As with any surgery, complications can occur. Possible risks of an abdominoplasty are secondary bleeding, hematoma, seroma formation in the area of the wound (fluid accumulation), infections, wound healing disorders or scar formation disorders. General surgical risks include thrombosis or embolism.

In some cases the abdominoplasty is covered by the health insurance, for example if a certain amount of weight has been lost. In the case of pregnancies, the abdominoplasty is not covered by the health insurance in the vast majority of cases.

Light physical activity or light work can be performed again after about 2 weeks. If the patient still has to do heavy physical work, a sick leave of 4 or more weeks is inevitable.

After the operation you will be fitted with a special girdle or abdominal bandage. This abdominal bandage should be worn day and night for 6 weeks if possible. In addition, physical rest is recommended for 2-3 weeks. You should not lift anything heavier than 5 kg for 6 weeks.

In most cases, the wounds are sutured with a special technique and self-dissolving stitches, so that no stitches need to be removed.

In the case of extensive excess skin, it may be reasonable and necessary to surgically extend the abdominoplasty. For this purpose, more fatty tissue is removed via a longitudinal incision on the abdomen, thus also achieving a firming of the side area. If there is also a strong slackening of the connective tissue in the area of the buttocks, a buttock lift and a buttock lift are conceivable. In this combination, one speaks of a so-called lower body lift (body tightening).

Through an incision in the area of the lower abdominal fold, ideally in the bikini line, skin and fatty tissue is detached from the abdominal wall, the abdominal wall itself is tightened and excess skin and fatty tissue is removed. The navel must be moved in this process to achieve a natural result.

Usually, the procedure is performed under general anesthesia. However, spinal anesthesia may also be sufficient to perform a surgical tummy tuck.

Suitable patients for a tummy tuck are, on the one hand, women after pregnancy, in whom the connective tissue on the abdomen has not formed back sufficiently, resulting in sagging, flabby abdominal skin. In addition, this procedure is suitable for people who want to have the excess skin on the abdomen removed after a heavy weight loss or due to a congenital weakness of the connective tissue.

A tummy tuck is a surgical procedure to effectively remove excess skin or sagging skin (fat apron) on the abdomen and re-tighten the abdomen.