Would I be a good candidate for a Tummy Tuck or can I lose rounded tummy with diet and exercise instead? (photos)

Thank you for your question regarding what to do with your tummy after four children, a C-section, and the fact you are in your 40s. Since you have excess skin and fat of the abdomen in addition to stretch marks, I would suggest a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty. Typically, if one has excess skin, is over 40, and has stretch marks, liposuction can only do so much. My concern is if I were to perform VASER liposuction on your abdomen, you would have excess hanging skin which would not look good. Therefore, since you have excess skin inside of the abdomen, I would suggest a tummy tuck. During a tummy tuck, an incision is made below your C-section scar, dissect up to the sternum, the muscle is tightened, and excess skin and fat from your C-section scar to above your belly button is permanently removed, and the skin from just above your belly button is pulled down to the pubic region. In addition to pubic region is raise and reduced. The tummy tuck will take 3 to 4 hours to complete under general anesthesia and is usually an outpatient procedure. Plan on a 2 to 3 weeks recovery. I hope this information helps as to what to do with your tummy after four children, a C-section, stretch marks, and you being in your 40s.

If you have any more questions regarding a tummy tuck, lower body lift, 360 circumferential lower body lift, belt lipectomy, belt abdominoplasty, or belt dermolipectomy please contact my office. Since the body lift is a big procedure, please seek an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon with significant experience performing the lower body lift. Do your research. Make sure they have performed at least 100 tummy tuck or circumferential lower body lift surgeries and have the before and after pictures to prove it. Carefully examine their before and after pictures and check their reviews on RealSelf. If you cannot find an experienced, tummy tuck or lower body lift surgeon in your neighborhood, consider traveling out of state if you must. Sincerely, Dr. Katzen. (“Verified” Plastic Surgeon, President of the American Society of Bariatric Plastic Surgeons, certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Fellow of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American College of Surgery, and International College of Surgery and member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and RealSelf Hall of Fame.)

It’s always a good idea to start with a healthy diet and exercise plan to see whether that works. You can then consider a tummy tuck if you haven’t noticed an improvement. You appear to have loose skin - this tends to be quite difficult to improve with diet and exercise but you can always try that first.

Hi, thank you for sharing your question. You are a great candidate for a tummy tuck. The loose skin along your lower abdomen will not disappear with diet and exercise alone. I hope this helps.

Hi, that is an excellent question! You are not that overweight. Losing weight will help overall, but your issue is excess skin and muscle separation.
-Exercise can help make your muscles stronger but you would still need muscle repair.
-Losing weight will help getting rid of fat, but it will actually make excess skin worse.
-Muscle mass can help fill up the skin, but exercise does not tone the skin.

The only way to treat excess skin is with a tummy tuck. This is why you best option is a TT with Muscle Repair. You can even add some lipo to the flanks, waist and back if you wish.
A TT will not only make your tummy smaller and flatter, it will make it tighter and it will help lift your mons as well!

Best of luck….You are actually a perfect candidate for a TT!
Dr. Miguel Mota

You appear to have a nice figure except for the hanging abdominal skin. The best management of this would be a full tummy tuck and muscle tightening. No other procedure will be worthwhile at all

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.

You appear to be an ideal candidate for a tummy tuck with liposuction.

Diet and exercise are always helpful, but that won’t tighten your skin.

​An exam and consultation with a plastic surgeon is recommended to better discuss your options and expectations.

Dear trickynikky77,
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

Hello, thank you for your question and pictures.

When exists skin excess on the abdomen it need to be removed surgically, neither diet or exercises will help on te tightening on that skin again. In your case you have an indication of a tummy tuck + muscle repair.

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

Best wishes!

In looking at your photographs here you appear to have some skin laxity and redundancy. While this might improve slightly with diet and exercise you already appear rather thin so the chances of this correcting on its own are very slim. You might be a candidate for a mini tummy tuck but should see a plastic surgeon to make this determination.