There are three main types of tummy tucks: full, extended, and mini. If excess skin is a problem on both the upper and lower abdomen, a full tummy tuck will be necessary to produce the best results. An extended tummy tuck is best for those who would like to also address problems of excess skin on the upper thighs and hips. Finally, a mini tummy tuck can help best with what you might call a belly “pooch” — a small area of excess skin just below the belly button.

You should be at a healthy stable weight for your age, sex, and body type prior to surgery.

This isn’t a simple question to answer because the two procedures are entirely different. Even though they are often combined within body contouring procedures and mommy makeovers, they produce very different results.

Liposuction aims to reduce small pockets of stubborn fat — usually located in the abdomen but sometimes located elsewhere like the upper arms, thighs, buttocks, and flanks. Tummy tucks, on the other hand, get rid of excess abdominal skin and strengthen weakened or separated abdominal muscles.

Tummy tucks can be performed on both adult men and women, and there really is no age limit. Any age can be the right age. With that said, women usually make up the majority of tummy tuck patients, and they tend to seek this procedure in their late 30s and early 40s when they reach a point in life where they do not plan to have more children.

You should not expect to lose weight with a tummy tuck as it is not a weight loss procedure. In fact, we would like you to be at a healthy, stable weight prior to your surgery. If you are interested in losing small amounts of fat on your abdomen, tummy tuck surgeries are often combined with liposuction.

A tummy tuck itself does not remove fat from the belly. When combined with liposuction, however, you can reduce small pockets of belly fat. During the liposuction process, fat cells will be permanently removed, which means they will never return.

However, this does not mean that you cannot regain weight in your belly after a tummy tuck-liposuction contouring procedure. If your weight is not managed properly through a healthy diet and regular exercise, it is still possible for the remaining fat cells in your abdomen to expand.

Tummy tuck patients have loose, hanging skin on their abdomens that they would like to get rid of. Before you can qualify for the surgery, however, it is important that you are in good overall physical health and that you have realistic expectations concerning the outcome of your procedure.

Many candidates for tummy tuck surgery are moms who are done having children and would like to regain their pre-baby tummy. Many others are those who have recently achieved significant weight loss, either through diet and exercise or weight loss surgery. Of course, anyone may benefit from a tummy tuck. Sometimes, time and gravity are the simple culprits that cause loose abdominal skin in older adults.

Tummy tucks are performed under general anesthesia, so during your surgery, you will not feel pain. After your tummy tuck, it is common to experience some discomfort near the treated area. Pain will vary from patient to patient and will likely be worst in the first three days after surgery.

Following treatment, you should follow the postoperative instructions given to you by Dr. Aghayan in order to mitigate pain. Overall discomfort will reduce as time goes on and swelling and inflammation go down.

Any type of invasive surgery involving incisions will necessarily result in some minimal scarring. Naturally, what tummy tuck scars you have after surgery will depend on where your incisions were made.
Low horizontal scars along the pubic hair line will be lightly visible, but you can mitigate the appearance of this and other scars by following the postoperative instructions given to you by Dr. Aghayan closely.

Furthermore, keep in mind that such a low horizontal scar will be invisible in most clothing, including underwear and bikini bottoms.

If you undergo a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) procedure, it is likely that you will have scars as a result. Tummy tuck scars are an inevitable part of the procedure, as the surgeon will make incisions in the abdominal area to remove excess skin and fat and tighten the underlying muscles.

Tummy tuck scars after 5 years will depend on the extent of the surgery and the technique used by your surgeon. Typically, the scar will be located along the lower abdomen, above the pubic area, and may extend horizontally from hip to hip. In some cases, a second incision may be made around the belly button.