Post pregnancy or major weight loss (and even just the natural ageing process) can leave behind stubborn fat and excess, sagging skin around the abdominal area, which simply can’t be removed through exercise, dieting, or non-invasive treatments.

This can be incredibly frustrating and can impact your self-confidence.

A full tummy tuck (or, more specifically an abdominoplasty with muscle repair surgery) will enhance the shape of your abdomen by removing excess fat and tightening the abdominal muscles resulting in a slim, refined look.

What happens during a full tummy tuck? 

1. The procedure is performed under a general anaesthetic, and an incision will be made in the lower abdomen.
2. The excess fat and skin are removed from the abdomen before tightening the connective tissue in the abdomen. Liposuction is also sometimes used to get rid of stubborn areas of fat and loose skin.
3. Once the excess has been removed, the remaining skin and belly button are then repositioned, resulting in a more toned, firm, and aesthetic look.

The full tummy tuck procedure typically takes anywhere between 1-5 hours and involves removing excess skin and fat as well as tightening the abdominal muscles through abdominal wall reconstruction.

That said, it is important to note that a full tummy tuck is not a quick fix for weight loss. Instead, it is typically used to remove the excess skin and fat once a person has reached a healthy BMI.

Following tummy tuck surgery, our patients tell us that they are finally able to wear fitted clothes and swimwear that simply wasn’t possible before the procedure, and have massively improved levels of confidence.

After a successful surgery:

• Most patients will then need to stay in the hospital typically for one or two nights.
• Once you have been discharged, you will leave the hospital with pain relief, dressings, and a specialised corset on your tummy, or tummy control pants.
• You will not be able to drive, and therefore someone should be present to drive you home.
• It is recommended that you have someone stay with you for the following 24 hours after leaving the hospital as a precaution.
• The corset provided should be worn for 6 weeks for your comfort and to help with healing.
• You should also avoid any arduous or physical sports and gym activity during the first 4-6 weeks post-surgery and take time off work. The time taken for the latter depends entirely on your job, with most people requiring at least 2-3 weeks off in order for your body to focus on healing faster for a full recovery and minimise any fluid retention.

Your aftercare package with Pall Mall will include a full programme of post-operative care, entitling you to 2 years of aftercare. This will involve clinical review/checks of your wounds to make sure you are healing well.

Book your full tummy tuck with Pall Mall today.

The mini tummy tuck is another form of tummy tuck with muscle repair surgery offered by Pall Mall.

Mini tummy tuck surgery is a less invasive type of tummy tuck and is recommended for patients with lesser levels of excess abdominal fat and stubborn loose skin that won’t go away despite dieting and exercise.

Typically, patients who are better suited to a mini tummy tuck procedure are those who are within the healthy weight range but have a small ‘pooch’ between the belly button and pubic region.

This small stubborn area of fat and loose skin is typically caused from pregnancy or rapid weight gain, and it doesn’t always go away with dieting or exercise – which can be highly frustrating for patients and can lead to damaged self-confidence.

The mini tummy tuck offered by Pall Mall is far less invasive than the full abdominoplasty with muscle repair surgery. That said, it is still a highly effective way to get rid of that stubborn belly fat and loose skin – with permanent results – ensuring that your self-confidence is restored, and you can fit into your old clothes again.

Unlike the full tummy tuck, the mini tummy tuck is a smaller, more acute procedure. 

Therefore, it will not flatten your entire stomach, as it targets only the lower part of your abdominal region – similarly, it will not alter the position of your belly button.

It is not designed for patients with particularly high levels of excess fat or loose skin – but, don’t worry, the type of tummy tuck best suited to you will be discussed in your 20–45-minute professional consultation.

What happens during a mini tummy tuck?

1. During the procedure, the surgeon will place you under a general anaesthetic, and a horizontal incision will be made above your pubic hairline.
2. If your abdominal muscles have stretched – for example, due to pregnancy – they will be sewn together so that they tighten and become firmer. However, this is often not needed with this surgery, and more commonly occurs in a full tummy tuck.
3. If there is still some stubborn fat remaining, our expert surgeons may use abdominal liposuction to remove it.
4. The skin is then pulled around the abdomen, and any excess skin is removed.

With the mini tummy tuck, the surgery is only performed on the lower part of the abdomen – the result is a far more toned, tight, and aesthetic core region.

