Tummy Tuck After Pregnancy in Santiago

No, you won't lose weight with it. Its task is to remove excess stretched skin and the fat apron and restore the muscle wall of the abdomen. The surgery requires a stable weight; while your weight is still changing, see a dietitian or endocrinologist first.

Yes, there will be a scar, since removing excess skin always has that price. A classic tummy tuck leaves an incision across the lower abdomen from hip to hip, below the underwear or swimsuit line; a mini tummy tuck leaves a much shorter one. Over time it fades and thins.

That is exactly the purpose of the surgery: sagging skin and the fat apron are removed entirely, along with stretch marks below the navel. The upper abdominal skin is pulled downward by the surgeon, leaving a smooth tummy with no extra lift needed.

No, there is no pain during the procedure, because a tummy tuck is performed under general anaesthesia and you feel nothing. In the first days there is tightness and soreness, relieved with painkillers the doctor prescribes; by the end of the first week the discomfort is noticeably less.

Restrictions after a tummy tuck don't differ from patient to patient. No physical exertion, heavy lifting or sudden movements for the first 2–3 weeks; no sauna, steam bath, pool, tanning beds, alcohol or smoking for at least a month. Sport is resumed gradually and only with the surgeon's approval. Compression garments are worn for 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.

It is a question of scope. With a small excess of skin below the navel, a mini tummy tuck is enough: the incision is shorter, the navel is not moved and recovery is quicker. The classic operation removes the skin-and-fat apron across the entire abdomen, moves the navel and allows diastasis repair along the full length of the muscles.

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.

Removed skin doesn't come back, so that part of the result is permanent. The abdomen will stretch again only with significant weight gain — keep your weight stable. Pregnancy is possible after a tummy tuck, but it stretches the repaired muscles, so the surgery is planned once your 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.

For everyone the answer is the same. The first changes appear 2 weeks after surgery as the main swelling subsides, followed by two checkpoints: the interim result at 1.5–2 months and the final contours at 3–6 months.

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.

The same list applies to everyone before a tummy tuck — blood and urine tests, coagulation panel, biochemistry, infection tests, ECG, chest X-ray, leg vein ultrasound and a GP's report. Your surgeon provides the exact list at the consultation; tests are usually valid for 10–14 days.

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.

Pregnancy after a tummy tuck isn't forbidden, but the order matters: childbirth first, then surgery. Otherwise the skin and muscles stretch again and part of the result is lost. Surgeons give one piece of advice: if you plan a child, wait at least a year after the procedure.

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