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Tummy tuck

Abdominoplasty in Nice: a Flat Stomach

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from $2,400

The price is fixed in the contract before surgery

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Real case
Tummy tuck: a patient's abdomen before and after surgery before after
A flat tummy and a toned silhouette in one operation. Your individual surgical plan and the expected result are discussed at the consultation

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Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) in Nice: price and key facts

Tummy tuck for patients from Nice at City Medical Centre: the price is named at the free online consultation and fixed in the contract with no hidden extra charges.

Duration
2–4 hours
Anesthesia
general
Stay
1–3 days
Recovery
back to work after 2–3 weeks
Final result
6–12 months after surgery
How it works
Send photos on WhatsApp or Telegram, get a free doctor assessment and the price, then confirm the plan and dates before anything is booked.

How it works · Tummy tuck prices

Information current as of 24 October 2026

Free online consultation on WhatsApp and Telegram

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Results

Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) results
of our patients

All cases are real patients. Faces and identifying details are hidden.

Tummy tuck: a female patient's abdomen before and after surgerybeforeafter
Tummy tuck: a male patient's abdomen before and after surgerybeforeafter
Tummy tuck: a female patient's abdomen before and after surgerybeforeafter
Tummy tuck: a male patient's abdomen before and after surgerybeforeafter
Tummy tuck: a female patient's abdomen before and after surgerybeforeafter
Tummy tuck: a female patient's abdomen before and after surgerybeforeafter
Tummy tuck: a female patient's abdomen before and after surgerybeforeafter
Tummy tuck: a female patient's abdomen before and after surgerybeforeafter
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Comparison

Tummy tuck techniques

A tummy tuck is done as a full (classic) or mini operation, or combined with liposuction as lipoabdominoplasty. Compare the scope of surgery, the indications and the expected results to choose the right technique together with your surgeon.

Tummy tuck

Removal of excess skin, abdominal muscle tightening

Tummy tuck diagram: the abdomen before surgery with the incision line, and the result
Main goal
Removal of excess skin, diastasis repair
When it is done
Excess skin after childbirth or weight loss
Anaesthesia and stay
General anaesthesia, up to 3 days in hospital

Lipoabdominoplasty

Tummy tuck with added liposuction

Lipoabdominoplasty diagram: the abdomen with fat on the flanks before surgery, and the result
Main goal
Tummy tightening and waist contouring
When it is done
For fat deposits on the flanks and waist
Anaesthesia and stay
General anaesthesia, up to 3 days in hospital

The benefits and recovery times shown are averaged for each technique and given for guidance: the scope of correction and rehabilitation depend on your anatomy and individual features, and the surgeon confirms them at the consultation.

At the consultation the surgeon draws up a plan for your case and explains how your tummy tuck will go.

Free, before surgery and with no obligation.

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Tummy tuck from the inside

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About the clinic

A clinic where you can feel at ease

Modern equipment, comfortable rooms and care for every patient

A doctor and a patient in a clinic ward

Contact us the way that suits you

We will answer your questions and find a convenient time for a consultation

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A tummy tuck is not for everyone

If your case can be solved without surgery, the doctor will tell you so at the consultation — and you will not spend money for nothing.

Suitable

A surgeon shows a patient on a model and a monitor how the abdominal contour changes after a tummy tuck
  • Rectus abdominis diastasis
  • Skin folds after weight loss
  • Loose abdominal skin
  • Stretched skin after pregnancy
  • A distorted abdominal contour

Not suitable

A surgeon discusses the indications and contraindications for a tummy tuck with a patient
  • Acute infections
  • Severe heart, kidney or liver conditions
  • Disorders of blood clotting
  • Under the age of 18
  • Decompensated diabetes
  • Cancer
  • Skin inflammation in the surgical area
  • Currently pregnant or breastfeeding

Not sure the surgery is right for you?

Message us — the coordinator will ask for your photos in the messenger, and the surgeon will tell you whether a tummy tuck suits you. No surgery booking needed.

Find out if it suits me
A surgeon goes through a tummy tuck diagram with a patient at the consultation

Prices

You know the price
before surgery

The price is set at the consultation and fixed in the contract.

Other services

  • First consultationFree
  • Liposuction of the abdomen and flanksfrom $1,700
Book a consultation

Find out your tummy tuck plan and price

The surgeon assesses your abdominal skin and muscles, listens to your wishes and chooses the right correction technique.
The price is set at the consultation and fixed in the contract.

