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Tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is an operation to remove excessive skin and some fat from the abdomen and allow tightening of the underlying muscles and fascia.
A "complete" tummy tuck requires an incision that extends hip to hip just above the pubic area followed by wide undermining of the skin into a large flap that is then trimmed. The belly button must be detached and repositioned. Liposuction is often performed below the flap to improve final overall contour.
A "partial" or "mini" tummy tuck uses a shorter incision and more limited dissection but, of course, accomplishes a lot less.
An "extended" abdominoplasty is the most aggressive version and requires additional incisions extending down along the thighs as well as along the flanks, or sides of the abdomen.
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Why Do It?
Tummy tuck is sought out by people with stretched tissues, mainly skin and muscle, following major weight loss or after multiple pregnancies.
Abdominoplasty is a major operation that can take up to five hours under general anesthesia and six months to recover from. Risks are significant. The scars continue to fade for years but never really look that wonderful.
Despite all this, tummy tuck operations are more popular than you might guess. Similar results cannot be achieved by diet and exercise that have no real way to shrink significantly stretched tissues.
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