FAQ’s

Some of the most common questions about Tummy Tucks (Abdominoplasty) including what it can do for you and the potential results.

What should I expect during my first Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) consultation?

If you are troubled by excess loose skin and weak abdominal muscles, a Tummy Tuck can help. The first step is booking an initial consultation with a specialist plastic surgeon. Going into a Tummy Tuck consultation can be both exciting and anxiety provoking. So, here’s what to expect during your first consultation with Dr Dona.

Upon arriving at our clinic, you will be met by our friendly staff who will walk you through the patient registration process. Once this is done, you will be taken through to your initial consultation with Dr Dona.

Here, Dr Dona will listen carefully to your concerns and expectations of the procedure before discussing your medical and surgical history, which includes your allergies, medications, lifestyle, physical and mental health, motivations and smoking history. These considerations can impact your surgery, anaesthetic and post-operative care; therefore, it is essential that you are completely open throughout your consultation.

The possible risks and complications will also be discussed.

Dr Dona will perform a complete physical assessment, assessing the amount of skin and fat deposits to be removed, your skin quality, previous scaring and muscle laxity. Photos will then be taken for our medical records.

After assessing your situation, Dr Dona will then determine how to best proceed with treatment and discuss the possibilities with you.

You will also be given the opportunity to ask any questions. You may want to prepare a list of questions to take with you to your consultation to ensure everything is covered.

After meeting with Dr Dona, you will then see one of our lovely patient coordinators. Here, they will estimate the cost of the procedure, and any other logistics about a possible surgery.

Stretch Marks and Abdominal Scar Removal

Pregnancy often accelerates the stretching of the abdominal wall at a rate faster than the skin can naturally expand, resulting in the development of stretch marks. Stretch marks, a form of scarring, initially appear red and gradually fade to a lighter, pale colour as they mature.

Many women experience the development of stretch marks during their initial pregnancy, a period marked by substantial bodily changes. Interestingly, some women may gain only a small amount of weight and still develop stretch marks, while others can gain a significant amount of weight without experiencing them. Various factors contribute to this phenomenon, with genetic makeup playing a crucial role in determining susceptibility.

After pregnancy or significant weight loss, the body undergoes a reduction in size. Despite achieving a healthier and fitter state, individuals may have considerations regarding their body’s changes. The skin, especially that marked by stretch marks, loses elasticity, and does not naturally contract to tighten around the reduced body size.

During a tummy tuck procedure, the majority of these stretch marks and any scars from prior abdominal surgeries can be effectively removed, along with the excess skin around the stomach, and muscle tightening as necessary. The end result is effectively fewer scars and improved form and function.

Diastases Recti: Have my tummy muscles separated?

Diastasis refers to the horizontal separation of the abdominal muscles, commonly occurring during pregnancy as the rectus muscles are pushed apart with the expansion of the abdomen. An integral aspect of the abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) procedure involves addressing diastasis by tightening the abdominal muscles. This is achieved by bringing back the stretched-apart muscles through stitches to secure them in place.

The tightening of the six-pack muscles not only contributes to a flatter stomach but also aids in refining the waistline as part of the tummy tuck procedure. Beyond improved form, the muscle repair enhances core strength and the biomechanical performance of your trunk/body. This, in turn, can lead to an improvement in issues such as lower back pain and/or urinary incontinence.

Can a Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) improve incontinence and back pain?

Some people that have seriously separated rectus muscles and effectively have a large midline hernia often experience lower back pain due to the significant biomechanical disturbance to the core and back. These patients often claim an improvement in back pain after this is corrected. So, this can be considered an added benefit to having the surgery.

In addition to this, some women claim that urinary incontinence is improved after a Tummy Tuck with muscle tightening. However, Dr Dona would never encourage a patient to undergo surgery if incontinence is the primary concern as it may make no difference. Any improvement in urinary incontinence after a Tummy Tuck should be considered an additional bonus to the surgery.

Can you combine a Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) and hernia repair?

Abdominal hernias, particularly in the paraumbilical region, are quite common and require treatment. These hernias can be triggered by factors increasing pressure on the abdomen. It’s important to note that regardless of considering an abdominoplasty procedure, hernias need to be repaired as they can escalate into acute medical problems, necessitating urgent surgery. Dr Dona ensures the correction of any hernias discovered during surgery, addressing even the smaller ones that might have gone unnoticed beforehand.

Frequently, we are asked about the timing of hernia correction in relation to tummy tuck surgery. If you are seeking tummy tuck surgery and have issues with umbilical-associated hernias, then it is advisable to have both surgeries performed simultaneously – as long as this approach does not delay the treatment of your hernia. This approach is preferred because most general surgeons repair hernias in a manner that could potentially complicate any future tummy tuck surgery and your belly button. Additionally, having your abdominal hernia repaired during your tummy tuck requires downtime for just one procedure instead of two.

Does a Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) give you abs or a six-pack?

One common myth with Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) surgeries is that you’re going to achieve a six pack after surgery.

This is typically not the case.

A six pack requires two things:

• A well-formed and defined six pack muscles. If you don’t have those before surgery, then surgery is not going to create them.
• A very thin fatty layer, or minimal fatty tissue. The thickness of the fatty layer will be consistent with the other areas in your body. In other words, if your body fat percentage is not down to a “shredded” state before surgery, then it won’t be like that after surgery.