A nurse talks to a patient in a clinic ward

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A patient's abdomen before a tummy tuck in the operating room

all inclusive

What the price includes

From preparation for surgery
to post-op check-ups.

  • All scheduled dressings
  • Scheduled post-op check-ups
  • A personal coordinator on call
  • Compression garments fitted on the day of surgery
  • A stay in a comfortable
    hospital ward with meals
  • Individual recommendations
    for recovery
  • Remote progress monitoring
    by photos
Book a consultation

How it works

Three days at the clinic —
from preparation to discharge

An agreed correction plan, inpatient observation and post-op check-ups.

A doctor shows a patient a tummy tuck diagram on a monitor1

Consultation
and the surgical plan

The surgeon assesses your abdominal skin and muscles and checks for diastasis, listens to your wishes and chooses the right correction technique.

Paying the deposit by card at the clinic reception2

Booking the date
of surgery

We reserve a surgery date for you: the deposit can be paid by card at the clinic or online by bank transfer. The terms are fixed in the contract for medical services

A blood sample tube for tests before a tummy tuck3

Check-up before
surgery

Before surgery you complete a full lab check-up: blood tests, an ECG, a chest X-ray and reports from the required specialists.

The surgical team during the operation4

Surgery

The surgeon performs the tummy tuck with the chosen technique, repairs diastasis if needed and shapes a firmer abdominal contour.

A hospital ward at the clinic5

Inpatient stay

After surgery the patient stays for 1–3 days in a comfortable hospital ward with meals, under medical supervision.

A surgeon and a patient in the ward during recovery6

Recovery

After surgery you get a recovery programme. Check-ups at 7 days, 3 and 6 months help track your recovery.

Book a free consultation — the surgeon will plan every step with you.

A doctor discusses the tummy tuck plan with a patient
Book a consultation
A doctor discusses the tummy tuck plan with a patient

How it really happens

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Healing after a tummy tuck

The patient stays in hospital under medical supervision for 1–3 days right after surgery. Usually drains are removed after two days and stitches after 7 days. Wearing a compression binder for 1.5–2 months supports the abdominal wall and gives a smooth contour. Most swelling is gone within 30 days, with office work resuming after 2–3 weeks. For 2–3 months avoid sports, sauna and heavy lifting; at first, sleeping on your back with knees bent is recommended. By 12 months the scar is fully mature, faded and barely noticeable.

Post-op check-ups

After 7 days, at 3 months and at 6 months. Until the end of the year, get a post-surgery consultation with your surgeon to review results and get more information, at the clinic's expense

Advantages

Why patients pick City Medical Centre

A surgeon discusses the tummy tuck plan with a patient at the consultation

Just find out — you lose nothing

At the consultation we discuss your wishes and assess your abdominal skin and muscles. The surgeon explains what changes are possible, chooses the correction technique and answers your questions.

A surgeon on a video call with a patient after surgery

We stay with you after surgery

The surgeon follows your recovery and the changing abdominal contour at check-ups after 7 days, 3 and 6 months. Check-ups, dressings and aftercare advice are already included in the price of surgery.

A surgeon shows a patient a model and tummy tuck diagrams

A beautiful contour that fits your figure

We choose the correction technique based on your skin, muscles and figure. Our aim is a harmonious abdominal contour that keeps the natural proportions of your body.

A patient writes down a convenient visit time in her planner

Your schedule is our priority

We respect your time: we work 24/7, with easy booking and a personal approach — we adapt to your pace.

A surgeon shows a patient the fixed price of surgery with no extra charges

Fixed prices

After the consultation the surgeon defines the extent of correction, and you get a clear price for the surgery — no surprises on the way to the result you want.

A surgeon visits a patient in the hospital ward after surgery

Round-the-clock care after surgery

Recovery starts in a comfortable hospital ward under round-the-clock nursing care. The stay and meals are already included in the price.

FAQ

We answer what
people ask before booking

Other services of our clinic

About abdominoplasty for patients from Nice

Pregnancy, a C-section or major weight loss can leave behind loose skin and diastasis, the separation of the rectus abdominis muscles. Diet and training cannot fix this: stretched skin does not shrink, and separated muscles do not come back together on their own. That is when women in Nice consider abdominoplasty, which restores both the skin and the muscle wall in one operation.

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 tissues have adapted. Most swelling goes within 30 days. Sport, sauna and heavy lifting wait 2–3 months, and sleeping on your back with knees bent is advised at first. The same timeline applies to Nice patients.

