-It tightens the muscles and can give you a toned, well-defined stomach. 

-Alleviate the physical discomfort of hanging skin

-Increase the types of exercises you can perform

-Make it easier to live an active life

-It will improve the appearance of your body
-Better balance and stability
-Back pain relief
-It can provide great motivation to lose more weight and strive for better health
-Reduces Urinary Incontinence
-Improved posture
-Corrects ventral hernia and prevents hernias

Will Abdominoplasty Be A Good Weight Loss Procedure For Me?

Abdominoplasty procedure helps to remove skin and fat excess from abdominal areas and does help to reduce certain excess of skin & weight. However if you are in a process of losing weight it is highly recommendable to lose all the weight you are planning to lose in order to achieve best possible result with your tummy tuck. In patients with high body mass index tummy tuck may not provide desired result and complications rate is higher. Therefore Dr De Leo would normally recommend to the patient to complete their weight loss journey prior to surgery and to be in a stable weight for at least 6-12 months prior to tummy tuck surgery.

However, for patients with more severe sagging and excess skin, a vertical ("lollipop"), inverted T ("anchor"), or Wise pattern breast lift may be necessary. These techniques require more extensive incisions on the breasts to remove excess skin and reshape the breast tissue. While these techniques can provide more significant results, they do require more postoperative care.

The surgery will restore the shape of your tummy by removing the excess skin and fat, then tightening the deep tissue or fascia overlying the muscles. For most patients, between 30-50% of the abdominal skin can be removed, including removing stretch marks that had been present on the area. Dr De Leo will also reshape your belly button. Your scar will be well hidden by your underwear. There are several cosmetic surgery techniques she can offer and making the correct choice for you is very important. It is a decision which you will make together during the consultation

You will need someone to collect you from the Hospital and support you on your journey home. We advise travelling via car and not to take public transport.  You should plan to take 7-14 days off work following your surgery, depending on how physical your job is.  While most patients find the pain to be tolerable, you will still need time to rest post-surgery.

ypically, abdominoplasty patients are able to stop medication after 1 week, stand straight in 2-4 weeks, begin driving in 4-6 weeks, begin exercises in 8-12 weeks.

Ahead of the surgery you will be informed of the intricacies of the surgery, offering advice on how best to prepare and how to look after yourself during the recovery period.The visibility of your scars will depend on the technique used and on the biological response of your body to surgery and healing. Generally, the scars after this type of surgery are almost invisible by the end of the year.

Normally patients stay in the Hospital for 1 night. They are encouraged to mobilise after the operation, discomfort permitting. All patients wear a compression garment for 6 weeks after the operation to help minimise swelling and discomfort. Patients can expect to be off work and driving for 2-4 weeks, gentle sporting activity for 6 weeks and contact sports for 3 months. The benefits of abdominoplasty should become evident fully by 3-6 months after the operation. The scars can take anything up to 12-18 months to be fully healed and patients will be encouraged to start massaging the scars from 6 weeks post-operatively. 

The benefits of body contouring procedures can last a life time. However, if the patient gains weight excessively for example, the shape of the anterior abdominal wall can return to the pre-operative state. Therefore it is essential for patients to maintain their results by adopting normal diet and exercise.

Tightening of the Fascia is done with permanent sutures. The removed skin and fat excess will not come back unless you gain significant amount of weight.

The cost of a tummy tuck depends on your unique situation and the technique used. Most tummy tuck cost between £11,800-13,000

Dr De Leo always offers lengthy, detailed consultations to enable you to feel well informed about the surgery.

The consultation provides an opportunity for you to express your areas of concern and discuss the outcome you are hoping to achieve with abdominoplasty surgery. The need for Liposuction and the areas to target will also be discussed to ensure you achieve the best cosmetic outcome overall.

Dr De Leo is highly skilled in this field and will be able to make appropriate recommendations regarding the best treatment plan for you.  

During your consultation, Dr De Leo will assess your BMI (body mass index) and will then explain the risks, limitations, and benefits of a tummy tuck procedure. Patients are entitled to have a second surgical consultation ahead of their operation if needed. Dr De Leo will also discuss what to expect during recovery and the importance of the post-op compression garments and aftercare.