Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck) The tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is a surgical procedure involving the removal of excess abdominal skin and fat, the tightening of the underlying muscle, and liposuction of the hip area. The end result is a new, narrow waistline and strengthened abdominal wall. Sample Tummy Tuck Patient Before   After   For more Tummy Tuck before and after photos, click here Dr. Lille reports that the majority of his patients are women who have either lost a signifigant amount of weight or, more commonly, are finished with childbirth. Dr. Lille believes that the surgical approach to each patient should be tailored to the individual and depends on the amount of excess skin, and the degree of weakening of the abdominal wall. If excess skin and weak abdominal musculature are present only in the lower abdomen below the belly button, a mini-abdominoplasty is preferred; a full abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck is preferred when both the upper and lower abdomen is involved, and if sagging hip skin is present, a high lateral tension abdominoplasty is performed. All the procedures include liposuction to the hip area and in some cases, as with the "mini", to the upper abdominal area. Although the scar length varies and can run from hip to hip, the scar resulting from any body contouring can be strategically hidden in the bikini bottom.