surgery planned and the type of anesthesia you elect.
Come to the office for your surgery wearing a loose, button-down or zippered garment that is easy to put back on when you have a bulky compression garment underneath and are groggy after surgery. The staff and Dr. Z will review your consents again, help you into disposable surgical attire, review any new labs, EKGs, and other results, and provide you with copies of the results for your records. Your skin will be cleansed, and Dr. Z will make your initial markings while you stand in front of a mirror. He will use different colors to mark areas to be filled with tumescent anesthesia; areas that are too full or high to sculpt more smoothly; areas to fill with your own fat; and areas that need tightening or skin excision.
You will be sedated or placed under anesthesia and fully monitored during your procedure and until you meet criteria for discharge. Once you are comfortable, you will be prepped and draped for surgery, and tumescent anesthesia, which lasts for many hours, is used to numb the surgical areas and control bleeding. Then the fat is tunneled and loosened for removal if needed. Dr. Z uses both manual and rotary power-assisted cannulas to sculpt your body. Once the initial sculpting is complete, if no muscle plication (tying the rectus muscles back together) is planned, his assistants will help you sit up so Dr. Z can see the results under gravity, re-mark any areas for fine-tuning, and position you horizontally again for finishing work, blending, and lower abdominal skin excision. If the umbilicus needs to be relocated higher, it will be done at this time as well.
You may receive IV umbilical-derived stem cells that will communicate with your own cells to speed healing and reduce inflammation.
Then we perform lymphatic drainage, apply absorbent pads to the insertion sites, dress you in a compression garment, and let you awaken comfortably.
How a Tummy Tuck Is Performed
During a tummy tuck surgery at Aesthetic Revolution Las Vegas, after any liposculpting is completed, a horizontal incision is made in the lower abdomen, typically placed low enough to be concealed beneath underwear or swimwear. The extent of surgery varies and may range from a limited (mini tummy tuck) to a full abdominoplasty, depending on the degree of skin laxity and muscle separation.
Procedure Details:
- Duration: 3–4 hours
- Anesthesia: Can be Conscious Sedation if only liposuction and skin excision are performed; General Anesthesia is used if muscle plication is planned or desired.
What It Can Help With
A tummy tuck is ideal for patients seeking excess skin removal surgery and improved abdominal contour. It can help:
- Remove loose, hanging abdominal skin and elevate the pubic skin
- Elevate umbilicus
- Tighten weakened or separated abdominal muscles (diastasis recti repair)
- Improve waistline definition
- Reduce skin irritation or rashes beneath skin folds
- Restore a flatter, firmer abdominal appearance
Pre-Surgical Guidelines
To prepare for tummy tuck surgery after weight loss or pregnancy, patients should:
- Maintain a stable weight prior to surgery
- Avoid nicotine for at least 4–6 weeks before and after surgery
- Stop blood-thinning medications as directed
- Follow a healthy, protein-rich diet to support healing
- Use your home Redvive Red/NIR light therapy as directed
- Complete all required medical evaluations
What to Expect and After Care
Recovery from abdominoplasty surgery varies depending on the extent of correction and whether muscle repair is performed. After surgery:
- Modest discomfort and oozing of bloody tumescent fluid are expected (you will have medications for pain and muscle relaxation if needed)
- Swelling, bruising, and abdominal tightness are expected
- Compression garments or abdominal binders are worn to support healing for 4 to 6 weeks
- Surgical drains may be placed temporarily
- Standing fully upright may be limited initially due to muscle tightening
Patients should:
- Avoid strenuous activity and core engagement for several weeks
- Walk early to promote circulation and reduce the risk of complications
- Follow all incision and wound care instructions carefully
- Attend all follow-up appointments for rechecks and lymphatic drainage massage
- If you are using Redvive Red/NIR light therapy, you can restart after being cleared by Dr. Z to have your compression garment off for a short time
Recovery Timeline
- Initial recovery: 2–3 weeks
- Return to light activity: 4 weeks
- Resume full activity: 8-10 weeks
- Final results develop over several months as swelling and tissue firmness resolve. Remodeling can continue for up to a year with a proper high-protein diet and exercise.
Results of an Abdominoplasty
A tummy tuck provides long-lasting improvement in abdominal contour after weight loss or pregnancy by removing excess skin and tightening underlying structures. When muscle plication is performed, patients often notice improved core support and a flatter abdominal profile. With umbilical relocation, the belly button is repositioned to maintain a natural appearance.
Scarring is an expected part of tummy tuck surgery, but incisions are carefully placed and typically fade over time with proper care. Maintaining a stable weight is important for preserving results.
Call Us at Aesthetic Revolution Las Vegas to Set Up a Tummy Tuck Consultation
A tummy tuck is a highly personalized body-contouring procedure following weight loss or pregnancy. During your consultation, Dr. Z will evaluate your health, anatomy, skin quality, and the extent of muscle separation to determine whether an abdominoplasty, with or without umbilical relocation and muscle plication, is the best approach to achieving safe, natural, long-lasting results.
