Abdominoplasty

Tummy Tuck

Abdominoplasty Before & After Photos

Keep in mind that each patient is unique and your results may vary.

Abdominoplasty surgery is popular with individuals who want firm, flat midsections, especially after significant weight loss or pregnancy has overstretched the abdominal skin and muscles.

Diet and exercise are generally recommended to reduce fat and improve muscle tone. However, excess skin, stubborn pockets of fat, and separated abdominal muscles (rectus diastasis) require surgical correction. Our Royal College-certified plastic surgeons use their experience and skills to tailor the abdominoplasty procedures to each patient's unique needs, so you achieve the desired results.

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Meet Our Surgeons

With extensive training and years of specialized experience, our Royal College-certified plastic surgeons are known in Calgary and throughout Canada for exceptional surgical outcomes and compassionate care. Their goal is simple: to give you the best version of yourself, whether you choose a procedure for your face, breasts, or body, or a personalized combination of procedures.

Dr. Byers

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Dr. Humphreys

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Dr. Whidden

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Is Abdominoplasty for You?

While Abdominoplasty surgery may involve removing residual fat from the midsection, its primary goals are to remove excess, sagging skin and tighten separated abdominal muscles. Liposuction may be a better option for you if your primary concern is excess fat in the torso or abdomen.

Good candidates for an Abdominoplasty include:

Women who are finished having children and who have excess skin, stretch marks, and may have a rounded abdominal appearance.

Men and women who have lost a significant amount of weight and have loose, excess skin on their midsections

Individuals with a stubborn area of lower abdominal fat, whose skin is losing elasticity as they age and who are bothered by the contour of their abdominal region

An Abdominoplasty is not a weight-loss surgery, nor is it appropriate for individuals who intend to lose weight. To undergo Abdominoplasty surgery, you should be in good overall health and must demonstrate that you can maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI).

Your Abdominoplasty Options

Our surgeons customize Abdominoplasty surgery to meet the personal needs of each patient. After evaluating your physical characteristics and discussing your aesthetic goals, your surgeon will recommend a specific surgical plan. Generally, our surgeons perform a full or a limited (mini) abdominoplasty.

Full Abdominoplasty

In a full Abdominoplasty, the surgeon makes one horizontal incision just above the pubic area, spanning from hipbone to hipbone. Our surgeons make the incision as low as possible, so your underwear or a bikini conceals it. Next, the surgeon elevates the skin, exposing the abdominal muscles and allowing him to repair the diastasis rectus to tighten and slim the midsection. Finally, your surgeon will remove excess skin and possibly use liposuction to refine the area further.

Mini Abdominoplasty

Some individuals require correction only of those areas below the navel. In these cases, our surgeons may recommend a limited or mini-Abdominoplasty. This operation is similar to a full Abdominoplasty, with the primary differences being that the incision is shorter and the surgeon only removes excess skin below the navel. In addition, the belly button is not re-positioned but may be reshaped as the skin is stretched.

As with a full Abdominoplasty, your surgeon may use liposuction to remove excess fat and contour the final results.

Recovery After an Abdominoplasty

Abdominoplasty is an outpatient procedure performed at Macleod Trail Surgical Centre, our state-of-the-art, fully accredited private surgical suite. The surgery typically takes 2 to 3 hours, depending on the extent of correction required. After you've recovered from the general anesthesia – typically 2 hours after surgery – you will be discharged to the care of a friend or loved one, who should stay with you overnight. You will receive detailed post-op instructions to make your recovery as comfortable as possible. In addition, you will be instructed on how to care for and monitor the surgical drains left in place to prevent fluid build-up. These are typically removed within the first week.

Everyone's experience is different, but generally, Abdominoplasty patients take about 2twoweeks off from work to get their healing well underway. You will wear a compression garment for several weeks for support and to help with recovery, and you will be advised to keep your activity level light to moderate. Your surgeon will let you know when you can resume exercise and other strenuous activities.

We would like to encourage you to communicate with our office so that we can maximize comfort and clear any uncertainties.

Frequently Asked Questions

As its name suggests, Abdominoplasty is best for patients who have only a limited presence of excess skin. A mini-Adominoplasty will only correct for excess skin that is present below the navel.

A frequent follow-up question to this is, "Can I begin with a mini Abdominoplasty and progress to a full abdominoplasty later?" Unfortunately, skin laxity is a problem that does not lend itself well to partial resolution. If more excess skin is present than can be properly removed via a mini Abdominoplasty, the only effective option is a full abdominoplasty.

The degree of scarring will vary depending on whether you undergo a Full Abdominoplasty or a Mini Abdominoplasty. In a full procedure, the scar will span the area between your hip bones, but is made low enough to be concealed by underwear or a swimsuit. There is also a well-concealed scar around the navel. Mini Abdominoplasty has a shorter scar above the pubic area and no incision is made in the navel.

In either case, the scar takes up to 1 year to fully fade and mature. If you are particularly concerned about scarring, please broach the subject during your consultation, as we can recommend a few strategies for minimizing your scar as it heals.

With every patient, our surgeons need to perform an in-person examination to determine an individualized surgical plan. The many variables of each case (e.g., extent of loose skin, length of procedure, anesthesia fees, etc.) make it difficult to quote a price prior to meeting with our patients. During your consultation, we will present you with a detailed pricing breakdown.

To visit our practice in Calgary and learn more about Abdominoplasty surgery, request a consultation online to meet privately with one of our plastic surgeons, or call our office at (403) 452-7953 to schedule an appointment.

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Our staff at Macleod Trail Plastic Surgery in Calgary is dedicated and available to answer any questions you may have about our practice and the plastic surgery procedures we offer. Fields marked with * are required.