Classic and mini tummy tucks: we remove excess skin and fat from the abdomen and repair separated muscles, considering diastasis and post-pregnancy scars

Guarantee under an official contract

400+ successful surgeries

10 years of abdominal surgery experience

Free consultation
before surgery
A tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) is an operation that tightens the front abdominal wall, removing surplus stretched skin and fat. It is not weight-loss surgery and no replacement for diet and exercise. Its purpose is a flat abdominal contour: taking away the overhanging skin-and-fat apron, repairing separated rectus muscles and, if needed, creating a new navel.
It is the choice when excess skin and diastasis (separated rectus abdominis muscles) remain after childbirth, a C-section or major weight loss. This can't be fixed with diet or exercise, since stretched skin doesn't shrink and separated muscles don't close without surgery. Pregnancy is planned 12 months or more later, and surgery is not performed while breastfeeding.

Guarantee under an official contract

10 years of abdominal surgery experience

Free consultation before surgery

Classic tummy tuck
The classic operation starts with a horizontal incision above the pubic area; its length depends on the amount of excess tissue. The scar line is planned so underwear and swimwear hide it. The surgeon repairs separated rectus muscles, removes excess skin and fat, repositions the navel and places drains; it takes 2–4 hours under general anaesthesia.
For marked excess skin, rectus diastasis and a C-section scar.

Mini tummy tuck with diastasis repair
The mini tummy tuck targets a narrower issue — correcting only the lower abdomen through a shorter incision, without moving the navel. It is used when excess skin is small and the main concern is diastasis or overhang above a C-section scar; recovery is then shorter. After assessing the abdominal muscles and skin at an in-person consultation, the surgeon chooses the technique.
Shorter recovery and less trauma where excess skin is minor.

Surgeon consultation
The surgeon discusses your wishes, carries out an examination, assesses fat deposits and excludes contraindications. City Medical Centre adds a hormone screening to help predict the long-term result.

Pre-surgery check-up
Blood tests (full blood count, coagulation panel, biochemistry, infections — HIV, hepatitis, syphilis), an ECG, chest X-ray and a GP consultation if needed.
All tests can be done at the clinic with no waiting.

Preparation
2 weeks before, stop medicines that affect blood clotting. A week before, give up alcohol and smoking to heal faster. 8 hours before, have your last meal.

Surgery day
The surgeon meets you, marks the skin and fits the compression garments. The operation lasts 2–4 hours under general anaesthesia.

Waking up and monitoring
A hospital stay of 1–3 days under medical supervision follows surgery.

Recovery
The compression binder stays on for 1.5–2 months. Office work resumes after 2–3 weeks, most swelling goes within 30 days, and the final result is assessed at 3 months.

Surgeon consultation
The surgeon discusses your wishes, carries out an examination, assesses fat deposits and excludes contraindications. City Medical Centre adds a hormone screening to help predict the long-term result.

Pre-surgery check-up
Blood tests (full blood count, coagulation panel, biochemistry, infections — HIV, hepatitis, syphilis), an ECG, chest X-ray and a GP consultation if needed.
All tests can be done at the clinic with no waiting.

Preparation
2 weeks before, stop medicines that affect blood clotting. A week before, give up alcohol and smoking to heal faster. 8 hours before, have your last meal.

Surgery day
The surgeon meets you, marks the skin and fits the compression garments. The operation lasts 2–4 hours under general anaesthesia.

Waking up and monitoring
A hospital stay of 1–3 days under medical supervision follows surgery.

Recovery
The compression binder stays on for 1.5–2 months. Office work resumes after 2–3 weeks, most swelling goes within 30 days, and the final result is assessed at 3 months.
Post-op check-ups
This year only, the clinic covers a post-surgery consultation with your surgeon to review results and get more information
Please speak with a clinic physician if you have chronic conditions!
Indications

Excess abdominal skin and fat after childbirth or weight loss

Separation of the rectus muscles (diastasis)

A sagging lower abdomen or an apron of skin

Silhouette restoration after childbirth or rapid weight loss

Lower abdominal scars, including after a C-section
Contraindications

Age under 18

Endocrine obesity

Severe chronic and mental illness

Decompensated diabetes

Blood clotting disorders

Cancer

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Severe heart, kidney or liver disease

Temporary contraindications: acute infectious diseases, inflammatory skin conditions in the treated area, menstruation, anticoagulants
Book a consultation
Call or message us —
our coordinator will contact you shortly
and book your consultation
Book a consultation
Call or message us —
our coordinator will contact you shortly
and book your consultation
Right after the operation, 1–3 days in hospital under medical supervision. Drains usually come out after two days and stitches after 7 days. The compression binder stays on for 1.5–2 months, supporting the abdominal wall and shaping a smooth contour. Most swelling passes within 30 days, and you can go back to office work after 2–3 weeks. Sport, sauna and heavy lifting are ruled out for 2–3 months; it's advised to sleep on your back with knees bent early on. After 12 months the scar is fully mature — faded and barely noticeable.
Plastic surgeons with experience and doctors who care about how patients look and feel
Dr. Goncharova
Dermatovenereologist, trichologist, surgeon
11+ years of experience
Dr. Goncharova
Dermatovenereologist, trichologist, surgeon
11+ years of experience
Hormonal approach: an endocrinologist checks for hormonal causes of obesity before surgery, for a more reliable long-term result

