After pregnancy, the skin across the lower abdomen can stay stretched once the uterus has returned to its usual size. The 2 rectus abdominis muscles that run down the midline can also separate, a change called muscle separation (diastasis recti). Both are common after pregnancy and childbirth, and both are
In my practice, one of the questions I hear most often from women considering an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) after having children is whether liposuction is a separate operation added on top. It is not. In the majority of post pregnancy cases, ultrasound-assisted suction lipectomy (VASER liposuction) is part of the
After a post pregnancy abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), the incision runs low across the lower abdomen and heals under some tension, particularly once the separated abdominal muscles (diastasis recti) have been repaired and loose skin removed. How that closed incision is dressed and supported in the first week is part of
Many women notice that the skin across the lower abdomen stays loose well after their most recent pregnancy, sometimes 2 years on or more. This is a normal variation. Pregnancy stretches the abdominal skin and the wall beneath it across 9 months, and how far things settle afterwards differs a
Pregnancy stretches the skin of the abdomen and separates the abdominal muscles (diastasis recti) down the midline. For many women these changes settle in part over time, and for some they do not. When a patient decides on an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) after pregnancy, one of the practical questions that
This is a step by step account of one body contouring operation I performed for a post pregnancy patient. It is written to show what actually happens during surgery, stage by stage, using photographs taken during the case. Every patient is different, and this account describes one person’s operation, not
Your rectus abdominis muscles are the pair of long muscles that run down the front of your abdomen, 1 on the left and 1 on the right. Down the middle, joining them, is a band of connective tissue called the linea alba. In everyday terms this is what people picture
In Australia, about 1.5% of women who give birth have a multiple pregnancy, and almost all of these are twins (1). Carrying more than one baby stretches the abdominal wall further than a single pregnancy, so separation of the abdominal muscles (diastasis recti) tends to be both more common and
One of the most common questions I hear from women after having children is how soon they can have abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) surgery. It is a fair question, and the answer is that there is no single number that fits everyone. Timing is a clinical decision. It depends on your
In Australia, a post pregnancy abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) usually costs somewhere between about $6,000 and $30,000 or more. That is a wide range, and it is wide for good reasons. The final figure depends on the operation you actually need, whether a Medicare item number applies to your muscle repair,