A slim, toned abdomen is widely considered a body ideal for both men and women, but when pregnancies, major weight loss, and the natural aging process take their toll, that ideal is close to impossible to achieve. Stretched abdominal muscles, excess, hanging skin, and pockets of stubborn fat can make it difficult to get the body you want. A tummy tuck or abdominoplasty is a body contouring procedure designed to eliminate loose skin and fat, as well as surgically repair lax abdominal muscles for a result unlike any other.
Our team of board-certified plastic surgeons has been successfully performing tummy tuck procedures for decades, consistently providing our Washington, D.C., metro area patients with wonderful results. It’s no surprise that so many of them feel newly empowered and have had their confidence restored.
American Board of Plastic Surgery · Fellow, American College of Surgeons
A tummy tuck remains one of the most successful methods of trimming excess fat and skin from the midsection, providing a slimming and contouring result that can last for years. Tummy tucks are immensely popular with post-partum women and patients who have lost a significant amount of weight, as this procedure allows our surgeons to surgically tighten loosened abdominal muscles, repairing the integrity of the abdominal wall. Other tummy tuck benefits include:
Tummy tucks are nothing short of transformational; view our tummy tuck photo gallery to see real results from our surgeons.
Both weight loss and pregnancy are exciting life events, but they come with some challenges when your body doesn’t snap back the way you want it to. If your midsection has loose skin and stubborn pockets of fat, and you have difficulty seeing results through exercise, a tummy tuck may be for you. Candidates for a tummy tuck:
If you want to slim your midsection and erase unsightly excess skin with a tummy tuck, you have several options for customizing your procedure at CPS. Our surgeons are experienced in various types of tummy tuck techniques and incisions, which they personalize to each patient’s individual needs. The goals of all tummy tuck procedures are a low, easily concealable scar, a natural-appearing belly button, athletic and elegant contours, and repair of separated abdominal muscles.
We use liposuction to help achieve these goals in all tummy tuck procedures. Based on your anatomy and goals, there are a few different types of tummy tuck procedures we may recommend. Options include:
This least invasive abdominoplasty technique involves a small incision about the size of a C-section scar. It rejuvenates the lower abdomen—below the belly button—by removing lax skin, repairing abdominal muscles below the navel, and tightening the skin that hangs over a C-section scar. This option would be best for patients who only have excess skin below the belly button and who want a shorter recovery process.
This technique involves a low incision placed just above the pubic bone that spans horizontally between the hip bones. A second incision encircles the inside of the bellybutton. A standard tummy tuck, the most commonly performed technique, improves the appearance of the abdomen from below the ribcage to the pubic bone by removing lax skin (as well as stretch marks on that skin) and repairing separated abdominal muscles (diastasis recti). This tummy tuck with muscle repair procedure often includes a panniculectomy to remove skin that hangs over the pubic area.
This technique extends the standard tummy tuck incision up and around the flanks to remove more skin and fat laterally. This is ideal for people with significant skin laxity and who want a flatter abdomen and some hip contouring.
Choose the experts that locals know and trust. Our multigenerational practice includes board-certified plastic surgeons who provide the best possible care with state-of-the-art technology.
Body contouring procedures often feature some overlap in techniques, treatment areas, and results. However, each procedure has a specific purpose which must reflect the goals and needs of the patient. Below are some more variations for tummy tucks, as well as complementary procedures that may provide similar results or are popularly combined with abdominoplasty.
While tummy tuck surgery and liposuction are both body contouring procedures, they cannot be used interchangeably.
While some patients benefit from a tummy tuck without liposuction, our surgeons often combine tummy tucks with liposuction of the flanks and waist for more comprehensive contouring. This blog post can help you determine which procedure (or combination of procedures) is right for you.
A body lift is a personalized combination of procedures that usually includes a tummy tuck, thigh lift, and buttock lift. Body lifts benefit people who have undergone significant weight loss and have a lot of excess, sagging skin around their abdomen and lower body.
Mommy Makeovers are actually multiple body contouring procedures performed in one surgical setting, each aimed at restoring a woman’s body after pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding. With this customizable procedure, many women choose to include a tummy tuck for its ability to repair the midsection, but other common procedures include breast lifts, breast augmentations, and liposuction.
While most tummy tuck patients are women, men who want a firmer, more contoured midsection can also benefit from the surgery. Because men tend to store belly fat behind the abdominal muscles where it cannot be removed with liposuction or surgery, the best candidates are men who are happy with their weight. The incision is usually higher and less curved for male versus female patients. Men often benefit from liposuction of the flanks with their tummy tuck.
