Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)

Abdominoplasty at Brandeis Clinic removes excess abdominal skin and fat while tightening the underlying rectus abdominis muscle wall — restoring a flat, toned abdominal contour that diet and exercise cannot achieve when skin is genuinely stretched. The clinic offers three versions: a mini abdominoplasty targeting only the lower abdomen (below the navel), a full abdominoplasty with navel repositioning for more extensive skin and muscle correction, and a combined abdominoplasty with liposuction for simultaneous flank and waist shaping. The procedure takes approximately 2 hours under general anaesthesia, followed by 2 days inpatient care. Drainage tubes are placed during surgery and managed in the post-operative period. This procedure is commonly performed as part of post-pregnancy or post-weight-loss body restoration.

Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) at Brandeis Clinic addresses a combination of problems that frequently co-exist and cannot be treated individually: excess lower abdominal skin, subcutaneous fat excess in the lower and mid-abdomen, and diastasis recti — the vertical separation of the paired rectus abdominis muscles that results from pregnancy or significant weight gain. **Why exercise cannot fix it:** Abdominal skin excess and diastasis recti are structural problems. No amount of core exercise will retract stretched skin or close a wide diastasis. Liposuction alone cannot correct skin excess. Abdominoplasty is the only reliable correction for the combination of these three tissue problems. **The three procedures at Brandeis Clinic:** *Mini abdominoplasty (from 65,000 Kč):* Targets excess tissue below the navel only. A single low transverse incision (placed at or just above the pubic hairline) allows excision of a horizontal band of lower-abdominal skin. The navel is not moved — it remains in its existing position. Suitable for patients with skin excess limited to the lower abdomen with minimal upper-abdominal involvement and no significant diastasis above the navel. *Abdominoplasty with navel repositioning (from 75,000 Kč):* The full procedure. A long low transverse incision from hip to hip and a circumferential incision around the navel allow elevation of the entire abdominal skin flap from the fascia. The rectus abdominis muscles are plicated (sutured together) to correct diastasis, tightening the entire abdominal wall from the costal margin to the pubis. The skin flap is then pulled inferiorly, excess tissue is excised, and the navel is delivered through a new aperture at its correct anatomical position. The hip-to-hip scar is designed to be concealed within standard underwear or a bikini bottom. *Abdominoplasty with liposuction (from 85,000 Kč):* Flank and love-handle liposuction is performed simultaneously with the abdominoplasty — the liposuction addresses the lateral and posterior fullness that a frontal skin excision does not correct. This combination produces a more complete waist contour improvement than either procedure alone. **Drains:** Surgical drains are placed in the subcutaneous space to remove post-operative fluid accumulation (seroma prevention). They are removed at the clinic on day 2 in most cases, though occasionally longer drainage is required. **Compression:** A firm abdominal compression garment is worn for 5 weeks. This supports the repaired muscle wall, reduces swelling, and promotes skin-to-fascia adhesion in the elevated flap. **Recovery:** Hospitalisation 2 days. Wound dressings are changed at the clinic for approximately 3 weeks. Patients are work-incapacitated for 2–4 weeks depending on job demands. No sport or lifting for 2 months — the muscle plication must be protected during healing. Walking (with a slight forward lean initially) can begin as soon as the drains are out. **Preparation:** A GP-issued pre-operative test is required: blood panel, cardiovascular fitness, and any existing conditions. Patients fast on the day of surgery. Smoking cessation is strongly recommended before surgery — impaired wound healing is a well-documented consequence of perioperative smoking in abdominoplasty, which has a large flap that depends on adequate perfusion. **Ideal timing:** For post-pregnancy cases, the procedure is best timed when the patient has completed their family — another pregnancy will stretch the repaired tissues and may require revision.