Tummy tuck (Abdominoplasty)

What is a tummy tuck?

A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is a surgical procedure to improve the shape and contour of your belly (abdomen). It involves removing excess skin and fat, and tightening weakened abdominal muscles.

A tummy tuck can remove loose, excess skin and fat from your abdomen.
A tummy tuck may remove some stretch marks if they are found in the lower part of your abdomen, below the belly button.
It can fix rectus diastasis - which is a condition where the stomach bulges due to separated abdominal muscles (rectus abdominis).
The surgery can tighten weak connective tissue in the abdomen called the fascia.
If you’ve had a C-section, the scar from the C-section may be revised and included into the new surgical scar for the abdominoplasty.

Please note: a tummy tuck is not a treatment for obesity or for removing deep abdominal fat located behind the muscles.

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Who is suitable for a tummy tuck?

During pregnancy or significant weight changes, the abdominal skin and muscles can stretch. While some people recover fully, others are left with loose skin, weakened muscles, and stretch marks.

You may be a candidate for a tummy tuck if you:

Have loose skin or weakened muscles after pregnancy.
Have sagging skin or fat deposits from losing a significant amount of weight, or from ageing.
Experience skin irritation or infections from an overhanging "apron" of skin.
Your weight is stable.
You are not considering future pregnancies.

A tummy tuck may not be suitable for you if:

You are thinking about becoming pregnant.
You have serious medical conditions that put you at high risk of having a general anaesthetic.
You have had multiple abdominal surgery in the past that has caused a lot of scarring.
You are a smoker, and you are unable to stop smoking for the surgery.
You are heavily overweight, your weight is not stable, or you are planning to lose a large amount of weight.

If you’re unsure about any of the above, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Dr Law will assess your individual needs and help guide you through your options, offering personalised advice and alternatives if needed.

What types of tummy tucks are available?

The right procedure depends on your specific needs. Options include:

Liposuction only: Ideal for patients with good skin elasticity and no stretch marks, who mainly want to remove fat. Small incisions are used, and skin tightening is enhanced with a compression garment. Please see section on Liposuction.
Mini abdominoplasty: Suitable for patients (often post-pregnancy) with loose skin and muscle weakness below the belly button. A small area of skin and fat is removed, and the muscles are tightened. The scar is similar to a Caesarean scar.
Full (traditional) abdominoplasty: For those with more excess skin, fat, and widespread muscle weakness. This procedure removes a larger amount of tissue and tightens muscles above and below the belly button. It leaves a scar from hip to hip and around the belly button but achieves significant contour improvement.
Extended abdominoplasty or lower body lift: For patients with massive weight loss. These procedures remove more tissue and extend the scar around the hips or even the full lower body to improve the shape of the abdomen, buttocks, and outer thighs.

Dr Law will discuss the best option for you based on your goals and anatomy. You’ll have a cooling-off period before confirming surgery and a second consultation to go over the procedure in more detail.