Combined procedures
One operation, one anaesthesia, one recovery period: a tummy tuck combined with flank and waist liposuction or diastasis repair

Support until the result
Throughout recovery the surgeon stays in contact; the contract fixes the price, with no hidden extra charges
Book a consultation
Call or message us —
our coordinator will contact you shortly
and book your consultation
Book a consultation
Call or message us —
our coordinator will contact you shortly
and book your consultation
Can a tummy tuck be done together with liposuction or diastasis repair?
Yes, combining is allowed and is very common in practice. Liposuction of the flanks and waist is added to a tummy tuck, and after childbirth — repair of rectus diastasis. Recovery with such a combination is shorter, and the surgeon will tell you at an in-person consultation how extensive the procedure will be.
Is a tummy tuck a way to lose weight?
No, it won't help you lose weight. Its goal is different: removing excess stretched skin and the fat apron and restoring the abdominal muscle wall. Surgery is done at a stable weight; if your weight is still changing, see a dietitian or endocrinologist first.
Will there be a scar after surgery?
Yes, there will be a scar: it's the unavoidable price of removing excess skin. For a classic tummy tuck the incision runs hip to hip across the lower abdomen, hidden below the underwear or swimsuit line, and for a mini tummy tuck it is much shorter. Over time the scar fades and grows thin.
Will the surgery remove stretch marks and sagging skin?
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.
Is the surgery painful?
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.
What should you avoid after a tummy tuck?
The same restrictions apply to everyone after a tummy tuck. For 2–3 weeks, avoid physical exertion, heavy lifting and sudden movements. For at least a month, sauna, steam bath, pool, tanning beds, alcohol and smoking are ruled out. Sport resumes step by step, with the surgeon's approval only. Compression garments are worn for another 4–8 weeks.
Is there a minimum and a maximum age for a tummy tuck?
The minimum age is 18, and only without contraindications. There is no upper limit at all: at our clinic each case is considered individually, after an examination and health assessment.
How does a mini tummy tuck differ from a classic one?
The difference lies in how extensive the surgery is. A mini tummy tuck is done when there is a small excess of skin below the navel: shorter incision, no moving of the navel, faster recovery. The classic one removes the skin-and-fat apron over the whole abdomen, includes moving the navel and allows repair of diastasis along the full length of the muscles.
How long does recovery take?
Recovery has three milestones: office work is possible after 2–3 weeks, swelling and tightness pass by 1.5–2 months, and the final result and scar are assessed at 6–12 months, once the tissues have fully adapted.
Will the result last with weight gain and after pregnancy?
No regrowth of removed skin: that part of the result is permanent. The abdomen can stretch again only with significant weight gain, so a stable weight matters. Pregnancy after a tummy tuck is possible, although it stretches the repaired muscles; that's why surgery is planned once your family is complete.
Do you need special preparation for surgery?
Yes, preparation is required. 7–10 days before a tummy tuck, stop smoking, alcohol and medicines that affect blood clotting. A pre-surgery check-up is needed: blood tests, ECG, leg vein ultrasound, and GP and anaesthetist consultations. Complete it in advance, not the day before.
When will the result be visible?
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.
Do you need to stay in hospital, and for how long?
Yes, a hospital stay is needed: after a classic tummy tuck, 1–2 days under medical supervision; after a mini tummy tuck one day is usually enough. Recovery continues at home, and the surgeon monitors it at scheduled check-ups.
What tests are needed before surgery?
Before a tummy tuck everyone follows the same list: blood and urine tests, coagulation panel, biochemistry, infection tests, ECG, chest X-ray, leg vein ultrasound and a GP's report. The surgeon gives the exact list at the consultation; tests are generally valid for 10–14 days.
Is diastasis always repaired during a tummy tuck?
No, it is not needed by everyone: a repair is done only when the rectus abdominis muscles are really separated. The surgeon notices diastasis at the examination, with ultrasound used to confirm it in case of doubt. Separated muscles are brought together in the same surgery, no separate procedure required.
Can you plan a pregnancy after a tummy tuck?
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.
Do you have to wear compression garments, and for how long?
Yes, it is required — recovery is worse without the garment: it supports the tissues and reduces swelling. For the first 3–4 weeks it is worn around the clock, then during the day for about another month. The operating surgeon will name the exact period.
What exactly changes? The surgery removes sagging skin and the fat apron entirely, and stretch marks below the navel go with them. The upper abdominal skin is pulled downward, so the tummy becomes smooth. If the rectus muscles have separated, they are brought together in the same operation. For anyone researching a tummy tuck in Marseille, removed skin does not grow back, so that part of the result is permanent.
Is it painful? During the procedure you feel nothing, since a tummy tuck is done under general anaesthesia. Tightness and soreness appear in the first days and are relieved with painkillers prescribed by the doctor; by the end of the first week the discomfort eases noticeably. For people from Marseille, the first visible changes appear about two weeks after surgery, when the main swelling subsides.
A tummy tuck price is personal. It reflects how much excess skin needs removing, whether the navel is repositioned and whether separated muscles are repaired. To find out yours, book a free consultation: the surgeon examines you, answers questions about the scar, recovery and pregnancy planning and confirms the cost. Marseille residents can apply online or through a messenger.
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