Tummy Tuck, Abdominoplasty | Dr. John Burns

Abdominoplasty (a.k.a "Tummy Tuck")

It’s common for both men and women to gather excess fat in the lower abdomen. What can be even more frustrating is when countless crunches and ab exercises don’t do anything to change your appearance. For this stubborn area, there is a cosmetic procedure that will change your overall look for good.

What is a Tummy Tuck?

A tummy tuck or abdominoplasty is designed to remove excess skin and fat from your abdomen ranging from the belly button to the pubic area. The abdominal muscles are tightened to narrow your waist and the procedure is often paired with liposuction of the love handles and hip areas to create an hourglass look.

Bikini Incision

Dr. Burns is know for his low scar bikini incision designed to hide the scar below the underwear or swimsuit line. The bikini incision hides the incision allowing patients to wear swimsuits and underwear without showing their tummy tuck scar.

Who is a Good Candidate for a Tummy Tuck?

From 2000 to 2014, tummy tuck procedures have increased by 87 percent, in part because new methods and safety measures have made it possible to achieve a tighter, shapelier midsection without a difficult recovery. Because the surgeon can place the incision below the bikini line, no one will ever know that you had any work done.

There are many reasons people seek an abdominoplasty, from having lost extreme amounts of weight to experiencing the results of pregnancy, both of which can cause excess skin and stretch marks in the abdomen.

Women have the additional concern of childbirth which significantly stretches the abdominal muscles. When there is good skin tone, no stretch marks, and a limited amount of fat, liposuction alone is usually the best option. However, when stretch marks are present in addition to abdominal muscle laxity, a tummy tuck remains the best option. In this procedure, the incision is kept low below the “bikini line” and a large ellipse of fat and skin is removed. The belly button is resutured in its original place and the abdominal muscles tightened to give an hourglass shape. This procedure can be combined with liposuction to further sculpt the body. Newer techniques use progressive tension sutures or Tissue Glu to eliminate the need for a drain making recovery much easier and quicker.


No Drain Tummy Tuck Article	TissuGlu No Drain Tummy Tuck

What are my Options?

There are several different kinds of abdominoplasty depending on the desired results.

In a mini-abdominoplasty, the incision is placed lower and inside the hip bones. The amount of tissue removed is minimal and does not involve an incision around the belly button, and the stomach muscles are usually not tightened. This approach is ideal for thin patients whose main issue is extra skin and stretch marks.

In a standard abdominoplasty, the incision will generally extend across the lower abdomen from hip bone to hip bone. Skin and fat is removed from the belly button to the pubic bone and the abdominal muscles are tightened.

In an extended abdominoplasty, the incision will generally extend beyond the hip bones to include some of the lower love handle area. The extended incision will allow more tissue to be removed. This approach is ideal for heavier patients who require more contouring or weight loss patients with significant extra skin.

In a circumferential abdominoplasty or lower body lift, the incision will extend around the trunk in a circumferential fashion. The circumferential incision will lift the butt, hips and thighs as well as remove excess skin and fat from the lower abdomen. This approach is ideal for patients who have lost substantial weight and have excess skin and sagging of their tissue. A lower body lift can be combined with a medial thigh lift to remove excess skin and fat from the thighs and lift the thighs.


Mini Tummy Tuck/Abdominoplasty	Standard Tummy Tuck/Abdominoplasty

Extended Tummy Tuck/Abdominoplasty	Circumferential Tummy Tuck/Abdominoplasty