After a successful mini tummy tuck:

• Most patients will need to stay in a hospital typically for one or two nights.
• You will see some results immediately post-operation, but once the swelling goes down over the course of the next 6 weeks you will see the full results.
• Once you have been discharged, you will leave the hospital with pain relief, dressings, and a specialised corset on your tummy, or tummy control pants, that will aid in your recovery.
• You will not be able to drive immediately after the surgery, and therefore should have someone available to drive you home (a precaution, but we also recommend that someone stay with you for 24 hours after your surgery).
• You should keep your corset on for 6 weeks post-surgery to ensure optimal healing and comfort during the aftercare process.
• Please refrain from any physical activity (such as sports, gym activity, or even manual work) for at least 2 or 3 weeks after surgery. This again ensures optimal conditions for healing, and minimises the risk of fluid retention.  Of course, this means that people with more physically demanding jobs will need to take more time off than those who work in an office, for example.

The results of the mini tummy tuck should be permanent, provided there is no rapid weight gain or pregnancy post-surgery.

Your aftercare package with Pall Mall will include a full programme of post-operative care. This will involve clinical review/checks of your wounds to make sure you are healing well.

Book your mini tummy tuck with Pall Mall today.

In addition to the full and mini tummy tuck, Pall Mall also offers a reverse abdominoplasty, also known as a reverse tummy tuck.

This is a cosmetic surgical procedure designed for patients who wish to remove excess and loose skin solely from the upper abdomen.

This type of tummy tuck differs from:

• The traditional abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck – which addresses the issue of loose skin in both the upper and lower abdomen.
• The mini tummy tuck – which focuses on the removal of loose skin exclusively from the lower abdomen.

When the skin below the belly button is nice and smooth, but the skin above the belly button is loose and hanging downwards, a reverse tummy tuck is typically the procedure we will recommend to rectify the problem.

However, if you are unsure about which tummy tuck surgery you need, you can book a free initial consultation with our highly experienced surgeons to see how this procedure can work for you.

Our friendly experts will decide with you which type of tummy tuck best suits your circumstance.

With this procedure, the upper abdominal skin is pulled upward without needing to make an incision around the belly button or pubic hairline.

What to expect during your reverse tummy tuck:

1. You will be placed under a general anaesthetic, and your upper abdominal muscles will be sewn together if they have been stretched, creating an internal ‘corset’.
2. The effect of this will be that your abdominal muscles will become far firmer and tight, creating a toned, athletic appearance, and losing that ‘soft’ look.
3. Should there be any excess abdominal fat, our surgeons may perform liposuction to remove it to keep you looking toned.

After your surgery:

The post-surgery recovery is identical to the mini tummy tuck procedure above. Patients should plan a period of relaxation in the weeks following surgery, avoiding strenuous exercise and heavy lifting to let your body fully heal.

From weeks 10-12, you should feel back to your usual self. The reverse tummy tuck will give you permanent results (provided there is no rapid weight gain or pregnancy post-procedure), and once the healing process is complete, you will be looking toned, slim, and full of confidence.

After your surgery, we will provide you with a comprehensive tailored post-operative care programme. This includes regular clinical reviews to monitor your wounds and the overall healing process.

Book your reverse tummy tuck with Pall Mall. 

An extended tummy tuck surgery refers to a standard abdominoplasty, plus the targeting of the flank area, or love handles, that are between the waist and hips. Some extended tummy tuck procedures also target any excess skin on the lateral thigh.

For those wanting to slim the look of their stomach and flanks, an extended tummy tuck may be an ideal choice.

What happens during an extended tummy tuck procedure?

1. During an extended tummy tuck, your surgeon will remove excess skin and fat from the stomach, repairing any muscles that may have been torn or have become loose.
2. Separated muscles are sewn together.
3. The incision is made above the pubic hairline, between your hip bones, wrapping around to the lower back, enabling your surgeon to remove skin and fat from the stomach and flank area.
4. With the skin laid flat and pulled taut, the skin then appears flatter and smoother.
5. The belly button is sutured in its original position unless you and your surgeon have decided to change the shape of it.

What is recovery like with an extended tummy tuck surgery?

As an extended tummy tuck also focuses on the flanks, in comparison to a traditional tummy tuck, you might find that the procedure itself takes longer and that the recovery time is also prolonged after the surgery.

In particular, you may find:

• It may take around 6 months to 1 year for the full results of your extended tummy tuck to show.
• The effects tend to be permanent unless you become pregnant or gain weight at a rapid rate.
• Some scarring after an extended tummy tuck - however, this will usually lighten over time, so it is not something that you should worry about

To learn more about this procedure and whether it may be a good choice for you, don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team at your closest Pall Mall clinic.