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Tummy Tuck Surgery

The abdominoplasty, also known as a tummy tuck, creates a tight, flat abdomen, and is one of the most common procedures performed in plastic surgery worldwide. When performing an abdominoplasty excess abdominal skin and fat is removed by means of an incision just above the pubic bone, similar to a C-section but longer.

If you can easily grab excess skin, and pinch a large amount, it is likely that an abdominoplasty would provide a highly noticeable improvement. If, on the other hand, the skin feels very thick, and is not particularly loose, it is likely that an abdominoplasty is not the procedure of choice. In this case, liposuction may be more appropriate.

Surgical/Procedure name: Abdominoplasty
Common name: Tummy Tuck Surgery

Price (THB)

Starting from 170,000 THB upwards depending on the chosen Surgeon and Hospital.

Discounted 2nd Procedures

Breast Augmentation, Breast Lift, Liposuction

Time Required

Time in Hospital: 3 Nights
Min time in Thailand: 13 nights

Insurance Available

Yes – Dr Chartchai

Four Types of Abdominoplasty

The most appropriate procedure for you is determined during your consultation with Dr. Chartchai and or Dr Oumyos. They will assess your skin excess, skin quality, fat excess, fat distribution and body-type. Together, you will decide what procedure is best for you:

    • Mini Abdominoplasty / Mini Tummy Tuck – The mini tummy tuck is the least involved variation. The incision is relatively short, staying within the pelvic bones. It is slightly longer than a C-section incision. It usually does not involve repositioning of the belly button. The best candidate for this procedure typically has redundant skin and an abdominal pouch below the belly button. The mini tummy tuck is not meant for someone who has excess skin or fat in the middle or upper abdomen.
    • Standard Abdominoplasty / Standard Tummy Tuck – The standard tummy tuck is the most common abdominoplasty. If there is more than 1-2 inches of excess skin, a standard tummy tuck is probably necessary. It does an excellent job in eliminating the abdominal pouch below the umbilicus especially in women who have given birth. In the process it produces a much flatter stomach.

      In a standard tummy tuck, Dr. Chartchai or Dr Oumyos tightens the underlying muscles in 2 places to flatten the stomach and narrow the waist line. A bonus of the standard tummy tuck is that any stretch marks below the belly button will likely be removed. A properly performed standard tummy tuck will help create an hour-glass waist line.

      With age, weight gain, or pregnancy the stomach muscles separate in the midline and create additional bulging. During the tummy tuck, Dr. Chartchai or Dr Oumyos tightens the stomach muscles by suturing them together in the midline. It is usually necessary to reposition the belly button because of the large amount of skin that is removed.

      A standard tummy tuck does not treat fat deposits in the flank area. These can be addressed with either liposuction or by performing an extended abdominoplasty. If there is only a small or moderate amount of flank fat, liposuction may be the best course. If you have a significant amount of flank fat an extended abdominoplasty would most likely be best.

      The standard tummy tuck leaves a scar from hip to hip and requires repositioning of the umbilicus to avoid positioning it too low on the abdomen.

    • Extended Abdominoplasty / Extended Tummy Tuck – When the redundant skin goes around toward the back, then there is no other way to remove it but to extend the excision to include this area. The extended tummy tuck involves removing folds of extra skin and deposits of fat from the flank and back area (the love handles and upper hip).

      No other procedure can produce such an impressive waist line even in patients who never had an attractive waist line in their youth. It makes the buttocks appear much more attractive and curvy, and the breasts appear larger.

      The incision for the extended tummy tuck goes to the back of the hip area. Dr. Chartchai’s technique (which he imparts on Dr Oumyos) keeps the incision low so that even low-rise clothing can be worn without scar exposure. The down side of the extended abdominoplasty is the additional operating time necessary, the additional cost, and of course the longer scar.

    • Circumferential Abdominoplasty – The circumferential tummy tuck is a very aggressive procedure and is reserved for those patients with a significant amount of redundant skin usually after significant weight loss. For the patient with flabby hips and droopy buttocks, the hips and buttocks can be elevated surgically to give a sleeker, more youthful appearance. This is a most aggressive and complicated operation that will leave a circumferential scar.
    • Liposuction with an Abdominoplasty/Tummy Tuck – Dr. Chartchai or Dr Oumyos will perform liposuction on the abdomen at the same time as the tummy tuck being careful not to jeopardize the blood supply to the skin. In some patients however limited liposuction is possible, if they do not smoke cigarettes.

Recovery Period

Most people stay in the hospital 3 days after surgery. Bruising may exist for up to 3 weeks but may not completely go away for up to 6 months. If you are returning to a strenuous job you may have to wait as long as 6 weeks before returning to work. After 4 weeks you may resume light exercise that doesn’t work the abdominal area. It may be 8 weeks or longer until you have absolutely no pain and can go back to a regular exercise routine.

In the first 6-8 weeks, scars will become red and thick as the body heals. The scars gradually become thinner and less red. In about a year, they become quite light.

Possible Complications

One of the most common and significant complaints of a tummy tuck is a large scar. Any tummy tuck, even a “mini” one, leaves long scars. The total length of a scar depends on the amount of redundant fat and skin you have within the flank area. Dr. Chartchai is careful to place his incisions below the bikini line or otherwise minimize the resulting scar. The final look of the scar depends on each patient’s individual skin quality.

Another complication is a blood clot formation, which is more common with a tummy tuck than with other plastic surgery procedures. You can minimize this event by wearing compression stockings or garments and making sure you stretch your legs immediately after the operation even while still in bed.

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