What Are the Benefits of Tummy Tuck Muscle Tightening?

Breast lift (mastopexy) and tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) are common, popular procedures, and often done together as you did. Doctors assess a patient's abdominal wall tone and suggest, as your surgeon did, whether they would benefit from plication of the aponeurosis of the rectus abdominus muscles ("tighten the abs"). I agree that patients have less discomfort and a faster recovery to normal activities and exercise, if muscle tone is good pre-op and plication unnecessary. If you... more

You will have to wait until you have healed to see if your tummy is flat enough without having tightened your muscles. If there is any remaining protuberance, then you will know what the benefits of muscle tightening would have been. Of course, you may be able to achieve some tightening with exercise and strengthening. Good luck!

If your doctor told you that the muscles did not need to be tightened I would believe him. The most common reason to tighten the muscles during tummy tuck is when the abdominal muscles, called the Rectus Abdominus Muscles, are split and weakened by pregnancy. The split in the muscle allows the contents of the abdomen to protrude and cause a bulge. This condition is called a Diastasis Recti. When the muscles are repaired during the tummy tuck, the tummy or abdomen is flattened. Occasionally,... more

A standard tummy tuck corrects three tissue layers of the abdominal wall: loose skin, excessive fat, and separated abdominal wall muscles. Typically, the tightest and flattest abdomen is seen following a tummy tuck procedure. Tightening (or suture plication) of the abdominal muscles is commonly performed when it is needed. If your abdominal muscle tone is adequate and examination reveals the muscles not to be separated, you probably did not need your abs tightened. The procedure you... more

Each tummy tuck should be individualized to each specific patient's anatomy and desires. In other words, the operation should provide the benefits that you expressed you wanted to your surgeon. It also seems that it is a little late to be asking this after you have already had your procedure performed.

Repair of the abdominal wall is performed when it is lax and contributes to abdominal prominence.  Occasionally, it is not a contributing factor (usually a male patient) and repair is unnecessary.  The surgeon judges this pre-op and at the time of the operation.

Why are you asking after the operation? I would hope that you would see reduction of excess or lax skin in the case of a "skin only" tummy tuck.

Tummy tucks are a very popular and effective way to contour the abdomen. They can address the loose muscle in the abdominal wall that is common after woman has given birth. Tummy tucks can also remove excess fat and stretch marks below the belly button. In our practice, we always perform liposuction at the same time as a tummy tuck to help contour the abdomen and create a toned appearance. Patients who receive this procedure should understand that there is a significant recovery process... more

If you have a diastasis or weakness between the rectus muscles, then it is good to tighten this area up with sutures so that the abdomen appears flatter.