How Are the Muscles Tightened in a Tummy Tuck?

I'm going to try to answer this question with as little doctor-speak as possible. When you gain and lose a lot of weight or go through pregnancy your tummy gets stretched out and then relaxes back down. The muscles of your tummy also stretch out. The main muscles we are talking about are two big muscles that run up and down in the middle of your tummy. They are called the rectus abdominus muscles. They are supposed to be side by side like two columns right next to each other. With weight gain and/or pregnancy they can stretch out in the up and down direction as well as pull apart in the middle, separating from side to side. It is the side to side separation that is the real problem.

The splitting apart of the muscles is called diastasis recti. This separation is the cause of the poochy shape of the lower tummy after pregnancy. Here ls the main problem: you can exercise the muscles to make them strong again in the up and down direction, but there is no natural way to firm things up again from side to side. There is no way to exercise your muscles in a sideways direction. 

A tummy tuck can bring those muscles back to the middle where they belong but pulling them into position and keeping them there with stitches. When they are separated they are a bit weaker than they should be. This is due to the physics of how they work. They are meant to be together in the middle, so when they are put back that way they probably work a little better. You might not notice a big improvement when doing exercise, but some patients do feel stronger and more stable.

I hope this info helps!

The stretching forces of pregnancy can cause the rectus abdominis muscles to pull apart from each other.  This is called rectus diastasis.  When this happens, the position of all the muscles of the abdominal wall shift out of position, upsetting the balance of your "core" or abdominal wall and back.  Tightening the connective tissue between the rectus muscles, to pull both muscles back into the middle so they are right up against each other, restores the proper postioning of all the core muscles.  Abdominal exercises become more efficient and effective after tummy tuck with repair of the rectus diastasis

Abdominal wall tightening (muscle plication) is performed routinely during  a tummy tuck procedure. This is basiclally done by using permanent stitches and forming a pleat, like a tailor would do when taking in a shirt, which runs vertically from the pubic bone up to the sternum (breast bone). This creates a flat appearing abdomen by relocating the abdominal muscles back into their original position. Pregnancy, aging and weight fluctuations can weaken these muscles.

Discuss this in further detail during your consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon.

Best wishes,

Dr.Bruno