A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries in the nation and has been for decades. It’s one of the key elements in a Mommy Makeover, which usually consists of a combination of a breast augmentation, breast-lift, liposuction and a tummy tuck.
When most people think of a tummy tuck, the first thing that comes to mind is removing stomach fat and extra skin to create a nice, flat stomach. For some, this may mean restoring the tummy they had before giving birth. What they don’t realize is that so much of what makes a stomach flat happens below the surface of the skin and the layers of fat beneath it.
The most important benefit of a tummy tuck is hands down the abdominal repair that restores the muscles to what they were pre-pregnancy and childbirth as much as possible. These are the muscles you work when you do situps and are responsible for those six-pack abs everyone covets at the gym.
Before pregnancy and childbirth change the body, these abdominal muscles run up and down the abdomen right next to each other and a “seam” called the fascia connects them in the middle. As the stomach and in turn the abdominal muscles stretch to accommodate a growing baby and uterus, the “seam” stretches to the point where the muscles often begin to separate. In the medical world this is called “rectus diastasis.”
By repairing this separation of the abdominal muscles, many patients report feeling and looking better almost immediately. Their workouts feel more productive and in turn they finally get the core strength back that they had been missing since giving birth. No matter how many situps you do attempting to get back your pre-pregnancy body, if the abdominal muscles have separated it’s just impossible to get the results you’re looking for.
For more information about tummy tucks or to learn more about rectus diastasis and if you may have it, call our office today at the Cosmetic Surgical Arts Center at 425-744-7771.