Restore Your Body Confidence

Tummy tuck (also known as abdominoplasty) procedure provide solutions to patients who are looking to rid stubborn fat pockets as a result of pregnancy, weight loss or the natural aging process. This procedure will give you a firmer, flatter abdomen. This procedure is not limited to women, the number of men electing to have a tummy tuck has increased over the last few years.

Our consultants at The McIndoe Centre guarantee the highest standards of surgical care and offer life-changing results for patients considering a tummy tuck or a mini tummy tuck surgery.

Our surgeons are there to advise you, listen to your concerns and discuss what you want to achieve.

The advantages of a tummy tuck surgery

After weight loss or pregnancy, it can be difficult to get your body to bounce back. Despite a concerted effort with your exercise regime and a good diet, sometimes excess skin just won’t shift. Having a tummy tuck surgery yields fantastic rewards regarding your self-esteem and physical wellbeing.

Some of the benefits include:

• Firmer and flatter stomach
• Less of a gap between your abdominal muscles that may occur after pregnancy
• The appearance of scars and stretch marks may be reduced as they are excised during surgery.

Tummy tuck surgery also comes with medical benefits, which may include:

• A decrease in back pain
• Improved posture
• Reduced stress urinary incontinence
• Correcting a ventral hernia.

The combination of medical and cosmetic benefits makes tummy tucks in the UK appealing for many people. A detailed explanation of the benefits and procedure will be given during your consultation.

What your tummy tuck procedure will involve

During a tummy tuck, your surgeon will make a curved incision across your lower tummy, from hip to hip, just above the pubic area. Excess skin and fat will then be removed between the pubic area and your belly button. Your abdominal muscles will be realigned and tightened before the skin of the abdominal wall is drawn down to stitch at the level of your pubic line.

The procedure is usually carried out under general anaesthetic, so you may be expected to stay in hospital between one and three days. It can take between two and five hours to complete the operation. A tummy tuck is not a substitute for weight loss surgery and is inappropriate if you are overweight.

Aftercare and tummy tuck recovery time

When it’s time for you to leave the hospital, you will be given a follow-up appointment with your consultant and a date for your stitch removal. You will need to plan up to two weeks off work so you can recover comfortably at home. It takes up to six weeks to fully recover.

Do not drive until fully confident behind the wheel, remember to check your insurance policy. You’ll need to wear a customised corset or tummy control pants to promote healing and reduce swelling for a few weeks. You will be advised on which exercises you can do to improve the tone of your abdominal muscles.

You will need to take approximately four to six weeks off work. After six weeks have passed, you will be able to remove your corset should be almost fully recovered but your full results may not be present until another 4 weeks at least. Avoid heavy lifting and exercise within this recovery period.

Tummy tuck cost

Each procedure is priced differently depending on each patient’s individual requirements. We do offer tummy tuck on finance, please speak to one of our friendly team members to discuss this further.

The full cost of the procedure will also be discussed during your consultation.

Tummy Tuck FAQ's

How long will the effects of a tummy tuck last?

There should be no need for repeat surgery, but to maintain your new figure you must exercise and eat well. If you become pregnant or put on a lot of weight and lose it again, there will be less excess skin than before the operation. The procedure itself will not affect a woman’s ability to become pregnant or affect the birthing process. Pregnancy after tummy tuck is something many women face, and most patients continue to love their results post-pregnancy. Most women actually notice they look better post-pregnancy with their surgery.

Medically speaking, a tummy tuck is a purely cosmetic procedure, so it does not affect a woman’s ability to become pregnant. A healthy woman who is of childbearing age should be able to get pregnant just as easily after a tummy tuck as she would before the surgery. However, if you would like tummy tuck revision surgery, this is something that can be discussed.

Patients are usually very pleased with their tummy tuck results, however, it’s important to go into the surgery with realistic expectations.

What are the possible complications of this procedure?

As with all surgical procedures, there can be some risks. At The McIndoe Centre, we do everything we can to minimise the risk of complications. Your surgeon will talk to you about any possible specific complications before you decide to have your operation.

Tummy tuck scars

Scarring is an inevitable part of the surgery and cannot be avoided. However, scars generally fade with time and there are a number of things you can do to further heal and fade your scars. You can discuss these methods with your consultant during your consultation.

Can you get a tummy tuck on the NHS?

A tummy tuck is considered elective and cosmetic surgery, meaning it is not usually covered by the NHS. If you are enquiring about a tummy tuck for medical or mental health reasons, this can be discussed with a member of the NHS or one of our friendly team members.

Related Procedures

Tummy tuck procedures are commonly combined with other cosmetic procedures. For many people, the combination of liposuction and tummy tuck procedures offer even greater results, the same goes with combining tummy tuck procedures with breast augmentation.

Combining surgeries is by no means compulsory, but it is worth discussing your options with your consultant during your private consultation.

Related procedures we perform include:

• Liposuction and tummy tuck
• Tummy tuck and breast augmentation
• Tummy tuck and breast lift.

Alternatively, you can view our liposuction case study for more information on this surgery and the benefits of combined surgery.

Mini tummy tuck (related procedure)

We also perform mini tummy tuck procedures. This surgery is simply a ‘smaller’ version of a full tummy tuck. Loose or sagging skin is taken from below the belly button and underlying muscles can also be tightened to improve appearance. A mini tummy tuck is commonly performed after a Caesarian section.

This surgery has a faster recovery rate as it requires less surgery.

This article was written by The McIndoe Centre, in collaboration with Paul Banwell BSc MB BS FRCS (Eng) FRCS (Plast) Consultant Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon. All information, advice and procedures were updated on 17th September 2019.