There is no single price for abdominoplasty, since a mini tummy tuck and a classic operation with diastasis repair differ in scope. What stays constant is the approach: the surgeon names the cost after an in-person examination, and it is fixed in the contract without surprises. Nice residents can apply before the end of the year and get the consultation at the clinic's expense.

Stories of well-known people

Well-known people who spoke openly about this operation, in their own words.

All stories about this operation →

Core, lifting and bending: how the first weeks run at home and at work

A tummy tuck changes how the abdominal wall behaves in everyday life. For the first days, the question is less about the scar than about the core. Every time you sit up, reach for a shelf, pick up a phone from the floor or lean over a sink, the front of the abdomen is involved. Planning this in advance makes the recovery calmer. The service plan states the main milestones. The operation takes 2–4 hours under general anaesthesia, followed by 1–3 days in hospital under medical supervision. Drains are usually removed after two days and stitches after 7 days. Office work is possible after 2–3 weeks. Sports, sauna and heavy lifting stay off-limits for 2–3 months. Everything else in this text builds on those numbers.

Start with the home itself. In a city like Nice, with 357,737 residents in the commune and a density of 4,974 per km2, many people live in compact apartments where the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom sit close together. That can help, because short distances mean fewer reasons to strain. It also means the things you use daily should be set at chest height before the operation: plates, a kettle, the medicines the doctor prescribes, a phone charger within reach of the bed. In the first days after discharge, the instructions are to avoid physical exertion, heavy lifting and sudden movements. In practice that means moving the objects, not your body. Anything on the floor or on a high shelf should be rearranged beforehand or left to someone else.

Sleeping position is the other practical point. The recommendation in the plan is to sleep on your back with the knees bent, at least at first. A few extra pillows under the knees, and a firm support behind the back, make that position easier to hold. Try the set-up for a night or two before the operation so that you know where everything goes. The coordinators on WhatsApp and Telegram answer round the clock, and you can send them a photo of how your bed and bedside are arranged. The doctor can then comment on the practical details during the online consultation, without any extra visit.

Work is the second area. The plan gives office work as possible after 2–3 weeks, and that is a guide, not a promise. Someone whose day is mostly at a desk will return earlier than a person who carries boxes or lifts patients, children or equipment. If your job involves lifting, tell the doctor during the consultation exactly what you lift and how often. The restrictions on heavy lifting last 2–3 months, so a conversation with your employer is worth having well ahead of the operation. France has 11 public holidays, including 1 January, Easter Monday, 1 May, 8 May, Ascension, Whit Monday, 14 July, 15 August, 1 November, 11 November and 25 December. Some people place the operation so that a holiday weekend sits next to the first days of rest, which gives a few extra quiet days without using leave. It is an idea to weigh, not a rule.

The third area is the stretch between "back at the desk" and "back to normal". Even when you return to work at 2–3 weeks, the compression binder is still on, and swelling is still settling. The plan says most swelling goes within 30 days, and the interim result is judged at 1.5–2 months. Plan lighter days in the first working weeks. Take regular short breaks to stand, avoid long periods bent forward over a table, and keep a bag light enough that you can carry it without straining the abdomen.

The compression binder and the rhythm of a Riviera day

The compression garment is fitted on the day of surgery and is part of the programme. The plan says a compression binder is worn for 1.5–2 months. It supports the abdominal wall and helps shape a smooth contour. A separate line of the plan speaks of another 4–8 weeks in compression garments, so the practical reading is simple. The doctor sets the exact schedule at the check-ups, and you follow it rather than deciding by feel. A garment that is taken off too early, or worn irregularly, is harder to judge afterwards, because swelling and fit change from week to week.

Climate matters here more than people expect. Nice has a mild annual pattern. The January mean high is 13.3 °C with a low of 5.8 °C, and the annual mean high is 19.8 °C. In July the mean high is 27.5 °C and the low is 20.8 °C, and in August it is 27.9 °C and 21.1 °C. The record high is 37.7 °C, recorded on 1 August 2006. Relative humidity averages 71.3%. A snug garment worn close to the skin is simply different in January, when 13.3 °C is a normal daytime high, than in August, when the nights barely drop below 21 °C. In cool months a compression binder sits comfortably under normal clothes. In the warmest weeks you will notice it more, so choose soft, loose, breathable outer layers and keep skin clean and dry under the garment.

