Understanding the Different Types of Abdominoplasty

Would it surprise you to know that your tummy has different regions? How about that each of those regions can be cosmetically altered individually or in groups? In fact, there are three different forms of abdominoplasties that can be used to give you a tummy that looks fit and toned.

How Your Tummy Is Divided

When you refer to your tummy, you’re usually talking about the area around your belly button. In actuality, the abdomen refers to the entire abdominal cavity, which extends from under your lungs to just above your groin. It’s a pretty broad area which can be divided into the upper and lower abdomen. The upper abdomen generally refers to everything above your belly button, while the lower abdomen is everything around and below your belly button.

The Three Abdominoplasties

As a patient, you can get an abdominoplasty that targets your upper abdomen only (reverse abdominoplasty), your lower abdomen only (mini-abdominoplasty), or both regions together (standard abdominoplasty). The reverse abdominoplasty is the least common type, which makes sense since the lower abdomen usually has the most trouble areas. Some patients, though, have a body shape that results in the upper abdomen developing trouble spots rather than the lower abdomen. The mini-abdominoplasty is used on about ten percent of all tummy tuck patients, most of whom are formerly pregnant women with generally fit figures. The vast majority of tummy tuck patients have a standard abdominoplasty, which involves tightening and smoothing the entire abdomen.

How Abdominoplasty Works

Your abdomen is subject to a lot of issues with excess fat and skin throughout your lifetime, especially your lower abdomen. Major weight gain and loss, pregnancy, illness, or surgery can all affect the look of your tummy. The lower region experiences the greatest trouble because gravity pulls the excess fat and skin downward, leaving unsightly bulges around your middle.

An abdominoplasty involves accessing the abdominal wall through an incision, usually on the hips and pubic bone. The only exception to this is the reverse abdominoplasty, which involves making an incision at the top of the chest to give the surgeon easier access to the upper abdomen. Once the incision is made, the surgeon is able to tighten and repair the abdominal muscles if they’re damaged, remove those stubborn fat pockets, and trim away the extra skin before pulling and suturing the remaining soft tissue at the incision site. Sometimes internal sutures are also needed to give your tummy support and stability while it heals from the procedure.

How Do I Choose Which Abdominoplasty Type I Need?

Actually, your surgeon will make that determination for you during your patient consultation! They’ll make that decision after looking over your medical history, discussing your desired results, and doing a full assessment of your abdomen to see where your problem areas are located.

How Do I Schedule an Abdominoplasty Consultation?

You can reach Weniger Plastic Surgery by calling (843) 757-0123 or through our Contact page here on our website. Dr. Fred Weniger is a highly skilled plastic surgeon with over 16 years of experience in body lift surgery and is dedicated to providing a quality experience to his patients. His goal is always to keep you well-informed on your procedure while maintaining your health and safety throughout the entire process. Contact us today to schedule your tummy tuck consultation!