Abdominoplasty, or “tummy tuck”, is a major surgical procedure to remove excess skin and fat from the middle and lower abdomen and to tighten the muscles of the abdominal wall. The procedure can dramatically reduce the appearance of a protruding abdomen.

Most commonly, along incision is made from hipbone to hipbone, going down from one hipbone and passing just above the pubic area, then going up to the other hipbone. A second incision is made to free the navel from surrounding tissue. Next, the skin is separated from the abdominal wall all the way up to your ribs and a large skin flap is lifted to reveal the vertical muscles (the rectos abdominal muscles) in your abdomen. These muscles are tightened by pulling them close together at the midline of the body and stitching them into their new position. This provides a firmer abdominal wall and narrows the waistline. The skin flap is then stretched down and the extra skin is removed. A new hole is cut for your navel, which is then stitched in place. Finally, the incisions will be stitched, dressings will be applied, and a temporary tube may be inserted to drain excess fluid from the surgical site.