Abdominoplasty in Kampala: a Flat Stomach

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, you will have a scar; it is the unavoidable price of taking away excess skin. The classic tummy tuck incision runs from hip to hip across the lower abdomen, under the underwear or swimsuit line, while a mini tummy tuck's is much shorter. With time the scar fades and becomes thin.

The surgery is designed precisely to remove sagging skin and the fat apron — they are taken away completely, and the stretch marks below the navel go too. The surgeon draws the upper abdominal skin downward, so the tummy becomes smooth without an additional lift.

No, the procedure itself doesn't hurt — a tummy tuck is performed under general anaesthesia, so you feel nothing. Tightness and soreness appear over the first days and are relieved with the painkillers your doctor prescribes; by the end of the first week the discomfort noticeably eases.

After a tummy tuck everyone has the same restrictions. No physical exertion, heavy lifting or sudden movements for the first 2–3 weeks. At least a month without sauna, steam bath, pool, tanning beds, alcohol or smoking. Sport comes back gradually, only once the surgeon approves. Compression garments stay on for another 4–8 weeks.

The minimum age is 18 and contraindications must be absent. There is no upper limit: every case at our clinic is considered individually, after an examination and health assessment.

The difference is the extent of surgery. A mini tummy tuck is performed for a small excess of skin below the navel, with a shorter incision, the navel not moved and faster recovery. A classic tummy tuck removes the whole-abdomen skin-and-fat apron, includes moving the navel and allows full-length diastasis repair of the muscles.

Recovery comes in three milestones: 2–3 weeks until office work is possible, 1.5–2 months until swelling and tightness pass, and 6–12 months until the final result and scar are assessed, once the tissues fully adapt.

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, preparation is required: 7–10 days before a tummy tuck, stop smoking, alcohol and medicines that affect blood clotting, and have a pre-surgery check-up — blood tests, ECG, leg vein ultrasound, GP and anaesthetist consultations. Complete it in advance, not the day before.

The answer is the same for everyone: the first changes are visible 2 weeks after surgery, when the main swelling subsides. Then there are two checkpoints: 1.5–2 months — an interim result, 3–6 months — the final contours.

Yes, a hospital stay is part of it: after a classic tummy tuck, 1–2 days under medical supervision, and after a mini tummy tuck usually just one day. Recovery continues at home while 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, repair isn't for everyone: it is done only if the rectus abdominis muscles are truly separated. Diastasis is seen by the surgeon during the examination and, where there is doubt, confirmed with ultrasound. The muscles are brought together in the same surgery, without a separate procedure.

Pregnancy is not forbidden after a tummy tuck, but the right order is childbirth first, then surgery. Otherwise skin and muscles stretch again, and part of the result is lost. The one piece of advice surgeons give: if a child is planned, wait at least a year after the procedure.

Yes, it is required — the garment supports the tissues and reduces swelling, so recovery is worse without it. It is worn around the clock for the first 3–4 weeks and during the day for about another month. The exact period will be named by the operating surgeon.