I am a 51 year old white female I am 5 feet and 3 and 1
half inches tall. When I was a teenager I had exploratory surgery
and they cut me up and down and I have no muscle control in my
stomach. I have tried diets and excersize and nothing helps. I
looked deformed and I would really like to improve my appearence. So I am interested in seeing if I am a candidate to have a tummy
tuck and how much it would cost to have this procedure

Dr.Sinuhe Answers:

Thank you for your question.

To determine if you are a candidate for a tummy tuck requires a physical examination. Therefore, you should talk to a plastic surgeon to help you decide which surgical or nonsurgical options are best for you. A surgeon experienced in tummy tuck operations should not be hard to find, since over 100,000 tummy tuck procedures are performed in the US annually, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

In general, a tummy tuck, or “abdominoplasty” is a major surgical operation which tightens the muscle as well as removes excess skin and fat in order to change your body shape, not just to lose weight. If there is excessive fat but no excessive skin, then liposuction is an alternative to tummy tuck. Patients who have large amounts of loose excess skin, may undergo a third optional procedure called panniculectomy which removes hanging fat and skin, typically after massive weight loss.

The various costs associated with tummy tuck may vary greatly, for example from $3000 to $8500. The cost of surgery depends on the problem and complexity of the surgery. Secondary surgery from other operations, unfortunately, can be more difficult — and more expensive.