Abdominoplasty, more commonly referred to as a tummy tuck, is a plastic surgery procedure used to tighten the abdominal wall muscles and reduce sagging skin in the abdominal area.

A tummy tuck is a major surgical procedure, but it can be the answer when you are searching to restore your abdominal area back to its more youthful appearance.

Both women and men eat a healthy diet and get regular exercise to keep their bodies physically fit. However, the abdominal area in women more commonly collects excess fatty deposits as they age and the abdominal area can even sustain permanent changes from pregnancy and childbirth.

When simple diet and exercise do not work to remove abdominal fat and flatten a bulging abdomen, a tummy tuck might be just what is required to do the job right.

Is a Tummy Tuck Right for Me?

A tummy tuck procedure smoothes out the abdomen by tightening the abdominal muscles and removing excess fat and skin. This leaves you with a much flatter and tighter abdomen than you can likely ever attain through diet and exercise alone.

However, as wonderful as the results can be, the procedure is not right for everyone ...

Tummy tucks are appropriate for men and women who are in good physical shape who have been unable to loose their belly fat or flatten their abdominal muscles through regular diet and exercise.

Generally, candidates for tummy tuck surgery must at least one of the following criteria:

* A protruding abdomen which is out of proportion to the rest of your body
* Loose or sagging abdominal skin
* Abdominal muscles which are bulging due to age or previous pregnancy
* Excess body fat located in the abdominal area.

Generally, candidates should not be:

* Overweight
* Smokers
* Women who are or may become pregnant.

A Plastic Surgery Consultation Appointment

If you believe you are a good candidate for a tummy tuck, or if you would like to explore other options such as liposuction, the best thing you can do is to schedule an appointment with a Board Certified plastic surgeon in your local area.

At your consultation appointment the plastic surgeon will go over all of your options after evaluating your body and listening to your desired results after surgery.

You should arrive at your consultation appointment a little early and be prepared to fill out new-patient paperwork.

Once you meet with the plastic surgeon you will be expected to share information on your health history, surgical history, and any and all medications or supplements you might be taking.

For tummy tuck evaluation appointments you can expect the plastic surgeon to examine your abdomen to check ...

* the quality and elasticity of your abdominal skin,
* the amount and location of any excess fat and skin,
* the status of your abdominal wall muscles,
* and to check for any previous surgical scars.

Once the plastic surgeon has evaluated your physical and emotional health at your consultation appointment, he can then make recommendations to you.