Do You Have to Suck in Your Stomach After Tummy Tuck to Get Good Result?

Many patients expect that they will have a tummy tuck, and after their surgery they will have a flat abdomen.  And for many patients, this does happen.

Why do some patients have a persistent bulge after their surgery?

The plastic surgeon is only tightening what is there, the skin and usually the fascia.  If the fascia is weak, it is weak.  A week fascia will be more prone to forming another bulge than a stronger fascia with strong elastic fibers.

Ladies who have twins, or gain large amounts of weight during their pregnancies, are more prone to having a weak fascia.

The second reason is fat inside the abdomen.  When the plastic surgeon tightens the fascia, he or she does not remove fat from inside the abdomen.  So you are essentially getting a tighter envelope, but the fat inside the abdomen remains.  This is a very common cause of dissatisfaction in patients.  It is best for the plastic surgeon to point out the fat inside the abdomen before the surgery, and explain that this will limit the results of the surgery.

The good news for such patients is that losing weight does several things.  

First, the abdomen looks better since the intraabdominal fat reduces in size.

More importantly, the intraabdominal fat associated with diabetes and heart disease shrinks, making the patient more healthy.  They live longer and have a better quality of life.

In some patients, a bit more skin and fat can be removed, making the skin envelope tighter.  This can also improve the results, if this is the cause of the bulge.

 

If muscle repair was performed as part of your tummy tuck you shouldn't have to hold your tummy in. Some people who have excess visceral fat (fat behind your muscle wall that surrounds your organs) may benefit from weight loss to improve results. I encourage you to discuss your concerns with your surgeon.

You shouldn't really have to hold in your stomach after a tummy tuck.  Return to your plastic surgeon if you have any concerns.