Did Eva Frantz have a tummy tuck? Yes, and she explained why in her own words

After a consultation with a plastic surgeon in Finland she chose the procedure herself: “I concluded that a mini tummy tuck was what I wanted. It means making an incision below the navel, doing liposuction on the lower half of the abdomen, removing excess skin and stitching it up again.” She was clear that she was not after a dramatic change: “I just wanted to look like myself about five years ago.”

That post is all this article relies on. Frantz described her own experience; where the text below explains techniques, timelines and prices, it describes the tummy tuck in general, not her treatment, and we do not guess at anything she did not say.

Her point was different: adults can decide on an operation calmly and after careful thought, for reasons that are practical as much as aesthetic.

She was also honest about the limits. “An operation always involves a risk,” she wrote, adding that the risk of not being satisfied, or even regretting it, always exists. She discussed the decision with her children in advance and stressed that she did it for herself. For readers, the value of her post lies in that balance: a clear reason, realistic expectations and no promise that surgery fixes everything.

Her situation is also a common one. After pregnancies, stretched skin does not shrink back and separated abdominal muscles do not come together again through exercise alone. That is exactly the kind of problem a tummy tuck is designed for — it is not a weight-loss method.

• Mini tummy tuck — only the lower abdomen is corrected, the incision is shorter and the navel is not moved. It suits a small amount of excess skin; recovery is shorter.

As in Frantz's description, a tummy tuck is often combined with liposuction — for example of the flanks and waist — in one operation, with one anaesthetic and one recovery period. Which technique fits is decided by the surgeon at an in-person consultation after assessing the skin and muscles.

The operation is done at a stable weight. Pregnancy should be planned at least 12 months later, and surgery is not done while breastfeeding. Contraindications include age under 18, endocrine obesity, decompensated diabetes, blood clotting disorders, cancer, and severe heart, kidney or liver disease. Before surgery the clinic orders blood tests, an ECG and a chest X-ray, plus a hormone screening. Medicines affecting blood clotting are stopped two weeks before (only with the doctor), alcohol and smoking a week before, and the last meal is eight hours before the operation.

In general, after a tummy tuck at City Medical Centre the patient stays in hospital for 1–3 days; drains are usually removed after two days and stitches after seven. A compression binder is worn for 1.5–2 months. Most swelling goes within 30 days and office work is usually possible after 2–3 weeks. Sport, sauna and heavy lifting are off-limits for 2–3 months. The result is assessed at three months, and by twelve months the scar has matured and faded.

To be clear: City Medical Centre has no connection with Eva Frantz or her treatment. We tell her story because she chose to write about it openly on her own blog.