Ask the coordinator for the care instructions for the garment: how it is washed, how many you should have to rotate, and what to do if the skin under the edge becomes red. The plan includes all scheduled dressings and check-ups and a personal coordinator on call, so these small questions are meant to be asked, not endured. Remote progress monitoring by photos is part of the programme. In humid weather, send a photo if an area under the binder looks different from the day before, rather than waiting for the next scheduled check.

Think also about how the day is shaped. In the early weeks, short, flat, unhurried walks are the natural activity. Nice has a tram route that follows the covered course of the Paillon river. That is a fact about the city's layout, and it is useful only as an illustration: when you plan a gentle walk, choose a flat, even route rather than a route with long climbs, and have an easy place to sit and rest. Keep a bottle of water with you, and stop when you are tired. Rest is part of the recovery, not a delay of it.

Evenings call for their own planning. Sauna and steam are excluded in the early weeks, and the plan lists sauna, steam bath, pool, tanning beds, alcohol and smoking among the things to avoid for at least a month. A warm shower is not the same as a steam room, but your doctor will tell you when showering is fine and how to dry the wound area. If the apartment has no shower chair or the bath is high, solve that before you leave for the hospital.

Scar, sun and sea: what Nice light means for the first year

A tummy tuck leaves a scar, and the service plan says so plainly: removing loose skin always has that result. A classic operation leaves an incision across the lower abdomen from hip to hip, below the underwear or swimsuit line. A mini operation leaves a much shorter one. The plan says the scar is fully mature by 12 months, when it fades and is barely noticeable. The key phrase is "by 12 months". That is a long period, and during it a scar on the abdomen will meet whatever the calendar brings.

In Nice, the calendar brings sun. Sunshine totals 2,760.5 hours a year in the city, with 349.3 hours in July and 145.2 hours in December. Rain is concentrated in autumn, with 138.4 mm in November and 127.9 mm in October, while July is the driest month with 13.6 mm and August follows with 17.2 mm. Those numbers are not a medical rule, but they show how strongly the light changes across the year. The first months of healing are the time when a new scar is most sensitive. The plan includes tanning beds in the list of things to avoid, and it describes the first weeks as a period without sauna, steam bath or pool. Beyond those limits, ask the doctor during the consultation how and when to protect the scar from direct sun, and which products are suitable. The details depend on your skin and on how the wound heals, so they belong in your personal plan.

Think about timing relative to summer. If the operation is in spring, the 1.5–2 month milestone and the first weeks of warm weather will overlap. In April the Mediterranean averages 14.6 °C, which is cool. By July it reaches 23.1 °C, and August is the peak at 23.6 °C. The annual mean is 17.9 °C. A warm sea is attractive, but the plan keeps the pool off-limits for at least a month, and sports for 2–3 months. The doctor decides when swimming is fine, based on how your wound looks at the check-ups. Do not decide it by the water temperature. Ask the coordinator to send you the plan in writing so that you can refer to it when friends suggest a day at the sea.

The scar also changes with time, so patience matters. Early on it may look firm and red. Over many months it fades and thins. The plan is clear that the final result and the scar are assessed at 6–12 months, once the tissues have fully adapted. For this reason, photographs sent at regular intervals are useful. They show the doctor how the scar looks in daylight, which in a sunny city is quite different from the artificial light of a bathroom. Choose the same spot and the same time of day for each photo, so the comparison is fair.

One more point concerns clothing. A scar placed below the swimsuit line is meant to be hidden by normal underwear and swimwear. That is the planning logic of the incision. Bring the swimwear and underwear you actually wear to the online consultation, or describe them, so that the doctor can take the line into account. It is a small detail that is easy to forget until the first warm day.

Choosing the month: carnival, holidays and the shape of the year

There is no perfect month for an operation, only a month that matches your life. Nice offers a clear view of how the year is shaped, and a few of its fixed points are worth setting against the recovery timeline: office work after 2–3 weeks, no heavy lifting or sports for 2–3 months, compression for 1.5–2 months, and check-ups at 7 days, 3 months and 6 months.

Start with the cooler half of the year. January has a mean high of 13.3 °C, and December is the least sunny month with 145.2 hours. Humidity in January is 67%, and snow falls only 1.1 days a year on average. This is a period when a compression binder under a jumper is natural and nobody asks questions. The weeks of rest at home fall in a quiet part of the year, and the 2–3 month restriction on sports ends before the warm season arrives. The downside is that October and November are the wettest months, so a plan for November must allow for wet days and for harder-to-dry clothes.

