Abdominoplasty, Does It Increase Future Core Strength? This is Not an Insurance Question.

Hello,

Pregnancy and significant weight gain/weight loss can result in stretching of the connective tissue that envelops the muscles.  This is called fascia.  Muscles are designed to elongate and to contract so the muscles are not changed by pregnancy but the connective tissue that envelops them can be.  When "muscle repair" is performed as part of a tummy tuck it is not really the muscles that are repaired as much as the connective tissue that is tightened.  In doing so the relation of the muscles to each other improves and the efficiency of the muscles can improve.

All the best,

Dr Rems Repta

Many women note improved abdominal muscle tone after a tummy tuck.  Not right away of course but after they have a chance to heal and recover from their surgery.  Other patients will also talk about relief or improvement in their back pain.  So it appears for many women, a tummy tuck is not just a cosmetic but also a functional procedure.  Hope this helps.

In response to another answer, let me be clear.  An abdominoplasty does not make your abdominal muscles stronger, it makes them more efficient.  All muscles work best when they are in the right position.  That is because muscle fibers can only contract over a certain distance and no further.  The displaced abdominal muscles, the result of pregnancy, expend a great deal of their contracting force just getting into the position of maximal effect.  An abdominoplasty re-positions the abdominal muscles into a better position to achieve a bigger bang with contraction.  It didn't make them stronger, it just made them more efficient.