The doctor examines the elasticity of your skin and underlying muscle during the first consultation.
- If there is excess of fat in the area above and bellow the belly button, a formal abdominoplasty is done. Here the surgeon removes extra skin and fat and separates skin from underlying muscles going high above the belly button. The belly button is repositioned. If the elasticity of the muscles is not good the doctor may take extra stitches to strengthen it.
- If the excess of fat is in the area bellow the belly button, a procedure known as mini-abdominoplasty is done. Here extra skin and fat is removed as before but the belly button and the skin and muscles above it are not disturbed. Sometimes this procedure is combined with liposuction in the skin above the belly button.
The operation is done under general anesthesia.
An incision is made from one waist to the other as low as possible. The skin above the incision is separated and one of the two procedure described above is completed.
Stitches are taken and in many cases a drain tube is brought out to remove collected blood.
