Canadian Institute of Cosmetic Plastic Surgery, Montreal

A protuberant abdomen can be a cause of distress for men and women alike. It can be the result of excess fat, weak abdominal muscles, pregnancy, or loose skin that has been over-stretched and no longer responds to diet and exercise.

Tummy Tuck
Patients who feel they are at their ideal weight are the best candidates for a tummy tuck. Many patients combine their tummy tuck with other cosmetic procedures such as liposuction or breast augmentation.

Your procedure
There are three basic techniques used to flatten a protuberant abdomen.
Liposuction alone can produce a thin abdominal wall for some patients with firm skin but excess fat.

For those with laxity of their abdominal muscle and especially excessive skin, a tummy tuck (complete or partial) may be their only solution. A tummy tuck is usually performed under general anesthesia with the patient asleep.

The classical, complete tummy tuck done in most places involves an incision around the belly button and another long incision that runs in the lower abdomen. The entire abdominal skin is lifted and the muscle is tightened with sutures, and the excess skin and fat is removed.

The 'Mini-Dissection' Tummy Tuck
This 'Mini-Dissection' Tummy tuck is often performed on our patients using minimal dissection. With this partial tummy tuck, a smaller incision is made in the lower abdomen. Your excess skin and fat are removed through this incision. In certain cases, permanent sutures may also be placed through this incision to tighten the muscles of the abdominal wall. This Mini-Dissection technique allows you to return home the same day.

What will my recovery be like ?
Any discomfort that follows surgery can be controlled with oral medication. If small drains are used, they are removed the next day.