Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)

A/Prof Mark Gianoutsos performs tummy tuck surgery (abdominoplasty) at Prince of Wales Private Hospital in Randwick, offering full abdominoplasty with a hip-to-hip incision and umbilical repositioning, mini abdominoplasty with a shorter scar, post-weight-loss variants, and procedures combined with liposuction. Diastasis recti (separated abdominal muscles) is repaired with sutures as part of the full abdominoplasty. The procedure addresses saggy skin, excess lower abdominal fat, abdominal bulge, and skin fold irritation, and may also benefit patients experiencing back pain or urinary incontinence from muscle separation following pregnancy or weight loss.

Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) surgery at A/Prof Mark Gianoutsos's Randwick practice at Prince of Wales Private Hospital in Sydney addresses the combined effects of excess abdominal skin, subcutaneous fat accumulation, and diastasis recti — the midline separation of the paired rectus abdominis muscles — that commonly result from pregnancy, significant weight fluctuation, or ageing. Full abdominoplasty is the most comprehensive technique: a hip-to-hip incision is placed low on the abdomen, typically below the bikini line, and abdominal tissues are elevated to the level of the rib cage, allowing complete access to the anterior abdominal wall. The separated rectus muscles are identified at the linea alba and reapproximated with permanent sutures — a step that directly addresses the abdominal wall weakness and bulging caused by diastasis, and that can also reduce back pain and urinary incontinence symptoms that arise from inadequate core muscle support. Excess skin and subcutaneous fat are resected, the umbilicus is repositioned through a new opening in the redraped skin flap, and the wound is closed with absorbable sutures. Surgical drains are placed at the time of closure and removed in the post-operative period. Mini abdominoplasty uses a shorter scar — comparable in length to a caesarean section incision — and is appropriate for patients whose excess skin and muscle separation are confined to the lower abdomen below the umbilicus; the umbilicus is not repositioned. For patients who have undergone massive weight loss following bariatric surgery or lifestyle change, extended abdominoplasty or lower body lift variants are available to address more extensive skin excess and lateral body contour. Concurrent liposuction to the flanks, hips, and upper abdomen is routinely combined with abdominoplasty to optimise overall torso contour. All tummy tuck procedures at the Randwick practice are performed under general anaesthesia with a specialist anaesthetist, with a hospital stay of three to five nights for full abdominoplasty and day-only or overnight admission for mini procedures at Prince of Wales Private Hospital. Recovery involves three weeks off work and avoidance of vigorous exercise for six weeks. A surgical binder is worn during the recovery period to support the abdominal repair and reduce swelling. Sydney patients considering abdominoplasty are advised that the procedure is best performed once childbearing is complete, as future pregnancies can reverse the results of muscle repair and skin resection.