Tummy Tuck Before & After Photos

Tummy Tuck Before & After Case 1

Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Before and After Photo. Surgery performed in Dallas, TX at Law Plastic Surgery.

An augmentation/mastopexy is offered when goals include both breast lift surgery and breast volume maintenance or augmentation.

The further the nipple/areola needs to be raised to reach the goal position, the higher chance of wanting a revision (~30% in some series), or even planning a 2-stage surgery from the outset.

Here, a modest 250cc implant placed under the muscle added upper pole fullness while avoiding an “overdone” look.

A tummy tuck was also done to remove excess skin from the lower abdomen and tighten the abdominal wall.

She is seen at 4 weeks post-op, with scars and swelling continuing to improve every day!

Tummy Tuck Before & After Case 2

Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Before and After Photo. Surgery performed in Dallas, TX at Law Plastic Surgery.

2 months after fleur-de-lis tummy tuck.

Re: Recovery — I keep tummy tuck patients for observation overnight.

This helps with pain control, care of drains as needed, early walking, and receiving a blood thinner shot 8 hours after surgery.

The biggest risk I worry about is a blood clot (DVT) that can travel from the legs up to the lungs and heart. It’s the most serious complication of surgery, and I treat it with the utmost respect and care.

Rarely, bleeding can also occur that requires returning to the operating room. Staying in the hospital minimizes potential problems with too much activity, and makes it easier to return to the operating room as needed in those rare cases.

Drains are used on a case-by-case basis. Some patients seem to swell more, and with the liposuction fluid, a fluid collection may need to be drained off historically in about 1 in 8 patients. Drains are a little annoying, but almost always don’t hurt at all on their way out!

Return to work depends on whether it’s a desk job or requires heavier lifting or activity. For most, 1 week seems right, though people are tired for 4-6 weeks overall as their body works on healing itself.

Return to full exercise and activity is at 6 weeks.

Tummy Tuck Before & After Case 3

Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Before and After Photo. Surgery performed in Dallas, TX at Law Plastic Surgery.

This mother of 4 had extra skin and a diastasis – or separation – of the rectus muscles that make up the six-pack.

Tummy tuck with excision of 2.5 pounds of extra skin, repair of the diastasis, and some targeted liposuction, helped to improve her contour and confidence.

She is seen at just 4 weeks, with swelling set to improve further over the next several months. Her belly button is healing nicely with a natural appearance.

Tummy Tuck Before & After Case 4

Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Before and After Photo. Surgery performed in Dallas, TX at Law Plastic Surgery.

A tummy tuck and liposuction together are a powerful way to contour the trunk.

This beautiful woman in her 40’s had over 80lbs of weight loss and 5 previous children. She had loose skin after her weight loss. She also had moderate diastasis recti, or widening of the fascia between the six pack muscles.

Panniculectomy involves just the removal of the pannus, the skin that hangs over the waistband. The skin around and above the belly button do not change after that surgery.

Abdominoplasty additionally includes repair of the diastasis and tightening of the skin all the way to the rib cage. A modest amount of liposuction was also performed to smooth her contour.

The dimpling and swelling will continue to improve over the next several months, as absorbable sutures disappear over time, and her circulation heals.

Tummy Tuck Before & After Case 5

Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Before and After Photo. Surgery performed in Dallas, TX at Law Plastic Surgery.

Yes! I have patients every week asking whether I do breast and body contouring, too, as my website and social media is being updated.

Here is a sneak peek at a recent patient 4 weeks after a fleur-de-lis tummy tuck and mastopexy.

She was interested in increasing her cup size to go with her lift, without use of an implant. Targeted liposuction was done at her waist and flanks, and this fat then transferred to her breasts for a beautiful and natural lift and fill.

Seams and scars are necessary with any surgery to tailor the skin. A bespoke plan is designed for each and every person based on individual goals and anatomy.

At 4 weeks, she can now return to light cardio with her Peloton, and at 6 weeks return to full weights!

Tummy Tuck Before & After Case 6

Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Before and After Photo. Surgery performed in Dallas, TX at Law Plastic Surgery.

