Abdominoplasty

1. Understanding Your Goals

• Your priorities: The consultation starts with what you would like to change, what matters most to you and what you hope surgery will achieve.

2. Clinical Assessment

• Clinical assessment: Dr Mercer assesses anatomy, tissue quality, asymmetry, scars and any factors that may affect the operation or healing.

3. Options, Limits & Planning

• Options and limits: Suitable surgical options, likely scars, trade-offs and realistic outcomes are discussed rather than assuming that surgery is the right answer.
• Planning: If you choose to proceed, clinical photography, measurements and a personalised operative plan are completed before a surgery date is confirmed.

4–6 weeks before

• Weight and health: Optimise general health and maintain a stable weight.
• Nicotine: Stop nicotine completely for the advised interval.
• Risk assessment: Complete blood tests and individual VTE assessment.

2 weeks before

• Medicines: Follow personalised instructions for medicines and supplements.
• Home support: Plan for lifting restrictions and arrange help for at least the early recovery period.

Anaesthesia

• General anaesthetic: Abdominoplasty is performed under general anaesthesia.

Operative sequence

• Low incision: The planned scar length reflects the amount and distribution of skin excess.
• Skin elevation: The abdominal flap is elevated sufficiently to permit tightening and redraping.
• Rectus repair: Muscle separation is repaired when present and appropriate.
• Excision and navel: Excess skin is removed and the navel is inset into its new skin opening.
• Closure: Layered closure, dressings and compression complete the procedure.

Week 1

• Expected: The abdomen feels tight and swollen and standing fully upright may be difficult initially.

Weeks 2–3

• Mobility: Walking becomes more natural, although lifting restrictions remain.

Weeks 4–6

• Exercise: Activity is progressively expanded after review.

3–12 months

• Maturation: Swelling settles and the long lower-abdominal scar gradually softens.

First 2 weeks

• Compression and walking: Use the advised garment and walk short distances frequently.
• Wound care: Keep incisions dry initially and attend scheduled dressing reviews.

Weeks 3–6

• Activity: Increase mobility while avoiding heavy lifting and abdominal strain.
• Scar management: Begin silicone or massage only after the wound is fully healed and reviewed.

Early review

• What happens: The team checks wounds, swelling, comfort and any dressings during the first postoperative period.

1–2 weeks

• What happens: Incisions and early healing are reviewed; sutures or dressings are removed when appropriate and activity guidance is updated.

6 weeks

• What happens: Dr Mercer reviews recovery, scars and return to exercise, and checks that healing is progressing as expected.

3–6 months

• What happens: Progress photographs may be taken as swelling settles and scars continue to mature.

Around 1 year

• What happens: A longer-term review can be used to assess the mature result once tissues and scars have fully settled.