FREQUENTLY ASKED TUMMY TUCK QUESTIONS

AM I A SUITABLE CANDIDATE FOR A TUMMY TUCK?

You might be a suitable candidate for a Tummy Tuck if you:

Are not considering any more children
Have excessive stretchmarks on your abdomen
Have excessive skin and fatty tissue around the tummy, waist and pubic area
Are in good health with a stable weight

YOUR TUMMY TUCK CONSULTATION

If you’re interested in a Tummy Tuck procedure, the first step is to arrange an Initial Consultation with our highly experienced plastic surgeon, Dr Eddy Dona. On your appointment day, you’ll visit our Sydney clinic, where our supportive team will walk you through the initial patient registration process. Once you’ve completed the paperwork, you’ll be ready for your Initial Consultation.

During your consultation, Dr Dona will listen to all your concerns, ask questions about your medical background and surgical history, and perform a thorough physical examination. He’ll also analyse your tummy, including skin, fat and muscle, to better understand how your excess tissues may affect you.

If Dr Dona thinks you’re a good candidate for surgery, he’ll create a surgical plan to suit your goals. You’ll be informed about the procedure and your recovery, and Dr Dona will discuss the potential risks and complications so that you can make an informed decision.

WILL I HAVE SCARS AFTER TUMMY TUCK SURGERY?

Yes, you will have scars after Tummy Tuck surgery. However, the size and number of scars depend on the type of Tummy Tuck surgery you have. For example, a Mini Tummy Tuck will have a A standard Tummy Tuck will have a scar that runs from hipbone to hipbone and a small scar around the navel. A Fleur De Lis Tummy Tuck will have an additional scar that runs vertically along the entire midline of the body up towards the lower chest. The Open Book Tummy Tuck™ has the same scars as the Fleur-De-Lis — but has an additional scar lying horizontally along the entire lower chest in the lower breast fold.

WHEN CAN I RESUME EXERCISE AFTER TUMMY TUCK SURGERY?

As soon you return home from the hospital, you will be advised to take gentle walks around the house (or even just a few steps) every hour. Gentle walking encourages circulation, which helps with healing and avoiding blood clots. However, you must avoid all lifting and other physical tasks. After two weeks, you can commence gentle cardiovascular exercises, such as very light walking or slowly cycling on a stationary bicycle — for short periods only. Stop exercising if you ever feel uncomfortable.

At three to four weeks, you can walk or gently cycle slightly longer distances, provided you feel comfortable.

HOW IS A TUMMY TUCK PERFORMED?

As Dr Dona performs various types of Tummy Tucks, the procedures may differ slightly. If a patient has a Full Tummy Tuck, Dr Dona will make a horizontal incision just above the pubic area. This incision runs from hipbone to hipbone. He will then separate the skin and fat layers from the abdominal wall and suture the abdominal muscles together to tighten them. All excess fat is removed, and the excess skin is cut away. The navel will be repositioned before all wounds are closed with internal stitches.

Depending on your procedure, you may have additional incisions. For example, the Fleur-De-Lis Tummy Tuck will create an additional vertical incision along the entire midline of your abdomen up to your lower chest.

TYPES OF TUMMY TUCK PROCEDURES

MINI TUMMY TUCK

A Mini Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) is generally suited for individuals with skin and tissue looseness below the navel area. They may also have some muscle separation.

With a Mini Tummy Tuck, the incision is much shorter than a standard Tummy Tuck — it’s not much greater than a caesarean scar. And there is generally no incision made around the belly button.

A Mini Tummy Tuck is best suited if you have:

Low body fat levels and a healthy body composition
Loose skin concerns are only above the pubic area
You have minimal excess skin above the belly button
You are happy with the condition of your belly button
There may be some abdominal muscle separation
Your abdominal skin tone is good, but there may be a deep and tethered caesarean scar, which causes substantial irregularity in the area.

STANDARD TUMMY TUCK

A Standard Tummy Tuck is the traditional form of Abdominoplasty. It involves an incision from one hipbone to the other, just above your pubic bone. Therefore, your scar will be covered when wearing normal underwear or bathers. There will also be a small scar around your navel.

Essentially, this procedure removes excess skin and fatty tissue, tightens the abdominal muscles, lifts the pubic area and completely reconstructs the abdominal wall.

A small incision is made around the belly button to free it from the skin and fatty layer. Your fat and skin are lifted from the underlying abdominal muscles to the level of the rib cage. If your abdominal wall has separated, they will be stitched together from the top to bottom to tighten them. This will help restore the normal appearance of your rectus ‘six-pack‘ muscles while correcting any central hernias.

