Is muscle repair still needed with a Tummy Tuck if I haven't had children?

Thank you for the question. Ultimately, you will need to do your due diligence and select your plastic surgeon carefully. Then, after this careful selection, you will be best off going with his/her judgment. Generally speaking, the vast majority of patients who present for tummy tuck surgery benefit from muscle plication; as you know, this part of the tummy tuck procedure serves to re-approximate the muscles that have spread during pregnancy or weight gain/loss. Omitting this part of the procedure will potentially leave patients with continued abdominal wall laxity and, in my opinion, a less than optimal result. If you remain in doubt, seek additional consultations with well experienced board certified plastic surgeons who can demonstrate significant experience helping patients achieve the types of outcomes you would be pleased with.Best wishes.

Rectus plication (muscle repair) is not always needed with abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) especially if you have not had children. Some women still have laxity in the abdominal wall even if they have never been pregnant. This could be hereditary or congenital or due to massive weight loss. These patients still benefit from tightening of the abdominal wall with the skin removal that involves a tummy tuck.

If the rectus muscles have separated from either pregnancy (most common cause) or weight gain, then a repair as part of the tummy tuck will give a better result. The only way to know is with an exam, but with no prior pregnancy you are less likely to need it.