Can skin/fat removal be done without muscle surgery, are there different types of tummy tucks?

There are different types of tummy tucks and the procedure performed depends on the problems that need to be corrected.  Muscle tightening does not entail "cutting" of the muscle.It is a line of internal stitches to pull the muscles closer to each other in the midline to correct bulging from muscle weakness(diastasis). If there is adequate muscle tone, this does not need to be performed and the procedure can just consist of removal of the excess skin and fat.  These decisions are made at your consultation. Schedule some consultations and get all of your questions answered. Best wishes.

Yes, there are many options available for abdominal contouring. Liposuction, skin-only tummy tuck, short scar tummy tuck, full tummy tuck with muscle repair, lipo-tummy tuck. Long list. I would recommend you see a board certified plastic surgeon with a comprehensive approach who can offer you a variety of options balancing your goals and presentation. Best of luck!

Hello and thank you for your
question. The need for muscle repair depends on if you have a diastasis or separation of muscles.  A tummy tuck can be done
through a low and short incision, all completely below the bikini line.  The belly button can be designed to look
natural and have no scars on the exterior.  Make sure you specifically look
at before and after pictures of real patients who have had this surgery
performed by your surgeon and evaluate their results.  The most important
aspect is to find a surgeon you are comfortable with. I recommend that you seek
consultation with a qualified board-certified plastic surgeon who can evaluate
you in person.
Best wishes and good luck.
Richard G. Reish, M.D. FACS
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

Thanks for your question. The most common tummy tuck involves skin and fat removal as well as tightening of the abdominal muscles. The muscles are not cut, but tightened like a corset to flatten the abdomen. The muscle work does not need to be done if you don't want it. The same amount of fat and skin could still be removes.Best wishes.

It is correct we may do Tt without MR and it definitely will be different about Recovery and aggressiveness. Just must be aware that muscle repair is the perfect procedure to achieve a flat abdomen and very importantly a smaller waist. So if you are totally flat, tight abdominal muscle and nice waist,  you do not need muscle repair. Be encouraged Dr. Cardenas  

You can have a tummy tuck without muscle tightening. For women who have had children, many times they will have a separation of the abdominal muscle (but not always) which needs tightening in order to get a flat tummy. Be sure to see a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon who will be able to explain all your options. Good luck.

Yes, skin and fat can be removed without  treating the muscles, but I will say I almost always find that the  muscles need a little work as well.

Thank you for your question.There are several different types of tummy tucks and nowadays there are even special names for tummy tucks, designated by the surgeon who is doing it.If you think of it simply a tummy tuck is designed to provide a certain result that the patient desires. This means that the surgeon needs to understand what the patient wants and then needs to assess where the patient is right now and what it takes to get the patient to where they want to be. Therefore not everyone needs to have muscle work done with a tummy tuck. Even if muscle work would improve the results some patients opt to not have it done because it increases the recovery time and is more painful. Your surgeon needs to explain the positives and negatives associated with doing various types of procedures and discuss all the options with you.Best of luck to you.

A tummy tuck can be done either with or without a muscle repair.  The recovery and pain will be less without a muscle repair, however depending on whether or not you have much muscle laxity, you may not ultimately be as flat.  There are patients who have minimal diastasis in whom muscle repair provides little to no benefit.

we tighten the muscle with a TT. We do not cut the muscles!!!!! Also we sometimes will do a TT without tightening the muscle. See a board certified plastic surgeon.david berman md