Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Before & After Case 27

This 41 year-old woman from Portland, Maine carried four large babies during pregnancy. She was left with extra skin and fat within her lower abdomen and flanks. Although she was a candidate for a tummy tuck alone, by undergoing liposuction of her flanks the overall appearance and shape of her torso was much improved. She therefore underwent a mini-abdominoplasty (mini tummy-tuck) as well as flank liposuction.

The difference between a mini-abdominoplasty and a full abdominoplasty differs widely depending on the particular surgeron. There is no universally agreed upon definition for each of these operations. Dr. Davidson does not believe in performing a cookie cutter operation for everyone- rather he tailors each operation based upon each person's specific anatomy and aesthetic needs. 

In this patient's particular situation, Dr. Davidson performed a mini-abdominoplasty in which there was no scar placed around the belly button. He tightened the muscles below (and fixed the rectus diastasis) by placing sutures in two layers. The deeper layer utilized a permanent suture whereas the superficial layer utilized a suture that will dissolve once everything has healed into place. It is incredibly unusual for a patient to experience a recurrence of their rectus diastasis after it has been surgically corrected by Dr. Davidson.

Although this patient's belly button was pulled a bit lower than it was pre-operatively, she confidently and proudly wore a bikini during her recent family vacation to Mexico.