Restoring these muscles also helps strengthen your abdominals, which will help with your posture or any back pain or continence issues.

Next, the skin and fat layers are stretched down, and the superfluous skin and fat are removed from the lower tummy. If you have excess skin above the pubic bone, this is also tightened at the same time.

Finally, a new opening is made for the navel, and it is stitched into position.

FLEUR-DE-LIS TUMMY TUCK

A Fleur-De-Lis Tummy Tuck is reserved for those who have lost a lot of weight. Typically, they have a lot of excess skin hanging downwards and on the sides of the waist. In these instances, a different technique and scar pattern is needed to reconstruct the abdominal wall.

While most Tummy Tuck surgeries have just one scar from hip to hip, the Fleur-De-Lis Tummy Tuck has an additional scar along the entire midline of your abdomen up to your lower chest. This way, the surgeon can also address the looseness of your lower abdominal wall from side to side.

Although this surgical procedure leaves you with more scarring, the payoff is a maximised change in your body shape.

OPEN BOOK TUMMY TUCK™

The Open Book Tummy Tuck™ (OBTT) was created by Dr Eddy Dona. This procedure is best suited for those who have experienced drastic weight loss, have an excessive amount of skin and require significant reconstruction.

In addition to the scars of the Fleur-De-Lis Tummy Tuck, the OBTT has a third scar lying horizontally along the entire lower chest in the lower breast fold. The midline scar joins the two horizontal scars — the lower chest and lower abdominal scars.

These additional scars help remove excess skin and tissue along the upper outer abdominal wall (not just the lower) by removing a broad segment of skin along the midline from top to bottom.

The phrase ‘Open Book’ describes how the abdominals appear halfway through the operation, with the skin and fatty layers opened like a book before being closed in its newer, tighter form.

REVERSE TUMMY TUCK

A Reverse Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) has a scar pattern that differs from a traditional Tummy Tuck. Instead, the scar is in the upper abdominal wall and lower chest region and lifts the abdominal wall skin. The scar is only at the front of the body, much like the front half of a Bra Lipectomy (Upper Body Lift).

BELT LIPECTOMY

A Belt Lipectomy is a comprehensive surgical procedure, also known as a Lower Body Lift. Rather than only addressing the abdominal area, this procedure completely reconstructs the belly, flanks and buttocks in one operation.

A Belt Lipectomy removes rolls of excess skin and fat from the abdominal region, lower back and flanks. It also lifts the pubic region and buttocks.

The patient will have a circumferential scar right around the body, a bit like a ‘belt‘.

TUMMY TUCK RECOVERY

A Tummy Tuck may offer patients excellent reconstruction, allowing them to return to their former shape and size. It also helps improve physical function, free from hernias, muscle dysfunction and skin infections. However, a Tummy Tuck is major surgery, and you must be fully informed about the procedure and know what to expect during recovery. The below outlines your recovery milestones.

THE FIRST 24 HOURS POST-TUMMY TUCK SURGERY

For most patients, a Tummy Tuck of any kind warrants at least two days in hospital. After that, most patients are medically suitable to go home, although some may find it beneficial to stay another day or two in hospital.

Immediately after your surgery, you’ll wake in your hospital bed to find the head of your bed elevated and a couple of cushions placed under your knees. This positioning is designed to keep your hips bent and not straightened, so you’ll have less tension on your surgical wounds.
Most of your stitches will be internal, using dissolvable sutures. However, you will see stitches around your belly button. These stitches will need to be removed after seven days.
Waterproof dressings will cover your wounds.
Before you wake, you’ll be fitted with a compression garment or bodysuit to minimise swelling.
Typically, you’ll have one or two plastic tubes (drains) placed below your wounds in the pubic area.
A catheter will have been placed inside you — this is a fine tube that goes into your bladder. With a catheter, you don’t have to worry about getting up and going to the toilet.
There will be at least one drip giving you IV fluids, pain control medication and antibiotics.
You’ll have a nasal prong or oxygen mask placed on you to give you extra oxygen.
You’ll have massage devices on both legs. These devices are designed to help prevent any clots from forming in your leg veins.

The above may sound a little foreboding, but it’s all designed to make you feel as comfortable as possible — without needing to move. These measures also make it easier for us to monitor your progress.

Many women who have experienced a caesarean section say the pain is similar, with the first 24 hours being the least comfortable. Being confined in bed with lots of tubes and drains in place can first feel overwhelming, but these emotions and physical pain levels will soon subside.

THE FIRST 2 WEEKS POST-TUMMY TUCK SURGERY

For the first two weeks following your surgery, you’ll spend most of your time lying down at home. During this time, you must designate almost all home duties to others so that you can rest and allow your wounds to heal.

