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Tummy Tuck

Transform your body with a flat tummy and tight skin in Nashville & Memphis

What Is a Tummy Tuck?

A tummy tuck (or abdominoplasty) is a surgical procedure to remove excess fat and skin from the abdomen. It is the most effective way to achieve a completely flat tummy and is ideal for candidates with excess skin or skin that has lost its elasticity due to aging, pregnancy and childbirth, or substantial weight loss. Tummy tucks can be combined with a breast augmentation or other breast procedure for a Mommy Makeover.

You have the option for a tummy tuck at NuBody Concepts in Nashville or Memphis. Each fully-equipped plastic surgery center is led by a board-certified plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience. Whether you are looking for a standard tummy tuck, a mini tuck, a tummy tuck with skin tightening, or a full mommy makeover, we encourage you to meet with our plastic surgeon to discuss your options. Simply select a date from our Nashville or Memphis calendar to self-schedule your consultation.

Tummy tuck woman in jeans and a white shirt with raised arms

What can I expect?

A standard tummy tuck removes excess skin and tightens the abdominal muscles. For this, an incision is made low across the pubic bone so it is easily hidden within your style of bikini or underwear. Tummy tuck surgery:

Can also repair damaged abdominal muscles, particularly after pregnancy and childbirth.
Can improve the location and shape of your belly button.
Can be done as a mini tummy tuck below the belly button with no muscle repair and a smaller incision.
Typically lasts 2-3 hours.
Has a recovery of 1-2 weeks (reg. activities after 3-5 days, rigorous exercise & heavy lifting after at least 2 weeks).

To learn which type of tummy tuck or less-invasive option like RFAL Skin Tightening can get you the desired results, we invite you to meet with our plastic surgeon for a personal consultation.

Each patient is unique. Our plastic surgeon will meet with you in a consultation to develop a personalized treatment plan.

Tummy tuck mother with child playing with a sheet

Is a tummy tuck right for me?

Whether a tummy tuck is right for you depends on your desired results weighed against downtime, cost, and invasiveness. If a flat tummy is your main goal, a tummy tuck is a great option. At NuBody Concepts, you also get all-inclusive pricing and the same doctor and staff during every visit.

To find out whether you’re a good candidate for a tummy tuck, calculate your BMI and use the following guidelines:

BMI < 30	BMI 30-35	BMI > 35
Ideal candidate for a tummy tuck; but may achieve similar results with a less-invasive option like skin tightening.	Good candidate for a tummy tuck.	Not an ideal candidate; advised to reduce BMI by enrolling in a weight loss program such as the Orbera weight-loss balloon.

Frequently Asked Questions

During tummy tuck surgery (also called abdominoplasty) a plastic surgeon remove excess skin and fat from your abdomen to give it a flat, and tight, appearance. If necessary, the plastic surgeon also repairs the underlying abdominal muscles in case they are weakened or spread apart. There are several different types of tummy tucks depending on your body type and goals. Learn more about tummy tuck types.

Compared to other cosmetic surgery procedures, tummy tucks are among the most highest priced. They are more complex and lengthy to perform than liposuction or a breast augmentation, and are followed by a longer recovery. Asking if a tummy tuck is worth it is a valid question.

Patients on RealSelf rate the tummy tuck as 95% “worth it,” which is a very high score. Hardly any other procedure gives you such immediate and drastic results as a tummy tuck, and most patients absolutely love their results. Learn more about the cost of a tummy tuck.

A tummy tuck is intended for anyone who would like to achieve a flat abdomen with tight skin. This includes people who have successfully lost weight with diet and exercise but are left with a protruding belly or loose, drooping skin, and women whose abdominal wall, muscles, and skin are stretched or sagging postpartum. It is often the best option for older patients who have lost skin elasticity and typically can’t achieve good results with less-invasive fat removal and skin tightening procedures.

An ideal tummy tuck candidate is in good general health, medically cleared for surgery, a non-smoker. Patients who have had gastric bypass or gastric sleeve surgery should maintain a certain weight before surgery is recommended. Obese patients are advised to get closer to their target weight before undergoing any cosmetic surgery. The ideal BMI range for a tummy tuck is 30-40. Read about tummy tuck candidates.

Broadly, a BMI of 40 is the cutoff for cosmetic surgery. Candidates with BMIs above 40 typically have higher risks of complications, even if you’re otherwise in good health. If your BMI is between 30 and 40, you are considered a good candidate for a tummy tuck. Below 30 you might get similar results from a less-invasive procedure. Learn all about using your BMI as a guide to pick the right cosmetic surgery.

Most plastic surgeons require a patient to be 18 before performing surgery, but otherwise there is no age limit for a tummy tuck. For women, it may be a good idea to wait with a tummy tuck until after having children, although it is not a requirement. It may just save them from unsatisfactory results due to changes brought on by pregnancy. Another good time to have a tummy tuck is after substantial weight loss, often leaving a patient with excess folds of skin that hasn’t shrunk back.