February brings the Carnival of Nice. It runs for two weeks in February and sometimes into early March. In 2024 it ran from 17 February to 3 March, and in 2025 from 15 February to 2 March. The earliest records date to 1294, and the article cited puts attendance at more than a million visitors a year. For recovery, the point is practical: crowds, noise and standing for long periods are difficult in the first weeks, when heavy lifting and sudden movements are not allowed. Anyone planning to be at the Carnival in full should leave a clear gap after the operation, or accept watching from home. Remember that the results are judged at 6–12 months, so there is no benefit in rushing to be ready for a particular event.

Spring is another candidate. The Paris-Nice cycling race finishes in the city, and the Nice Jazz Festival is among its festivals, though the source gives no month for it. These are reminders that the city's calendar fills up, and that the best plan puts the 7-day check-up, the removal of stitches and the first weeks at home in a stretch with few obligations. Family events, university terms and work deadlines all matter more than any festival. Côte d'Azur University has around 30,000 to 35,000 students, depending on the source, which is a reminder that many people in the city work on an academic calendar. If you work in education, the end of a term may give you the 2–3 weeks you need.

Summer needs the most thought. July and August are the hottest and the driest months. The mean high is near 28 °C, and the sea is warmest. The first month after surgery excludes the pool, and the doctor decides on swimming later. Sun on a fresh scar is a particular concern, and the compression garment is more noticeable in the heat. For some people the long days and quiet holiday periods around 14 July and 15 August are an advantage, because there is less pressure at work. For others, the heat is an obstacle. Think honestly about which describes you.

Finally, think about the later milestones. The check-ups at 3 and 6 months should also land at reasonable moments. A 3-month check that falls in the busiest weeks of your year is harder to keep than one that falls in a calm month. Ask the coordinator to count forward from the proposed date and to list when each milestone falls, so you can look at the whole year before you confirm anything. Nothing is booked until you confirm the plan and dates.

Family life and the French insurance picture

A tummy tuck often follows pregnancy, and the plan gives stretched skin after pregnancy and diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles among the usual reasons. Family life during recovery therefore deserves attention. In the first weeks, heavy lifting is not allowed. That includes small children, car seats, shopping bags and laundry baskets. Say clearly at home that for 2–3 months you will not pick up a toddler from the floor without support. Arrange who will do bath time, who will do the school run and who will carry the shopping. If you have a spouse, share the plan with him or her before the operation, and agree on a division of tasks for the first weeks.

Younger children may need a simple explanation. They can sit next to you, read, draw or watch something together, but they should not climb on the abdomen. Keep a small chair or stool at the right height so that a child can reach you without you bending. In a compact apartment that is easy to set up, and it protects the repaired abdominal wall.

The plan also says something important about timing in family life. A pregnancy after a tummy tuck is possible, but it stretches the repaired muscles, so surgery is planned once your family is complete. Childbirth should come first, then surgery. Raise this at the online consultation if you are still uncertain, because it affects the decision as much as any seasonal point.

Now the insurance picture. France has near-universal cover: the text says 99.9% of the population is covered, the main fund covers 84%, the system generally refunds 70% of most costs, and about 85% hold complementary private insurance, known as a mutuelle. Those figures come from an English-language source, and some of them are dated, so treat them as background. The relevant point is how aesthetic surgery is treated. According to an insurer's article, cosmetic surgery done for personal comfort is not paid by Sécurité sociale. Exceptions exist for serious psychological or social harm, or for medical criteria, after a prior request by the doctor to the medical adviser of the fund. That request is deemed accepted if there is no reply within 15 days, and the exception applies only in a public or approved establishment. Reparative surgery after an accident, illness or malformation is covered by Assurance Maladie, most often in full.

What does that mean for a tummy tuck that is planned for appearance, after pregnancy or weight loss? In most cases it is a private decision. If you believe your situation has a medical component, ask your own French doctor and your fund what applies to you. The coordinators cannot decide on behalf of the fund, and they will not promise a refund. Ask your mutuelle in writing whether any part of the stay or the check-ups can be covered, and keep the replies. The programme here is described as all-inclusive, covering preparation, dressings, scheduled check-ups, a personal coordinator, compression garments, a hospital ward with meals and remote monitoring by photos. Because the terms are fixed in the contract before the operation, you can compare them calmly with whatever your insurer says.

