Before and after abdominoplasty as part of a Mommy Makeover in a 34 year old mother of three. She found herself being congratulated nearly every day on her pregnancy – although her youngest child was now four! (Yikes)
She wanted to get rid of the lower abdominal overhang and “not be a supermodel, but at least to not look pregnant anymore!” Her goals were very reasonable and she had low expectations, while our goals are always to make our patients look their absolute very best!
Her “flanks” (muffin top fat) extended outwards to the sides farther than her hips did – this was to be addressed with aggressive liposuction, which is always part of a tummy tuck.
A tummy tuck excised a large amount of lower abdominal skin and fat, including most of her stretch marks. Generally, if stretch marks are below the belly button, they will be removed in a tummy tuck. If they lie above navel, they may remain but will be moved downward to lie just above the pubic hair.
Before surgery, her belly button was stretched out and “effaced” (flat like a shallow saucer) due to “rectus diastasis” (separation of her abdominal muscles) from her pregnancies. Separation of these muscles tends to be cumulative. The tummy often bounces back fairly well after a first pregnancy, but will subsequent pregnancies, they are pre-stretched and end up farther and farther apart.
Liposuction removed over two liters of fat from her upper and lower abdomen, flanks, pubic region and upper inner thighs. We view the area from the bottom of the breasts to the pubic area as the abdominoplasty “aesthetic unit” and always recommend the combination of procedures that will achieve the very best cosmetic results. In this case, it was a tummy tuck with liposuction.
Follow up photos are shown just over two months after abdominoplasty and “umbilicoplasty” that created a more normal looking belly button. Learn more about belly button surgery in the umbilicoplasty before and after gallery. At 10 weeks postop, her incisions are still pink and have started to fade. She is even considering wearing a bikini!
*All photos are actual patient photographs and are for illustrative purposes only. Individual results may vary.