A tummy tuck is a surgical procedure where surgical incisions are made to remove fat and skin from the abdomen. It requires sutures, prolonged healing, and results in a scar – though your surgeon will expertly conceal it under the bikini line.

Liposuction is minimally-invasive and removes fat cells from under the skin via suction. It does not remove sagging or stretched out skin – although radio frequency assisted lipolysis when combined with traditional liposuction has been shown to achieve good skin contraction. Liposuction has a faster recovery and does not result in any scars.

If you have a lot of excess skin that has nowhere to go even if you remove the fat underneath, you will see much better results with a tummy tuck. However, by combining skin tightening with liposuction, patients with only moderately sagging skin may see fairly good results without needing a tummy tuck. Learn about tummy tuck vs liposuction for the best belly fat removal.

Yes. In fact, they are natural complements of each other, and combining them into one procedure when done right may reduce trauma and discomfort. Such a procedure is also called a lipoabdominoplasty. Read all about liposuction vs tummy tuck.

A tummy tuck is not a weight loss procedure. It is simply designed to remove excess skin and some underlying fat from your abdomen. If you are interested in weight loss, please learn about the Orbera Weight-Loss Balloon program.

Having a tummy tuck includes the removal of fat in addition to the (surgical) removal of excess skin. This fat will be permanently gone and does not somehow “grow back” but this doesn’t mean you are home free. You could produce new fat cells by putting on new weight, so it is important to maintain a good diet and exercise program after a tummy tuck to preserve the results. View our tips on how to maintain good tummy tuck results for more information.

Both standard and mini tummy tucks begin with an incision in the pubic region below the bikini line — a short one for a mini tummy tuck, and a slightly longer one for a standard tummy tuck. A standard tuck can remove much more extra skin and also addresses loose muscles from either pregnancy or significant weight gain followed by weight loss. Learn more about standard tuck vs mini tuck and other tummy tuck types.

A tummy tuck does result in a scar, typically kept low in your pelvic area. A horizontal incision is made right below your bikini line, ensuring that it remains well hidden even when wearing a swimsuit. As with all surgeries, a tummy tuck scar will continue to improve over the course of 6-12 months. Additional skincare for scar revision is also an option.

The incision and resulting scar from a mini tummy tuck will be shorter than that from a standard or full tummy tuck. Women after pregnancy typically need a full tummy tuck to have their underlying muscle repaired. This may results in a scar spanning the entire width of the abdomen from side to side, or in larger candidates even slightly around the sides toward the back. However, in all cases the plastic surgeon places the incision so it is under the bikini line and thus hidden from view. View tummy tuck scars in our tummy tuck before and after gallery.

Yes. With the advent of radio frequency assisted lipolysis in recent years, good skin contraction results have become possible without surgery. Minimally-invasive procedure such as BodyTite and Renuvion have shown to achieve 35% to 60% skin contraction, giving eligible patients an excellent alternative to surgery. Learn more about a surgical vs a non-surgical tummy tuck.

With our combination of IV sedation with local anesthesia rather than general anesthesia, we are able to significantly reduce your recovery time to 3-5 days. However, we recommend a minimum of 2 weeks before resuming moderate-to-strenuous exercise or heavy lifting to allow for proper healing. It is important to follow the post-op instructions of your plastic surgeon. Read more about tummy tuck recovery.

Yes. It is possible to have a tummy tuck and go through pregnancy afterward. While some women prefer to wait with tummy tuck surgery until they are done with childbirth, there is no reason you can’t have a tummy tuck at any time. Read about having children after a tummy tuck.

Patients seeking a tummy tuck often also need to have their belly button restored to its youthful look. It might have sagged and need to be repositioned and/or reworked into an aesthetically pleasing shape. All this is part of tummy tuck surgery. Most plastic surgeons agree that belly button reconstruction is an important, if not the most important, part of a tummy tuck. Some people also refer to this as “designer belly button surgery.” Learn more about belly button reconstruction.

Tummy tucks achieve results as close to permanent as you can get in plastic surgery. However, no surgery can stop the aging process. As our skin ages, it loses elasticity, which leads to wrinkles and sagging. You will continue to age but from an earlier, younger looking point.

For a tummy tuck, this means that your abdominal skin will be nice and taut after your surgery. As you age, you will likely see renewed sagging, but if you maintain a healthy diet and commit to regular exercise, you can maintain your results very nicely. And even as your skin continues to age, that nice flat stomach you get after your tummy tuck should last you for many years, if not the rest of your life.

Payment Options

Looking your best with a tummy tuck is attainable! Our quoted prices are all-inclusive – no hidden costs or other surcharges. We offer interest-free payment plans through several medical financing providers. The starting price for a tummy tuck at NuBody Concepts is $9,500 and may vary depending on scope of procedure and anesthesia.

Don’t know if you qualify for a payment plan? Click the button below to check your credit score and submit an application for medical financing to get pre-approved.

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