A word on waiting. An older survey cited in the same source says 53% of specialist appointments took place within a month, 28% took more than two months, and 46% had elective surgery within a month while 7% waited four months or more. The data are from 2010 and describe a different system, so they are only a reminder that timing within a public system can be uncertain. A private plan lets you choose a date, but only after the pre-operative check-up is complete.

A last note on weight. The text says 17% of French adults were obese in 2020, and 47.3% were overweight or obese. These are national figures, and they say nothing about you. The plan says a tummy tuck is not a way to lose weight, and the operation is done at a stable weight. If your weight is still changing, the plan suggests first seeing a dietitian or endocrinologist. Bariatric surgery has its own eligibility criteria in France, with multidisciplinary follow-up before and after, and that is a different path from the one described here.

Does the climate of Nice affect how I should wear the compression binder?

It can. The binder is worn for 1.5–2 months and supports the abdominal wall. In January the mean high is 13.3 °C and the mean low is 5.8 °C, so the garment sits easily under normal clothes. In July and August the mean highs are 27.5 °C and 27.9 °C, with lows around 21 °C, and the humidity averages 71.3% over the year. In warmer weeks choose loose, breathable outer layers and keep the skin clean and dry under the edges. The doctor sets the exact wearing schedule at the check-ups, and you can send a photo through WhatsApp or Telegram if the skin under the garment looks irritated.

Is it a problem to have the operation shortly before the sea becomes warm?

The sea in Nice averages 14.6 °C in April, 23.1 °C in July and 23.6 °C in August, which is the peak. The plan excludes the pool for at least a month and sports, sauna and heavy lifting for 2–3 months. Sun and bathing on a new scar need the doctor's approval, so the water temperature should not decide the matter. Ask for a written timetable at the online consultation, and check it against your holiday plans before you confirm a date.

Would the Carnival period be a sensible time to recover?

Probably not if you want to join the events. The Carnival runs for two weeks in February and sometimes into early March, and the article cited gives attendance at over a million visitors a year. In the first weeks you should avoid heavy lifting, sudden movements and physical exertion, and long periods on your feet in crowds are tiring. A quiet recovery at home during that time can work, but plan for the 7-day check-up and the removal of stitches around it.

How do the French public holidays help with planning the recovery?

France has 11 public holidays, including 1 January, Easter Monday, 1 May, 8 May, Ascension, Whit Monday, 14 July, 15 August, 1 November, 11 November and 25 December. Some patients place the operation so that a holiday sits next to the first days of rest, which can add a few quiet days without using annual leave. Office work is possible after 2–3 weeks, but that depends on your job, so the holidays are a bonus and not a replacement for the recovery period.

Will French health insurance pay for a tummy tuck?

In most cases a tummy tuck done for appearance falls under cosmetic surgery, which according to an insurer's article is not paid by Sécurité sociale when done for personal comfort. Exceptions exist for serious psychological or social harm or medical criteria, after a prior request to the fund's medical adviser, which is deemed accepted if there is no reply within 15 days, and only in a public or approved establishment. Reparative surgery after an accident, illness or malformation is usually covered. Ask your own fund and your mutuelle in writing what applies to you. The coordinators cannot promise any refund.

What should I prepare at home in a small apartment before the operation?

Move everyday items to chest height so that you do not need to bend or reach. Arrange pillows so that you can sleep on your back with the knees bent, which the plan recommends at first. Put the medicines the doctor prescribes, water and a phone charger within reach of the bed. Plan who will lift children, shopping and laundry for 2–3 months. Before the operation you also need blood tests, an ECG, leg vein ultrasound, and consultations with a GP and an anaesthetist, and smoking, alcohol and medicines affecting blood clotting are stopped 7–10 days earlier.

How should I think about sun and the scar during the first year?

Nice has 2,760.5 hours of sunshine a year, with 349.3 hours in July and 145.2 hours in December. The scar is fully mature by 12 months, and until then it is changing. Tanning beds are on the list of things to avoid for at least a month, and the doctor will advise on sun protection, depending on how your wound heals. Send photos in the same light and the same place at intervals, so that the doctor can follow the change at the 7-day, 3-month and 6-month check-ups.

Can I plan a tummy tuck if my weight is still changing?

The plan says the operation is done at a stable weight, and that a tummy tuck is not a way to lose weight. If your weight is still changing, it suggests first seeing a dietitian or endocrinologist. A stable weight before the operation also helps keep the result. Send photos and describe your recent weight history to the coordinator, and the doctor will tell you at the online consultation whether to proceed or wait.