Your tummy tuck consultation is a critical part of your plastic surgery process. During your meeting with one of our board-certified plastic surgeons, you will have the opportunity to ask any questions you may have, discuss the risks and benefits of a tummy tuck, and get a good idea of what you can reasonably expect from the results.
As this page suggests, there are several options for tummy tucks offered at CPS, so your plastic surgeon will listen to your goals for the procedure, examine your abdomen, and create a plan that incorporates the best tummy tuck technique for you.
Our surgeons perform tummy tuck surgery at local hospitals and in our private, accredited surgery center based in our Virginia office. Although most tummy tucks are outpatient surgeries, some patients choose to spend the night for convenience or because they are coming from out of town. We can help arrange hotel rooms as well as around-the-clock and overnight nursing care for those patients who are interested in this option.
On the day of surgery, your surgeon will check in with you to say hello and go over your surgical plan with you once more. They may also mark the incision locations on the treatment area in pen. You will be administered general anesthesia, and the surgery will begin.
During a standard tummy tuck, our surgeons make a horizontal incision low on the abdomen, just above the pubis, in a natural skin fold, separating the excessive skin from the underlying muscle layer of the abdominal wall. This allows us to examine the muscles and their covering layer and to repair any weaknesses or laxity.
Achieving a flat abdomen usually requires repairing this muscle layer. In most cases, we also perform liposuction of the abdomen and waist to help further sculpt the area. We can also use the J-Plasma treatment to further smooth and tighten the skin if desired. We place you in a special garment to provide gentle, even pressure while you are still asleep. This helps prevent fluid accumulation in the surgical area and protects the deeper muscle repair.
Following surgery, you will be sent home with specific aftercare instructions from your surgeon. We also require that you have a responsible friend or family member take you home from surgery and stay with you to help care for you, any young children, and your pets for the first few days. Most patients take two weeks off of work after a tummy tuck.
You will return home from surgery in a post-surgical compression garment that puts gentle pressure on the midsection. The garment is necessary to support healing tissues and help minimize swelling around the surgical area. Our surgeons will help measure and guide you in choosing your garments. They will also instruct you on when to wear it and for how long. They will also let you know if you need a Stage 2 garment in the later stages of your recovery.
If postoperative lymphatic massage is deemed a helpful recovery option that you are interested in, we also work with multiple providers and can help guide you on where to go and when.
Expect to feel stiff, with limited mobility for a few days. Sleeping may be difficult initially: You will need to keep yourself hunched over to prevent strain on the incision and abdominal muscles; therefore, you will need to sleep in a recliner or propped up with pillows in bed. Sleeping on your stomach or side can strain your incisions and result in postoperative complications.
While you should avoid strenuous exercise or athletics initially, we will encourage you to take gentle walks throughout the day to decrease the risk of blood clots and to induce healing. If needed, we may also prescribe you a blood thinner after surgery to help further reduce the risk of blood clots.
Be sure to follow your surgeon’s recovery instructions to the best of your abilities; Tummy tuck recovery can be challenging, so be sure to call our office if you have any questions or concerns at any point. Below is a general timeline of tummy tuck recovery, but be advised that each patient will be a little different than the next.
“He has completely changed my life. I have this new found confidence that I never had before. I’m living my best life.”
I had a tummy [tuck] with Dr. Frank Albino. I came to CPS because my boss also got a tummy tuck — she had amazing results. Two years ago I got the gastric sleeve, I lost over 110 lbs, and I wanted my stomach to look like it did when I was 21 years old.
When I met with Dr. Albino he made me feel very comfortable. I felt heard, I felt understood, and he took everything that I said into consideration. I left there feeling like, okay, I’m going to get the best results that I possibly can.
Diana describes her tummy tuck with Dr. Frank P. Albino at Center for Plastic Surgery, in her own words. Read her full story
The cost of a tummy tuck in Washington, D.C., starts at $13,000 and goes up from there, depending on the amount of correction needed and the technique used.
After your consultation with one of our surgeons, we will be happy to provide you with an accurate cost estimate. Patient financing is available for qualified patients. For the highest level of safety and the best tummy tuck results, choose a surgeon based on credentials, not price.