Of course, some of the greatest results after a tummy tuck are achieved after the surgery by the patient. The dramatic change achieved by surgery is often used as inspiration and motivation by the patient to continue their personal journey of self-improvement, by changing their lifestyle – that is, an altered attitude, diet and exercise.

Will you lose much weight with Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)?

A Tummy Tuck should not be considered a weight-loss procedure. While patients lose some weight with the removal of excess skin and fat, the amount of weight a patient loses after a Tummy Tuck is often quite low.

Of course, there exists a group of patients who have large fatty aprons. Obviously, these patients do lose quite a significant amount of weight from the surgery, but these patients represent a small minority.

Ultimately, weight loss can be by-product of a Tummy Tuck, but that is not the primary goal with this treatment.

Will my stomach be flat after a Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)?

One thing to understand about abdominal fat is that fatty tissue exists deep to the skin, and this is the fat which you can pinch between your fingers.

Then of course there is the fatty tissue that lies deep to your muscle and surrounds your abdominal organs – visceral fat. This fatty tissue you cannot feel but can see. This is the person that has a very full and prominent belly – most of that fullness is secondary to the visceral fat.

A tummy tuck only removes the skin and its associated fatty tissue in front of the muscle. The surgeon does not go deep to the muscle so visceral fat is never reduced surgically.  Therefore, whilst the muscles are typically tightened to help tighten the waistline, the intra-abdominal fat will remain.

This fatty content can only be reduced through an overall reduction achieved through weight loss via diet and exercise. This is often why some people still notice that their abdomen remains “full” after surgery.

Yet a simple fatty pinch test will reveal that most of the problem lies deep to the muscles. That is, the fatty tissue deep to your muscles is the main contributing factor to a persistently fuller girth which is bigger than you might want.

In fact, in certain individuals the upper abdomen can appear larger after surgery. The typical person who experiences this is someone that has a very large lower abdomen with a fatty apron. With the removal of the apron the person undergoes a massive reduction to the lower abdomen. Whilst the upper abdomen also becomes smaller, the degree of change is less than that of the lower belly, and therefore it becomes more noticeable – it looks bigger even though it is smaller!

Can I get pregnant after a Tummy Tuck Abdominoplasty)?

A Tummy Tuck will not affect your ability to become pregnant.

A Tummy Tuck will not increase the risk of complications associated with pregnancy.

The question is, “Will pregnancy ruin the Tummy Tuck results?”

The answer to this is “it depends”.

If you put on 20+ kgs during pregnancy, then you will have to expect some permanent changes to your body.

So, if you are going to get pregnant, healthy weight gain is always the recommendation. Seeing a nutritionist and personal trainer experienced with pregnancy can definitely help. This way, you are giving yourself the best chance of a healthy pregnancy, and less likely to compromise any of the results achieved with a Tummy Tuck.

How much does a Tummy Tuck cost (Abdominoplasty)?

Not all Tummy Tucks are the same. Some Tummy Tuck procedures are straight forward, while others may be complex and can take much longer to perform. It can take anywhere from two to five hours to complete the procedure based on the complexity, and therefore the pricing does vary.
Medicare does not cover elective surgical procedures purely completed for cosmetic purposes. Tummy Tucks can be a cosmetic procedure but, in many situations, a Tummy Tuck may be medically necessary. In such cases, you may be eligible for a Medicare rebate if you meet the criteria and conditions. If your abdomen is causing chronic discomfort, distress or functional issues, you may be eligible for a rebate. The best thing to do is to speak with your GP and get a referral to see Dr Dona to consult with him further. Without a referral, a claim cannot be made even if you are eligible. Whether your Private Insurance covers a Tummy Tuck or not largely depends on the policy you have. If you have Private Health Insurance with hospital cover, you may be eligible to have the hospital component of your fees covered. It is best that you clarify with your Health Insurance provider regarding what will be covered before you book your surgery.

Overall, the costs associated with a Tummy Tuck, including the surgeon’s fees, anaesthetist’s fees and hospital fees, are contingent on the length and complexity of the procedure. Unfortunately, impossible to give an accurate estimate without a consultation because the procedure can vary significantly based on your needs.

What to expect on the surgery day of a Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)?

The day before surgery, the Sydney hospital will call and advise you when you need to arrive at the hospital and the pre-surgical requirements such as when to begin fasting prior to your surgery. Upon arrival at the hospital, you will be required to check in with the reception staff. You will then be seen by a hospital staff member who will direct you to the pre-surgical waiting area where you are officially “checked in” for your surgery. At this point you will be made comfortable while you wait to be taken into the operating room. We do our best to ensure that you are advised to come to the hospital as close to the scheduled surgery time, however sometimes you may have to wait a little longer than planned before we can start your surgery.

Prior to your surgery, you will be taken into the theatre anaesthetic bay. This is where Dr Dona will again go over the surgery and to remind you about what to expect when you wake up. Dr Dona will also make tentative surgical markings on you. In other words, he will draw his surgical plan on you and discuss this.

The Anaesthetist will also talk to you about the anaesthetic and the medications they’ll be giving you after surgery to keep you as comfortable as possible.

Finally, you get taken into the actual operating room.