Tummy Tuck

This surgery is one of the most often requested of all the body contouring procedures I perform.

It is a condition that men dislike, and it frustrates them because of their inability to improve the area despite diet and exercise.

There may be different degrees of fat, stretch marks, and abdominal wall muscle laxity. There may be old incisions and scars you want removed. Men often have excess fat that may extend around the sides to the hips and spine. These features may be a result of weight loss or just the aging process. Men may have excess of fat and folds elsewhere in the body, but commonly this is the only area affected. The anatomic features that contribute to this condition are basically just excess and loose hanging skin, oftentimes but not always associated with muscle laxity. There may also be some degree of excess fat. There is laxity in the ligaments that course from the muscles to the skin to support these areas. The relationship between the amount of excess skin, skin elasticity, vectors of laxity, and excess fat is what determines the surgical intervention and incisions. I will coordinate all these features of your anatomy with your expectations, formulate a plan with you, and guide you through this process. The surgery involves some liposuction and then making a bikini incision that hides low on the abdomen, concealed by even very revealing garments. The belly button is preserved and looks very natural and youthful. Through the same abdominoplasty incision, prominent lower ribs can be contoured. Then I create a space to loosen any retaining ligaments, pull the edges together at just the right tension, trim the excess, and close up the incisions. Surgery involves a general anesthetic and an overnight stay in the hospital and is performed where I do surgery, which is in a hospital setting using an experienced MD anesthesiologist. The surgery is safe and predictable. There is some pain and swelling after surgery, but this is not severe or prolonged. The stitches are all dissolvable, and you can return to activity and some work in as little as ten to fourteen days and to some physical exercise in the third week.

The surgical procedure and results of tummy tuck surgery depend on your anatomy, the specific area involved, the amount of excess skin, and the vectors of laxity. Collectively, these all determine where the incisions need be made, how long the incision will be, and how much tissue will be removed. There are several variations of tummy tuck/abdominoplasty operation that I offer patients in my practice depending on your anatomy:

• Standard Abdominoplasty: This is what I describe above, and it the most complete and artistic operation under most circumstances.
• Mini Abdominoplasty: This is an abbreviation of the above procedure. I have distinctly determined over the years that it is well suited to only a few select patients. If you have loose muscles and not too much loose skin, the incision can be shorter.
• Midline Abdominoplasty: This is a great operation in select patients whose laxity is side to side. The incision is up and down in the center of the abdomen.

Please also review Dr. Romano’s article on Body Contouring in the Educational Articles section of the website.