Body contour surgery has come a long way. No longer is this a "one size fits all" procedure reserved for a few lucky women. Now the surgery is tailored to the needs of each individual, and is increasingly popular among men, too. The problems can range from a small collection of fat, an excess of stretched skin following pregnancy or significant weight loss, or loosening of the abdominal muscles and support lining (fascia), or many combinations of these problems. Often after pregnancy there is weakness or laxity of the abdominal muscles that cannot be corrected by exercise.

Simple fat excess, especially if localized and in someone with youthful skin, responds best to liposuction. This is almost always an outpatient procedure, and in a few select patients can even be done in the office. Skin excess, especially if located below the belly button, is also well suited to a simple procedure, usually called "mini abdominoplasty". This skin excision is always an outpatient procedure and uses a minimal scar below the panty line. For problems involving significant stretching of the skin or deeper abdominal support tissues, a more involved procedure, "standard abdominoplasty," will be required for adequate correction. This procedure often, but not always, requires an overnight stay in the hospital for safety's sake and involves a commitment of time off from work for proper healing. Beyond this are procedures combining abdominal corrections with simultaneous rejuvenation of hips or inner and outer thighs, which almost always require an overnight stay and significant healing time commitment.

With this many choices it can be difficult to decide just what is right for you. A helpful tool we use in our office is a computer imager to help visualize the changes you're likely to see with a given procedure. Our experienced staff would be happy to discuss any further questions.