Tummy Tuck for Patients from Ibadan

No, a tummy tuck is not for losing weight. It serves another goal — removing surplus stretched skin and the fat apron and restoring the abdominal muscle wall. Surgery requires a stable weight; if yours is still changing, first consult a dietitian or endocrinologist.

Yes, there will be a scar — you can't remove excess skin without one. In a classic tummy tuck the incision crosses the lower abdomen from hip to hip and stays below the underwear or swimsuit line; a mini tummy tuck needs a much shorter one. Over time the scar fades and thins out.

Removing sagging skin and the fat apron is exactly what the surgery does: they are removed entirely, and stretch marks below the navel go with them. The surgeon pulls the upper abdominal skin downward, so the tummy ends up smooth without an extra lift.

No, a tummy tuck is painless for the patient, because general anaesthesia means nothing is felt during the procedure. In the first days tightness and soreness appear, and painkillers prescribed by the doctor relieve them; the discomfort eases noticeably by the end of the first week.

Everyone follows the same restrictions after a tummy tuck. The first 2–3 weeks — no exertion, heavy lifting or sudden movements. At least one month — no sauna, steam bath, pool, tanning beds, alcohol or smoking. Sport returns gradually and only if the surgeon approves. Compression garments — another 4–8 weeks.

From 18, and only without contraindications. As for an upper limit, there is none: our clinic considers every case individually after an examination and health assessment.

The difference is in the scope of surgery. A mini tummy tuck is for a small excess of skin below the navel: the incision is shorter, the navel is not moved and recovery is faster. A classic one removes the skin-and-fat apron across the whole abdomen, moves the navel and allows diastasis repair along the full length of the muscles.

There are three recovery milestones: back to office work after 2–3 weeks, swelling and tightness gone by 1.5–2 months, and the final result and scar assessed at 6–12 months when the tissues have fully adapted.

Removed skin will not grow back — this part of the result is permanent. Only a significant weight gain stretches the abdomen again; keep your weight stable. Pregnancy remains possible after a tummy tuck, but since it stretches the repaired muscles, surgery is planned once the family is complete.

Yes, you need to prepare. Smoking, alcohol and medicines affecting blood clotting are stopped 7–10 days before a tummy tuck. A pre-surgery check-up is needed — blood tests, ECG, leg vein ultrasound, GP and anaesthetist consultations — and should be done in advance, not the day before.

Everyone gets the same answer: 2 weeks after surgery, when the main swelling subsides, the first changes become visible. Two checkpoints follow: 1.5–2 months — interim result; 3–6 months — final contours.

Yes, a stay in hospital is needed. A classic tummy tuck means 1–2 days under medical supervision; for a mini tummy tuck, one day is usually enough. At home recovery continues, and the surgeon monitors it at scheduled check-ups.

Everyone gets the same list before a tummy tuck: blood and urine tests, a coagulation panel, biochemistry, infection tests, an ECG, chest X-ray, leg vein ultrasound and a GP's report. At the consultation the surgeon gives the exact list; tests are usually valid for 10–14 days.

No, not everyone needs a repair — it is done only when the rectus abdominis muscles are actually separated. The surgeon sees diastasis at the examination and, if in doubt, confirms it by ultrasound. The separated muscles are brought together during the same surgery, with no separate procedure needed.

Pregnancy after a tummy tuck is allowed, but the order matters — childbirth first and surgery afterwards. Otherwise the skin and muscles will stretch again and part of the result will be lost. Surgeons give a single piece of advice: planning a child, wait at least a year after the procedure.

Yes, you must wear it — without the garment recovery is worse, as it supports the tissues and reduces swelling. Around the clock for the first 3–4 weeks, then in the daytime for about one more month. The exact period is set by the operating surgeon.