Even though our plastic surgeons use drains in most of our tummy tuck procedures, there is an occasional patient for which they do not use drains. Drains serve an important purpose, which is to prevent fluid from building up (seromas) in the space that was created by the separation of tissues during the procedure.
In addition, our surgeons typically use the same technique that surgeons who offer drainless tummy tucks use, which is placing internal quilting stitches to tack down the overlying abdominal flap to the abdominal wall. They find this helps decrease the amount of drainage. Because some drainage does develop anyway, using drains to remove it helps speed up the recovery process.
Scars are a necessary consequence of any surgery. Our surgeons do their best to place tummy tuck incisions where the scar is easily concealed by undergarments and swimsuits. Most patients say that scars are a worthwhile tradeoff for the improvements they attain.
Tummy Tuck Scar Healing Stages
Tummy tuck scars change over the first year, progressing through the following stages (patient experiences vary):
You can help minimize scarring by wearing your compression garment consistently and applying silicone gel or sheets as directed by your surgeon. When used for the first 6 weeks after surgery, silicone products can help form scars that are as thin and flat as possible. Avoid sun exposure on your scar, as this can cause it to heal inadequately.
Pain after a tummy tuck is mainly due to abdominal muscle repair. Our surgeons use the drug Exparel® in these cases to provide significant pain relief for the first few days after surgery when it is typically most intense. This opioid-free drug is administered intraoperatively by injecting it into the muscles of the abdominal wall.
Throughout your recovery process, pain can be managed by over-the-counter medications or pain medication prescribed by your plastic surgeon. We use the latest in enhanced recovery and pain management protocols to minimize the use of narcotic pain medications. After about the first week, though, tummy tuck recovery becomes much more manageable and your pain should be reduced.
If patients maintain their weight, exercise consistently, and do not become pregnant, tummy tuck results can last indefinitely. The aging process will continue but typically does not impact the abdominal area significantly.
You can also maintain the results of your tummy tuck by maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise. Many tummy tuck patients find that after their initial recovery period, their repaired abdominal wall and slimmer physique make exercise more effective and enjoyable. With proper diet and exercise, you can enjoy the results of your tummy tuck for years to come.
Yes, it is entirely possible to have a baby after a tummy tuck. A tummy tuck will not medically change your ability to get pregnant. The surgery only addresses skin, muscle, and fat, so it does not alter your reproductive system and will not affect your fertility.
From our article: Can I Have a Baby After a Tummy Tuck?
This depends on how quickly your body heals, though many surgeons recommend allowing about 6 months for your abdomen to recover fully. It’s important to follow up with your surgeon to check in on your healing process and make sure your body is ready for a baby.
From our article: Can I Have a Baby After a Tummy Tuck?
Overall, the recovery time between your surgery and full results extends over a period of six months or more. However, after 2-3 weeks you will be feeling more mobile and back to yourself. After several months you will be able to fully evaluate the healed aesthetic results.
Most patients consider the first-week post-procedure to be the most difficult due to pain and swelling. Your CPS surgeon will provide you with detailed post procedure instructions to increase your comfort and ability to heal properly.
From our article: Tummy Tuck FAQs: How to Contour Your Silhouette
A mini tummy tuck is a less invasive version of the traditional tummy tuck procedure. The incision size is similar to a C-section scar, and the procedure requires less recovery time than a full tummy tuck. However, a mini tummy tuck can only address loose skin directly below the bellybutton. Those who wish to improve the entire abdomen would benefit more from a full tummy tuck.
From our article: We Answered the Web’s Most-Asked Tummy Tuck Questions
Diastasis recti is a condition where the left and right sides of the abdominal wall separate from one another. This gap between muscles creates a protruding bulge, often known as a “pooch.” The condition is caused by long-term pressure on the abdominal wall. This can happen during pregnancy (as the growing baby consistently presses against the muscles) or by other activities that strain the body, such as yo-yo dieting or improper weight lifting.
Tummy tuck surgery also has the added perk of treating other issues caused by pregnancy or weight change. The procedure can remove excess fat and loose, saggy skin. With a full tummy tuck—that repairs diastasis recti and trims loose skin and fat—patients can sculpt their midsection and feel more comfortable and confident.
From our article: What Is Diastasis Recti? Can a Tummy Tuck Solve It?
If you want to slim your midsection with lasting, visible results, fill out our contact form or call Center for Plastic Surgery today at (301) 652-7700. Our team of board-certified plastic surgeons, experienced medical providers, and compassionate support staff are ready to help you experience the CPS difference.
