One of the most popular types of cosmetic surgery today is the tummy tuck, and no, you don't put your stomach to sleep. A tummy tuck is a procedure wherein the excess fats as well as skin is surgically removed from the lower to the middle abdomen. The major procedure known in the surgical community as abdominoplasty is a a major surgical procedure that may last up to 5 hours under general anesthesia. Although not necessarily a weight loss procedure, it can dramatically decrease sagging in the abdominal area giving the person a flatter abdomen.

Who can have abdominoplasty?

Men or women in relatively good health are the best candidates for abdominoplasty. The procedure doesn't induce weight loss so it isn't recommended for obese people. Most of the people who undergo this procedure are women who have at least two pregnancies. Most of the time the skin in the abdomen doesn't return to its normal form after being stretched too much during pregnancy, a tummy tuck therefore decreases the excess and sagging skin as well as muscles from the stomach.

Abdominoplasty can also be a tool for reconstructive surgery for obese people who've undergone massive weight loss. However, the procedure is not recommended for people who plan to undergo major weight loss after operation.

What are the risks?

Every type of surgery has risks so be sure to have a qualified plastic surgeon do the procedure. Consultations before the procedure is also a must.

Although abdominoplasties done around the world are relatively safe, there are still post operative complications that can happen. These may include blood clots or infections. Abdominoplasty is a major procedure and requires a few days stay however, infections that occur after surgery may prolong the patient's stay due to antibiotic treatments that need to be done. Blood clots on the other hand can be minimized with small movements as soon as possible after surgery.

What happens during surgery?

As said before, a normal abdominoplasty lasts for up to five hours. During this time a horizontal incision is made on the abdomen just above the pubic area. The incision would be long enough to traverse the whole stomach from hipbone to hipbone. Another incision would then be made to detach the navel from the surrounding tissue.

There is a procedure called partial abdominoplasty, which doesn't require the large horizontal incision nor the repositioning of the navel, this can be done for smaller abdomens however, the navel may be pulled into an unnatural shape.

After the incisions are made, the doctor severs the skin from the abdominal wall to get access to the inner muscles of the abdomen. By pulling these muscles together, and stitching them into a new position, the tummy is then tucked and contoured into the desired shape, as a result the abdominal wall is firmer and the waistline is recognizably narrower.

Afterwards, the skin flap is pulled down and excess skin is removed, a new hole for the navel is then cut and then finally all the skin is stitched into place.