Would I be able to get a flat tummy with a tummy tuck and why does my tummy protrude? (Photos)

An abdominoplasty will definitely help you achieve your expectations. Sometimes the “protuberance” is due to excess fat deposit, weakening of the abdominal wall muscles, or a hernia. This would be evaluated during your consultation by your plastic surgeon and usually those issues can be addressed during your surgery. Continue working out, following a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy BMI (currently 32) to achieve the best results.

Yes, a tummy tuck is your best option to contour your abdomen. With rectus plication, you should obtain a nice flat abdominal profile. I would recommend weight loss and being in the 25-30 BMI range prior to the procedure for best results.

I would begin with your breasts using The Bellesoma Method. This will reduce and reshape your breast tissue creating upper pole fullness without implants, elevate them higher on the chest wall and more medial to increase your cleavage. The weight of the breast is transferred to the underlying pectoralis major muscle resulting in pain relief and long term stability. Vertical scars are avoided, nipple sensation (in 95%) and the ability to breast feed are maintained. At the same time or later, a tummy tuck can be performed. If you are not planning future pregnancies, I recommend abdominoplasty with mesh reinforcement. The mesh creates a more hourglass figure by compressing the abdominal wall resulting in early satiety and helps maintain a reduced weight.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Dear Crystalj566,
based on your photos, you look like a good candidate for a TT. Full tummy tuck should tighten your abdominal muscles and remove the excess skin. Flanks liposuction would give you a better shape. I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon because only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

At 5'2", you are about 65 pounds overweight and carry a lot of that weight internally. So, you can have a flatter abdomen with a tuck, but probably not flat because of internal fat.

From your photos you should have improvement with the procedures you are considering. However it appears you have excess visceral fat. This is fat around the organs that cannot be addressed through a tummy tuck or liposuction, only through weight loss. For optimal results you will need to include weight loss as part of your goals.

Hello, thank you for your question and pictures.

When performing a tummy tuck we remove the skin excess on the abdomen making it flatter, normally the abdomen protrude because of the diastase rectis that is also repaired on the tummy tuck. This can be combined with 360 liposuction to achieve better results.

Make sure to approach to a certified surgeon to help you clear all your doubts.

Best wishes!

Your BMI is 32.... You have large amounts of internal/intestinal/visceral fat... Thus a TT will not offer you "flatness" You need to lose 20 pounds first. Fee $10,000.

Hello dear , You are the perfect candidate for a Tummy tuck with Liposuction With tummy tuck and Lipo you will be able to show off a nice silhouette and we can also add BBL if it is in your needs and tastes.
you are a candidate for breast lift but we cannot do it in the same procedure, you would have to wait 6 months to undergo another surgical procedure.

When making an assessment of someone’s abdomen there are four variables that determine what it can look like.

In other words if someone doesn’t like the way their belly looks it is always because of one or more of for different reasons.

Each of these reasons for variables has its own way of being treated or managed.

The first variable is skin laxity. Skin laxity typically comes from previous pregnancies or weight fluctuations.

Age also contributes because with age comes a loss of elasticity that creates laxity.

To assess the abdomen for skin laxity pull your skin tight above the area of concern and see if it improves to contour.

I think in your case skin laxity is a major component to why your abdomen looks the way it does.

The second variable is excess subcutaneous fat.

This is the fat layer between the skin and muscle or the fat that you feel when you pinch your skin.

To assess the thickness of your subcutaneous fat layer the most accurate way is to gently pull the skin tight and take the tip of one finger and gently push until you feel the underlying muscle wall. in your case I’m guessing the thickness of subcutaneous fat around your mid abdomen it’s probably about 1 1/2 inches. Subcutaneous fat can be reduced by weight loss or Liposuction.

The third variable is muscle separation from previous pregnancies called Diastasis recti. This condition causes the muscle wall to bulge and is only corrected with a full tummy tuck.

A straight tight muscle wall should create a beeline between your sternum and pubic bone. If the muscle while it’s in front of that imaginary line then the muscle wall is bulging. In your case you clearly have a bulging muscle while most likely due to previous pregnancies.

The fourth variable is excess visceral or intra-abdominal fat.

Excess visceral fat also causes deep Domino wall to bulge similar to muscle separation.

To assess excess visceral fat the easiest way is to see if the abdomen lays flat while laying on your back or how much pressure it takes to push your abdomen flat.

Often men have a greater percentage of visceral fat compared to subcutaneous fat but women also can have problems with a high percentage of fat being intra-abdominal. Visceral fat can only be lost through weight loss.

In your case skin laxity and muscle separation are the primary contributing factors to why your abdomen looks the way it does. Moderate obesity is probably number three.

A full tummy tuck is the only option if you want a tight flat abdomen
To get the best result weight lice is also needed.

I suggest having multiple in person consultations for the local board-certified plastic surgeons to get an accurate assessment and better understanding of treatment options.

Subcutaneous fat is not your primary diagnosis so Liposuction will give you a limited improvement at best.

When judging plastic surgeons in regarding their talent ask to see as many before and after pictures as possible.

An experienced plastic surgeon should have no difficulty showing you 50 or more sets of tummy tuck before and after pictures.

When looking at pictures look critically that who gets the most natural looking bellybutton, low set scars that follow anatomic contour naturally and lastly ask to see pictures showing the persons body from all angles including from behind.

A good plastic surgeon will take into consideration what the entire torso looks like including how the procedure affects the backside.

Plastic surgery results are based on two primary variables. Those are the patient’s candidacy for the procedure and the second is the skill and experience of the provider.

There isn’t that much most patients can do regarding their candidacy but they have full control over choosing the right provider.

Results are permanent and more or less irreversible so choosing the most experienced and talented provider is in patient’s best interest.

To do this well requires having a substantial number of in person consultations at which time patients need to strategically vet each provider in regards to both skill and experience.

Pick the right plastic surgeon and everything falls into place.

Read reviews on all various physician review websites avoiding providers with any significant number of justified negative reviews.

The absence of justified negative reviews is more important and more telling than having an abundance of positive reviews.

Having a large social media campaign is irrelevant of someone’s talent in the operating room.

Famous does not equal talented.

Best,

Mats Hagstrom MD