Where is a Tummy Tuck performed? Do you need to have surgery in a hospital or can it be done in the doctors office?

There are geographic differences. On the East Coast and Midwest, these surgeries are done at the hospital mainly. On the West Coast, most are done in ambulatory surgery centers or in office surgical facilities of the surgeon. Dr. Gottlieb explained this eloquently, I do not need to repeat it. I perform all my tummy tucks and all other major cosmetic surgeries in my AAAASF accredited in office surgical suite, since 1996. See a board certified plastic surgeon for an in person consultation/evaluation. Good luck.

An abdominoplasty is performed to improve the
contour of the belly by removing excess skin and fat and by tightening lax
abdominal muscles. There are two main types of abdominoplasties – the mini and
full. A mini abdominoplasty is a fine-tuning procedure performed
for a small subset of patients who have no abdominal wall laxity, no excess
skin above the belly button, and a small pouch of excess skin and fat below the
belly button. For those patients needing only a small mini abdominoplasty, excision under local in the office may be an option. In contrast, a typical full
abdominoplasty is often performed after bearing children or after moderate weight
loss. It can be a powerful procedure that can flatten and remove excess skin
and fat from both above and below the belly button and tighten the abdominal
muscles. It is most often done within the controlled environment of an accredited surgery center (either stand alone or associated with the surgeons office) or a hospital. A detailed examination will help delineate the best
surgical treatment. Consultation with a plastic surgeon would be the next best
step.

Tummy tucks are usually performed in outpatient operating facilities.  I would schedule a consultation if you are interested in a tummy tuck.Kenneth Hughes, MDLos Angeles, CA

ideally are done in a 'licensed' operating room but some doctors can do their procedures under local (I can't imagine why anyone does that) and those could be done in the surgeon's surgical suite assuming the sterility is equivalent to an OR.  I  do such procedures only in the operating room with an CRNA or anesthesiologist.

Good day, thank you for your question!A tummy tuck must be performed under general anesthesia which can either be done in a hospital or an ambulatory surgery center.All the best!Dr. Tony PerkinsShort Hills, NJ and NY, NY

The answer is that a tummy tuck can be done in either setting.  If you opt on an office setting I would be certain that your surgeon has privileges to perform abdominoplasties at your local hospital and that the office is approved by Medicare or AAAA or AAA.Best wishes 

A tummy tuck is a major operation, and should only be performed in an approved facility. Most hospitals are approved by JCAH (joint commission for accreditation of hospitals).  The problem with hospitals is pricing. Some hospitals will charge five to ten times the rates charged at outpatient surgi-centers. Out-patient facilities have various options for accreditation. What is usually considered the highest level is Medicare. Another common accreditation can come from AAAASF (American Association for the Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgical Facilities).  If you consult with a board certified plastic surgeon, accredited by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, you can be assured that the facility is accredited, since that is mandated by our specialty. Some accredited facilities are attached to doctor's offices, but don't assume it is accredited without asking. If you wouldn't fly on an airplane with an unaccredited pilot, you similarly would not have surgery in an unaccredited facility. All the best.