Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)

Recovery time after an abdominoplasty can vary from patient to patient. Whether you're having a partial or complete tummy tuck, the area that's operated on will have stitches and bandages, so it's very important to follow all your surgeon's instructions on how to care for the bandage in the days following surgery.

Your Cadogan Clinic surgeon will also instruct you on how to best position yourself whilst lying in bed at least for a few days following your abdominoplasty, usually on your back or side with your knees bent. The procedure is carried out as a day case and you will be able to walk out of hospital, usually slightly hunched as the skin is now very tight. By the next day, you should be able to straighten up and walk around the house. The day after you will be using your computer, but we would recommend you do not travel to work for about 10 days. You should seriously limit any strenuous activity over the next 6 weeks and if the muscles have been tightened then this should be extended to 3 months. Your surgeon will advise you on what is appropriate for you.

Pain is moderate after surgery and will if necessary be controlled by simple analgesia. It may be advisable to arrange for a friend or relative to stay with you during the first day or two of your tummy tuck recovery time at home. 

Abdominoplasty surgery, commonly known as a tummy tuck, is an operation to remove extra skin, scars, stretch marks and fat from the tummy, and sometimes to tighten the tummy muscles. What is the alternative treatment? Losing weight and exercising to tighten up the tummy muscles may help. For some younger patients, liposuction (where fat is sucked out through a tube inserted into small cuts) can help. This can be done on its own, or with a tummy tuck.

People have this surgery to take away extra skin and fat, or get a flatter tummy, often after pregnancy or gaining and losing weight. It can help re-join the muscles of the abdominal wall if they have been pulled apart in the middle (known as ‘divarification of the recti’). Stretch marks can sometimes be cut away or tightened to make them less obvious. Ideally, your weight will be normal before the surgery. A tummy tuck is not for people who are very overweight, or carried out in order to lose weight. For the right person, a tummy tuck can make a big difference to their confidence and quality of life.

There is no particular preparation for you to do other than what you would expect, that is washing generally and particularly the genitalia and tummy button.

Immediately before surgery, your surgeon will mark up the skin with you standing as you will be lying down to have the operation. He/she will mark the incisions and areas of liposuction. There will then be a photograph so that both you and the surgeon can refer back to check that you have achieved the expected improvement. We expect this to be an interesting and happy moment.

Tummy tucks are usually carried out under Total Intravenous Anaesthetic (TIVA) and therefore the procedure can be carried out as a day case. The operation usually takes about three hours, and when you wake up from your operation you may have a drip to give you fluid while you are not drinking. You might be given antibiotics to keep the wound clean. Also, you may have drainage tubes in your lower tummy to drain away any fluid or blood. These tubes will be taken out when the fluid or blood has stopped draining, usually before you go home. Drainage tubes are not required in a Brazilian Abdominoplasty. You are safe to go home the same day, but a responsible adult should stay with you for the first night to ensure you come to no harm as movement may be restricted. Your tummy will feel tight and a little sore. Simple painkillers should be enough to keep you comfortable.

Dressings - You will have some dressings on your tummy. You may need to wear a well-fitting support garment, usually for weeks after the operation. You will be asked to keep your knees and hips bent whenever possible to take the strain off your stitches.

Recovery - You will be out of bed on the same day as your surgery, and doing light activities after 10 days. You should be back to normal exercise in six weeks. If the abdominal muscles are repaired then severe exercise should be limited for three months. Whilst you are in hospital, you may be given blood thinning injections, and support stockings, to reduce the risk of a clot in the leg (DVT) or the lung (PE). Most patients take up to two weeks off work post operation, depending on their job. Your tummy will be sore and swollen for weeks to months after the operation. Do not lift heavy things for several weeks, and avoid sex for at least three weeks. With all activities, start gently. Do not drive until you feel safe and are comfortable wearing a seatbelt. Check your insurance documents if you are not sure.

The abdominal reduction or "tummy tuck" is a surgical procedure to tighten the skin of the abdominal wall, frequently performed following childbirth and weight loss.

Plumper patients will require liposuction to reduce the fat following the procedure and, where the muscles are stretched, some tightening of the fascia that holds them together will be required.

There are four main different abdominoplasty procedures:
- The Cadogan Clinic Brazilian tummy tuck.
- Mini or partial abdominoplasty.
- Full Abdominoplasty or traditional tummy tuck is now obsolete at the Cadogan Clinic.
- Cadogan Caesar Correction (CCS) - post C-section scar revision

There are other techniques used in particular situations and these are described elsewhere on this website.

The primary difference between a mini abdominoplasty and a full abdominoplasty is that in the first the tummy button is not moved and therefore skin tightening is only carried out in the lower half of the abdominal wall, below the tummy button. Liposuction is used for the whole of the abdominal wall and the muscles can still be tightened.

A full or traditional abdominoplasty is a larger surgical procedure involving several drains and multiple days in hospital. An incision is made from hip to hip, just above the pubic area and the skin detached from the abdominal wall to reveal the muscles and fascia. The muscle fascia is tightened with sutures and the surplus skin removed. Skin is then pulled downwards to the low abdominal scar, making a new opening for the original umbilicus.

This procedure has the added problem of increased risk of seromas and haematomas and is now obsolete at the Cadogan Clinic.

A Brazilian abdominoplasty – or Brazilian tummy tuck – is similar to the traditional abdominoplasty technique, in that the same amount of surplus skin is removed and the tummy button or umbilicus is repositioned; however, all the undermining is achieved by very careful liposuction, avoiding cutting blood vessels and nerves. This procedure therefore avoids multiple drains and can very often be carried out as a day case.