Price Range: $6900 - $7200
This includes physician fees, anesthesia fees, facility fees and routine followup for one year.

Abdominoplasty is an operation designed to remove the excess fat and skin of the abdomen, and at the same time, tighten the muscles of the abdominal wall. Following pregnancy, or loss of weight, a patient may have residual excessive skin and/or fat on the abdomen, along with stretching of the abdominal muscles. When the only problem is excess fat in this area, and the skin and the muscles are not stretched, this can be corrected by liposuction alone. More commonly, the problem involves stretching of the skin and muscles, along with the excess of fat, and an abdominoplasty has to be performed to correct all three problems.

This operation is usually performed under general anesthesia in an outpatient surgical center. Though, some surgeons may have the patient spend one or more nights in a post surgical facility. The operation usually takes two to three hours to perform. It is usually necessary to restrict physical activities for a few weeks after surgery, and it may take four to six weeks before the patient returns to completely normal activities. Patients are usually given abdominal support in the form of an abdominal binder, for a few weeks after surgery.

The operation is performed through an incision along the lower abdomen, just above the pubic hairline, extending from one hip to the other. Another small incision is made around the belly button, which is left attached to the abdominal wall. The skin and fat are then elevated, and at this time, as needed, some fat may be removed from the flanks using liposuction. If needed, the abdominal muscles are tightened by stitching them together along the midline. This will also tend to shorten them. The excess skin and fat is removed, and the residual skin and fat is pulled down and stitched into position. This usually requires the patient to be flexed at the hips at the time of the operation. The belly button is brought out through a small incision, and stitched to the new skin, in its normal position. Occasionally, drains are left beneath the skin for several days following the operation.

There can be some swelling and fluid collections following surgery, and it may be months before all of the swelling has subsided. There is numbness in the skin of the abdominal area, and occasionally in the upper thighs and flank areas, which can take a few months to improve. The scars around the belly button and the lower part of the abdomen gradually fade, and become less visible. Occasionally, the scars can become wide because of tension. Stretch marks and old scars in the lower part of the abdomen will be removed during the course of the surgery, but all of these may not be gone. Other complications, as in all operations, include bleeding, infection, and healing problems, leading to thicker scars. There may be some lack of symmetry, and because the skin has been undermined, there is a slight risk of inadequate circulation and loss of some skin. This risk is greater in patients who smoke, and these patients are usually advised to quit smoking a few weeks prior to surgery. Patients are also advised to refrain from taking aspirin or other medications that can cause bleeding. Another serious, though extremely rare complication of this operation may be blood clots in the legs.

Patients enjoy a more attractive figure with a firmer, flatter abdomen after abdominoplasty, and are usually delighted when trying on new clothes.