Surgery / TREATMENT GUIDE
Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty)
Removes loose skin and fat from the lower abdomen and stitches separated abdominal muscles back together, usually after pregnancy or major weight loss.
- Appointment
- 2 to 4 hours
- Typical social recovery
- Several weeks
- When results may appear
- 6 to 12 weeks
- How long they may last
- Long term at a stable weight
- Typical course
- One
- Relative cost
- $$$ · Major relative cost
Ranges vary by person, product, area and technique. Cost symbols are editorial comparisons—not quotes. Ask for the full course and follow-up cost.
How it works
A low horizontal incision, the skin is lifted, the stretched muscle sheath is stitched together, excess skin is removed and the belly button repositioned. Often combined with liposuction.
Four illustrative steps. Select a step to highlight it; the optional anatomy view explains the same mechanism.
Recovery, in practical terms
Walking bent over for a week, 2 to 4 weeks off work, no heavy lifting for 6 weeks.
What it can feel like: General anaesthesia.
What people discuss
Loose skin and muscle separation after pregnancy or weight loss.
Reasons to pause
Planning a pregnancy, a high BMI, smokers.
This list is not exhaustive. A clinician must assess your health, medications, skin and goals.
Risks worth understanding
- A long scar
- Fluid collections, infection
- Blood clots
- Numbness
Ask your clinician
- Do I need muscle repair or only skin?
- Exactly where will the scar sit?
Sources, approval context & editorial limits
Surgeon credentials and facility accreditation require local verification.
Sources support regulatory and safety context; not every efficacy claim or range has been independently verified.
Educational information, not medical advice or a personal recommendation. Independent clinical review is pending. A qualified clinician must assess individual suitability. Timings, relative costs and visuals are illustrative, not guarantees.
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