There are two main variants of abdominoplasty:

1. Complete abdominoplasty - it requires from about 2 to 5 hours and includes five steps:
a. a notch that is made from hip to hip just on top of the pubic area;
b. another notch is made to free the navel from the surrounding skin;
c. the skin is separated from the abdominal wall to open the muscles that are tightened with stitches;
d. the skin is rejoined with any spare skin that had been removed. A new gap for the navel is made and sutured into place;
e. all stitches are dressed and any overload fluid is exhausted.

2. Partial abdominoplasty - it requires from about 1 to 2 hours and includes three steps:
f. a notch that is made is shorter;
g. the skin between the notch and the navel is stretched down and overload skin removed;
h. the flap is sewed back into place.

Complete abdominoplasty is a plastic cosmetic surgery that can be combined with a liposuction treatment. A process of convalescence from an entire abdominoplasty can take from four to six weeks. Patients must take a part of this recovery time off from work as a minimum. They must avoid the heavy activities during this time especially. For the first ten days, a patient may have staining and discomfort. A supportive abdominal binder must be wearing to contain tumor and support the muscular repair. Patients have not to smoke for several months before the surgery and during the revival period, because smokers have a higher risk of complications with the operation.

The Candidates for Abdominoplasty

The potential candidates for abdominoplasty are men or women who are in comparatively good form but have large sediment of fat or much abdominal skin that won’t respond to diet or exercise.
 The surgery can be very helpful to:
a) women who, through numerous pregnancies, have extended their abdominal muscles and skin;
b) older patients, which had lost the elasticity of skin, because of the slight obesity.

The surgery is not recommended to:
a) patients who plan to lose a lot of weight;
b) women who plan future pregnancies because vertical muscles in the abdomen that are squeezed during surgery can disconnect again during pregnancy.

If you have very noticeable scars from previous surgery, your doctor can be against abdominoplasty or may warning you that scars could be unusually conspicuous.

Abdominoplasty can improve your appearance and your self-confidence. Earlier than you decide to have surgery, you must think carefully about your hopes and discuss them with your surgeon.