An abdominoplasty or "tummy tuck" flattens the abdomen by removing excess fat and skin and tightening the muscles of the abdominal wall. The best candidates for abdominoplasty are men and women who are in relatively good shapes but are bothered by large fat deposits and loose abdominal skin that will not respond to diet and exercise. 

The surgery is particularly helpful to women who, through multiple pregnancies, have stretched their abdominal muscles and skin beyond the point where they can return to normal. This distinguishes candidates for abdominoplasty from those patients who can be treated with liposuction alone. Loss of skin elasticity with resultant skin redundancy in older patients can also be corrected through abdominoplasty.

Certain patients are candidates for a variation of the standard procedure called a high lateral tension abdominoplasty. This procedure, in addition to removing excess skin and fat and tightening the abdominal muscles, also provides for a thigh lift and confines the scars to an area hidden when wearing French-cut bathing suits and underwear.

The procedure can be performed as ambulatory surgery, with recovery requiring approximately two weeks. Generally, patients wear an abdominal binder for one month after the procedure.

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