Don’t be surprised to see swelling and bruising during this time, especially during the first week. You’ll likely also have pain around the midsection, so do take your prescription pain medication to keep yourself as comfortable as possible.

We encourage you to slowly move around the house during this time, even though there will be pain and discomfort. This will help overall well-being and recovery.

Your first post-operative review by one of our nurses will occur no later than the day following your hospital discharge. Our nurse will inspect your wounds and give you light therapy treatment to optimise your recovery. You’ll continue to be seen by one of our post-operative nurses at least thrice weekly for the following few weeks. During this time, we’ll always be available to answer any questions—even between appointments.

After two weeks, you can consider driving your car. However, please exercise caution and only drive if you feel capable.

3 TO 4 WEEKS POST-TUMMY TUCK SURGERY

Most of the pain would have subsided by this stage, particularly when resting or lying down. Although, you may experience pain when you get up after resting or driving a car. If your work is relatively stationary, you can consider returning to work. However, if your work is more physically intensive, you may need to wait a little longer.

6 WEEKS POST-TUMMY TUCK SURGERY

After six weeks of recovery, most of your pain, bruising and swelling should have subsided when you are passive or doing light activities. By now, you’re free to return to your everyday life activities, including physical activities, without fear of harming your surgical results or scars. You may still feel some pain, but all should be fine if you exercise common sense caution.

POTENTIAL RISKS & COMPLICATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH TUMMY TUCK SURGERY

Every surgical procedure carries risks. To read more about general potential surgical complications, please click HERE

In addition to the above, abdominoplasty risks and complications include:

Naval deformity or malpositions
Significant scarring
Skin irregularities – such as bumps or uneven skin tone
Asymmetry
Poor circulation
Temporary and permanent changes in skin sensation
Fatty tissue damage – or necrosis
Prolonged swelling or pain
Seromas – where fluid builds up under the wound
Further surgery requirements – fine-tuning the results

HOW MUCH IS A TUMMY TUCK IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA?

The price of your Tummy Tuck will heavily depend on your body and its requirements. Everybody is different, and every surgical procedure is tailored to the patient and their needs. For example, a Tummy Tuck on a smaller patient may only take two hours, while a more involved Tummy Tuck on a larger body may take up to five hours. Therefore, the surgical (and anaesthesia) costs would be higher.

Other factors are also involved in the cost. For example, some patients may be eligible for a Medicare rebate. Additionally, those with Private Health Insurance may receive rebates from their fund. Some patients may only require two nights in hospital, while others may need an extra few nights, which will considerably increase the costs.

DOES MEDICARE COVER THE COST OF TUMMY TUCK SURGERY?

Medicare will cover Tummy Tuck surgery if your procedure is deemed medically necessary. For example, if you have a hernia, significant muscle separation after pregnancy, excess skin that is causing chafing or fungal infections or the weight of your excess skin is causing back pain and interference with everyday life, you may qualify for financial assistance from Medicare. However, to qualify, Medicare requires the correct documentation that strictly meets the criteria outlined in the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS).

The steps to determine your eligibility for a Medicare rebate for a Tummy Tuck are as follows:

Schedule a visit with your GP to discuss your abdominal symptoms and related health concerns.
Obtain a referral from your GP outlining your medical condition.
Book an Initial Consultation with Dr Dona, our respected and highly experienced plastic surgeon.
During your consultation, Dr Dona will assess your condition and determine if you meet any of the Medicare criteria.
You may be eligible for a partial rebate if an applicable Medicare item number is identified. More importantly, meeting Medicare criteria is a prerequisite for accessing Private Health Insurance benefits.
Private Health Insurance typically covers reconstructive procedures deemed medically necessary. To utilise your coverage, you may need to have the highest level of hospital cover and maintain it for at least 12 months.
Your Private Health Insurance provider may cover your hospital fees, excluding any applicable excess payment as specified in your policy.
After your consultation, you will receive a detailed quote outlining Dr Dona’s fees, anaesthetic fees and hospital costs. If relevant, the quote will also include any applicable Medicare item numbers and a clear explanation of how your Private Health Insurance may contribute to your surgery.

IF I MEET THE CRITERIA, WHAT COSTS DOES MEDICARE COVER?

If your Abdominoplasty procedure meets the MBS criteria, they may provide rebates for the hospital costs, the surgeon’s fee and the anaesthetist’s fee. However, please note that Medicare will only cover a portion of the fees. Speak to your surgeon for specific information regarding costs.

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WHAT IS A TUMMY TUCK? (ABDOMINOPLASTY)