A tummy tuck and liposuction is a commonly performed procedure to improve a patient’s body contour.

This woman in her 20’s had loose skin and stubborn weight from a hormone imbalance that was now stable.

I offered an abdominoplasty to remove redundant skin, and liposuction of her abdomen and flanks to improve her contour.

For women who have had children, diastasis recti is usually present to some degree, where the edges of the six pack in the middle spread apart. For these patients, repair of the muscle and fascia is done like an internal corset.

An overnight stay for comfort and safety is recommended. Drain tubes are sometimes used to help smooth and speed recovery. Return to work is usually at 1 week, and return to full activities at 6 weeks.

This patient is seen at 3 months. Swelling and scarring will continue to improve until ~9-12 months.

Tummy Tuck Before & After Case 7

Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Before and After Photo. Surgery performed in Dallas, TX at Law Plastic Surgery.

He lost over 100 pounds and was ready for some contouring.

His main goals were improving his gynecomastia (overdevelopment of breast/chest tissue in men) and the extra skin of his abdomen.

For the gyencomastia, when there is a greater amount of skin to remove, I favor an incision hidden along the natural inferior fold of the pectoralis.

The nipple/areola remain attached to a dermal pedicle, and that helps to minimize the chance of pigment loss, and is more reliable than free nipple graft.

I was also able to remove loose skin, ncluding old surgery scars on his abdomen.

Some tightening of the core muscles was done, with more focus on tailoring towards a more masculine V-shaped torso than a feminine hourglass.

In addition to fitting more confidently in clothes, he can more comfortably exercise and go about his daily activities.

As a reminder, a tummy tuck is NOT a primary weight loss procedure. The intra-abdominal fat we all have around our organs is a no-fly zone. For that, weight loss through diet, exercise, medication, and/or bariatric surgery is needed.

Tummy Tuck Before & After Case 8

Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Before and After Photo. Surgery performed in Dallas, TX at Law Plastic Surgery.

Early result after panniculectomy/tummy tuck for a man with a moderate amount of visceral fat (deep to the muscle, around the organs).

A tummy tuck is a skin redraping procedure, and not a primary weight loss surgery.

That said, this gentleman is happy to be free of his overhang, and its recurrent rashes and malodor. Clothes fit better, he’s smiling and confident, and ready to take on the world.

Tummy Tuck Before & After Case 9

Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Before and After Photo. Surgery performed in Dallas, TX at Law Plastic Surgery.

She lost 120 pounds after a weight loss surgery, and had been stable for at least 6 months – the minimum required to be covered by most insurance companies for panniculectomy.

Here, we additionally repaired a diastasis recti, and also redraped skin from above the belly button down below.

A common question is what happens to the belly button?

It remains attached to the abdominal wall, and is brought back through the skin that has been smoothed out.

You can see a much more natural appearing belly button after surgery after removing the excess skin and releasing the fascia attachments to the skin around it.

Tummy Tuck Before & After Case 10

Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Before and After Photo. Surgery performed in Dallas, TX at Law Plastic Surgery.

When do I offer a fleur-de-lis style tummy tuck?

When a person has significant skin stretch and laxity in a horizontal (side-to-side) direction, in addition to vertical (up-and-down), then we begin the discussion.

This does add an additional scar that can be good quality but still be visible. The tradeoff is more narrowing and contouring of the waist, with maximum skin and fat removal.

Healing and recovery is similar to a traditional tummy tuck.

Tummy Tuck Before & After Case 11

Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Before and After Photo. Surgery performed in Dallas, TX at Law Plastic Surgery.

A tummy tuck can help reduce rashes and discomfort, particularly in the hotter months and with exercise.

The skin and fat removed is all outside of the abdominal wall muscles and fascia. The fascia is usually cinched, and any diastasis recti repaired, but the intraabdominal volume can’t be changed.

The contour depends on:

The volume and pressure pushing outwards
The tone, strength, and length of the muscle and fascia of the trunk.
Then the fat and skin outside of that.

I can help with number 3, but the first 2 are taken care of in the kitchen and the gym.Processes are key! I’d recommend Atomic Habits by James Clear to gain some insights on getting your mind right, to then get the body right. (A patient told me that.)