Procedure information

In planning for your surgery:
- Consultation
  The consultation with Dr Law will begin with a conversation about your goals and expectations. Please feel free to be as detailed as possible, and bring any questions you may have. As part of the consultation, clinical photographs will be taken, and the procedure will be explained in detail - covering what it can and cannot achieve. Dr Law will also discuss the surgical process, possible risks, and complications. To ensure you feel fully informed and confident in your decision, a second consultation will be arranged before proceeding with surgery. This gives you the opportunity to ask additional questions.
- CT abdomen
  If you’ve had multiple surgeries on your tummy or if there is a suspicion of hernia, Dr Law may ask you to get a CT of your tummy before surgery.
- Smoking
  Please stop smoking as soon as you are able to, as smoking increases the risk of complications from surgery. If possible, please stop smoking at least six weeks before your surgery.
- You may be asked to get blood tests and other health checks to prepare for your surgery.
- You will be given instructions ahead of time regarding fasting and other practical information.
When you arrive to hospital on the day of surgery:
- You’ll meet with a nurse, who will assess your health.
- The anaesthetist will meet you and confirm your anaesthesia plan to make sure the procedure goes as smoothly and safely as possible.
- Dr Law will see you to confirm details of the procedure, take photographs, and draw markings on your skin to guide surgery.
An abdominoplasty is performed under general anaesthesia in an accredited hospital. You will usually need to stay in hospital for a few nights.
In general, a traditional abdominoplasty involves the following:
- An incision is made across the lower tummy, from hip to hip.
- The abdominal muscles are tightened.
- Excess skin and fat are removed.
- The tummy is reshaped and closed in a way to give you a better abdominal contour. The incision is usually closed with stitches.
- The belly button is repositioned to sit naturally on the newly contoured abdomen.
- You may have drains.
- This procedure may be combined with liposuction to the upper abdomen and/or flanks.
In general, a mini abdominoplasty involves a shorter incision and focuses on removing excess skin and fat below the belly button. This may or may not involve tightening part of the abdominal muscles.
The most appropriate technique will depend on your abdominal anatomy and your desired outcome. Dr Law will guide you through your consultation to ensure the surgery aligns with your goals.
All surgical procedures leave scars, and abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) is no exception.
The length of the scar depends on the type of tummy tuck you have.
- Traditional abdominoplasty usually results in a low horizontal scar across your tummy that extends from hip to hip. Scars can be carefully placed in the bikini line in order to be easily hidden, and they will fade over time. There is also a scar around the belly button.
- Mini abdominoplasty leaves a shorter scar, as it involves a smaller incision and doesn't usually require repositioning of the belly button.
At first, the scar may appear red or raised. This is a normal part of healing. Over time - usually over several months to a year - the scar will fade and flatten. Everyone’s body heals differently, so the final appearance of the scar can vary.
To support good healing and reduce scarring, Dr Law will provide detailed post-operative scar care instructions. This may include:
- Keeping the area clean and protected.
- Using scar creams or silicone dressings.
- Avoiding sun exposure to the scar.
- Massaging the area once healing has progressed.
In some cases, if you are prone to hypertrophic or keloid scars, additional treatments may be recommended.
While the scar is permanent, patients often find it a worthwhile trade-off for the improvement in their abdominal contour.
Recovery can vary between individuals. In general:
- When you wake up from surgery, your tummy will be bandaged, and you will be given an abdominal binder to wear.
- Dressings usually stay on until your follow-up visit.
- Most stitches are dissolvable.
- Recovery is gradual. Walking gently helps reduce swelling and prevent blood clots. Expect to walk slightly hunched for a few days.
- It’s normal to experience some bruising, swelling, and numbness (especially in the area between your belly button and the surgical scar). You may also feel tightness in your tummy and find it hard to stand fully upright initially.
- In the initial recovery period, pain is common. Pain medications will be prescribed for you.
- You may need to avoid driving for 2 weeks or more.
- Most people are able to return to work 3-4 weeks after surgery, depending on their job.
- Please avoid strenuous activity for about 6 weeks.
- Some swelling may persist for 6 months or more, but massage therapy may help.

Risks & complications

All surgery carries risks and may include:
- Drug reactions: You can have reactions to anaesthesia. However a fully qualified anaesthetist will look after you during the surgery to ensure your anaesthetic will be as safe and smooth as possible.
- Allergic reactions: Allergic reactions to materials such as sutures, dressings, or antiseptic solutions are possible. We will ask you about any known allergies beforehand to help avoid exposure during surgery.
- Infection: You will be given antibiotics at the start of your surgery (as you go to sleep), as well as a course of oral antibiotics afterwards, to help minimise this risk.
- Bleeding and haematoma (blood clot): A bit of bleeding onto the dressing is common and usually stops on its own. There is a very small risk of blood clots, requiring drainage.
- Seroma (fluid collection): A pocket of fluid can occasionally collect in the tummy after surgery. To help prevent this, a drain is sometimes inserted at the time of surgery, and remains in place for a few days. If a seroma does develop, it can usually be treated with drainage in the rooms.
Risks specific to abdominoplasty will be discussed with you during your consultation and will also be provided in your consent paperwork. These include:
- Numbness or other changes in skin sensation: It is common for the tummy to be numb after surgery but this gradually improves over months. However, there may be a small patch that remains numb forever.
- Poor wound healing.
- Unfavourable scarring such as hypertrophic or keloid scars.
- Skin necrosis (skin loss): This is very rare.
- Fat necrosis: Fatty tissue found deep in the skin might die and form a hard lump. This can improve with massage over months, but very occasionally might need surgery to remove.
- Umbilicus necrosis: Very rarely, part or all of the belly button can be lost.
- Recurrent looseness of skin.
Choosing a qualified plastic surgeon with proper anaesthetic support helps minimise these risks.