Excess abdominal skin results from having children or losing weight. Unfortunately, you can’t always exercise away excess skin, stretched skin, and stubborn pockets of residual fat—especially after pregnancy or weight loss.
However, if you have excess skin, a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) with liposuction (suction-assisted lipectomy), rather than liposuction on its own, can help address this skin concern.
The Australian Government has reinstated a Medicare Item Number for a Tummy Tuck for some post-pregnancy patients suffering from Diastasis Recti (Split Tummy Muscles) if you are eligible and meet the new criteria. This new 30175 Medicare Item Number – is effective 1st July 2022. Read the 30175 Medicare Item Number factsheet.
If you qualify for the 30175 Medicare item number you may ,also get a subsidy from your Health Fund. There will still be a significant out-of-pocket GAP as Tummy tuck surgery is NOT FREE.
Abdominoplasty Surgery (Tummy Tuck)
Outcomes
Increased Core Abdominal Strength
- After significant weight fluctuations or pregnancy, stomach muscles can become weak, distended or detached.
- Flaccid stomach muscles don’t respond to diet or exercise and require additional help.
- An abdominoplasty surgically tightens your stretched-out abdominal muscles to increase core strength.
- Tightening the abdomen also tightens the mons pubis area (a rounded mound of fat tissue that covers the pubic bone).
- In a study of 60 postpartum women with diastasis recti abdominis (DRA), an increase in core muscle strength and stability, back muscle strength and abdominal muscle strength were observed following abdominoplasty. [1]
Postural Changes
- After an abdominoplasty, your abdominal muscles undergo repair.
- This gives your spine better support and allows you to sit and stand up straighter.
- Surgical removal of excess skin and residual fat stores also helps prevent the weight of your abdomen from pulling your torso slightly forward.
- In a study of 15 obese patients who had abdominoplasty, postural changes were observed, as evidenced by an increase in postural stability. [2]
Reduced Back Pain
- After reducing skin folds through abdominoplasty, reduced forward pressure on the spine can provide a straighter spine alignment.
- Increased core muscle strength and straighter spine alignment may decrease pain complaints related to posture or excess belly skin.
- A reduction in self-reported back pain was observed in a study of 338 patients who underwent abdominoplasty. [3]
Further Reading
Will Medicare cover my abdominoplasty surgery?
What is the recommended weight/BMI for abdominoplasty surgery?
Apronectomy to remove loose tummy skin
References:
- Olsson A, Kiwanuka O, Wilhelmsson S, Sandblom G, Stackelberg O. Surgical repair of diastasis recti abdominis provides long-term improvement of abdominal core function and quality of life: a 3-year follow-up. BJS Open. 2021 Sep 6;5(5):zrab085. doi: 10.1093/bjsopen/zrab085. PMID: 34518875; PMCID: PMC8438255. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8438255/.
- Grella R, Del Torto G, Nicoletti GF, DʼAndrea F. Postural Changes After Abdominoplasty in Morbid Obese Patients. Ann Plast Surg. 2019 Jul;83(1):89-93. doi: 10.1097/SAP.0000000000001807. PMID: 30882418. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30882418/.
- Soteropulos CE, Edinger KM, Leibl KE, Siebert JW. Improvement in Back Pain Following Abdominoplasty: Results of a 10-Year, Single-Surgeon Series. Aesthet Surg J. 2020 Nov 19;40(12):1309-1315. doi: 10.1093/asj/sjaa032. PMID: 32003775; PMCID: PMC7676454. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7676454/.
