Dieting and exercising on a regular basis can make it possible to tone up your abdominal muscles after you have given birth or lost a lot of weight but they are not able to help when it comes to the droopy, loose sagging skin that has been left behind. This is where the tummy tuck procedure can come to the rescue.

A tummy tuck, also known as an abdominoplasty, is a type of major cosmetic surgery that serves to flatten the abdominal region. This is achieved by the removal of excessive fat and skin. During the tummy tuck procedure the muscles of the abdominal wall are also tightened.

The Surgical Procedure

The tummy tuck procedure is most often done by way of general anesthesia. In some instances it may be performed under local anesthesia with a sedative being given to the patient. However the latter can often lead to a fair amount of discomfort during the procedure. The surgery can take anywhere from two to five hours to perform from start to finish.

The surgeon begins by making a long incision across the abdomen that runs from the bone of one hip to the other. The incision has a shape that resembles a smile that is more flat on the bottom than curved. The flat part of the “smile” incision is to be found slightly above the pubic area. The side portions of the smile are gently curving and extend along the pelvis, continuing up to the top portion of the hip bone.

The surgeon will then make another incision around the area where the belly button is located. This incision is made in order to free it from all of the abdominal tissue.

The next part of the tummy tuck procedure involves the skin being carefully separated from the walls of the abdomen. The surgeon will continue to separate it up to the ribs and to the point where the vertical abdominal muscles (or rectus muscles) are exposed. It is very common in women who have had multiple pregnancies for these muscles to be stretched a great deal.

The surgeon will then take the rectus muscles and stitch them into a more appropriate position that lends itself to a flatter abdomen. This will make a difference in terms of tightening the muscles and decreasing the waistline.

Once the muscles have been placed in a new position and tightened, the excess skin is then stretched and taken away. The skin that is left is then redraped over the abdomen and sutured. The belly button is then brought out again. It may be slightly repositioned but the difference from its former location will be very small.