Tummy Tuck Before & After Case 12

Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Before and After Photo. Surgery performed in Dallas, TX at Law Plastic Surgery.

A tummy tuck is a useful tool for removing extra skin from the abdomen, and tightening the underlying muscle and fascia that inevitably can’t bounce all the way back after weight loss or pregnancy.

Liposuction can be done at the same time to further reduce the thickness of the subcutaneous fat on the OUTSIDE of the abdominal muscles.

(Deep to the muscle is intra-abdominal fat. You don’t want a liposuction cannula in that space, causing injury to a vital organ!)

Some of the dimpling – like in the midline here – are from deep sutures that will absorb and soften over 6-12 months. These help reduce pull on the incision line, and reduce the need for drains.

The belly button stay attached where you were born with it, and pops back up to the surface like a button on your clothes. Usually this is well-hidden and avoids drawing any unwanted attention.

Tummy Tuck Before & After Case 13

Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Before and After Photo. Surgery performed in Dallas, TX at Law Plastic Surgery.

A tummy tuck removes the extra skin on the outside of the abdominal wall. Inside of the abdominal wall includes your organs as well as fat.

Some people carry more fat inside the abdomen; some more on the outside.

Those who want the best contour possible will lose as much intra-abdominal fat as they can through diet, exercise, weight loss surgery, and/or medications. like Wegovy or Ozempic.

Additional liposuction can be done to further contour the skin, but it’s just the finishing touch!

Tummy Tuck Before & After Case 14

Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Before and After Photo. Surgery performed in Dallas, TX at Law Plastic Surgery.

After large amounts of weight loss, skin excess runs both side-to-side and up-and-down.

If there is enough room for improvement side-to-side — and people are ready for the additional midline scar — a fleur-de-lis, T-shaped scar can be very useful for removing the extra skin.

Tummy Tuck Before & After Case 15

Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Before and After Photo. Surgery performed in Dallas, TX at Law Plastic Surgery.

After massive weight loss, the body’s limit is reached for the skin’s ability to bounce back.

The extra skin folds can cause rashes, pain, difficulty with clothing options, and self-consciousness.

Here, a male breast reduction was performed. Sometimes this may be done through a small incision around the areola or even just liposuction. But if the skin is too excessive, the only thing to do is to excise it.

The skin from the abdomen also was redraped and removed, with the seam placed below his natural waist band. This part took care of the pesky rolls above the belly button that would worsen when sitting or leaning forward.

Tummy Tuck Before & After Case 16

Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Before and After Photo. Surgery performed in Dallas, TX at Law Plastic Surgery.

Sneak peek at this man’s tummy tuck / lower body lift after losing over 150lbs after gastric bypass surgery.

We wait for patients to reach a natural plateau so that we can do surgery once and hopefully never again for the same area.

A common question people have is about the belly button. It is the same belly button you are born with. It stays attached like the buttons on your shirt, and then the skin is smoothed and draped downwards. Once the skin’s new position is determined, the belly button pops back up straight up from where it’s always been.

It sometimes gives us the most trouble healing because it takes a little more time to keep it clean, and the blood supply to the old scar isn’t as robust as other areas.

So pay attention to that belly button after surgery, and take good care of it!

Tummy Tuck Before & After Case 17

Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Before and After Photo. Surgery performed in Dallas, TX at Law Plastic Surgery.

A fleur-de-lis tummy tuck is this upside-down T-shaped scar pattern for taking out significant extra skin in multiple directions.

This is especially useful when people have lost a lot of weight either through medications like Ozempic or Wegovy, or through bariatric surgery like with a gastric sleeve or gastric bypass.

This works well for the tummy and flanks. To get to the upper back and other areas, other incisions need to be made like with an upper body / back lift, with a scar usually placed along the bra line on the back.

Down time is usually 1-2 weeks off of work, with mobility particularly tough that first week until the swelling starts to go down, and the skin relaxes enough that it’s safe to stand fully straight up.

Most people are back to light cardio by 2-4 weeks, and back to feeling like themselves and doing full activities at 6 weeks like this patient.