Abdominoplasty

Manchester Cosmetic Centre

A Tummy Tuck or abdominoplasty eliminates excess skin and fat to reveal a smoother, slimmer physique. Dr. Abel Mounir is a board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in body contouring procedures such as abdominoplasty. With Dr. Mounir, you can rest assured that you will achieve a beautifully naturally sculpted appearance.

In addition to Tummy Tuck surgery, Dr. Mounir offers non-invasive procedures such as "CoolSculpting" as an alternative to surgery. However, patients with significant excess skin in the abdomen will invariably achieve the best results with a surgical Tummy Tuck. In fact, the word “tuck” means “tighten”. Surgically, this means reducing the excess skin in addition to remove excess fat with liposuction. This will lead to a long scar from hip to hip that will be placed ideally at the bikini line.

Am I a Good Candidate for Abdominoplasty?

Many patients contact Dr. Abel Mounir to arrange a consultation for liposuction alone.

Dr. Mounir will assess your skin elasticity and tell you if performing liposuction only would achieve the cosmetic outcome you want. Generally speaking, the younger the person, the better the elasticity of their skin. In such cases, liposuction would be more likely to produce the abdominal look the patient wants due to the skin’s ability to retract.

However, if the patient has had two or three pregnancies and/or was subject to weight fluctuations, these factors will negatively affect the skin elasticity. Dr. Mounir does not use “Ultherapy” or “Thermage” because he believes that these non-surgical techniques have no impact on skin tightening. Dr. Mounir does not recommend these procedures. He strongly believes that a tummy tuck is the best procedure to treat patients with moderate to severe skin laxity.

Manchester Tummy Tuck model wearing brown

Do I Need My Abdominal Muscle to be Tightened During my Tummy Tuck?

During a tummy tuck surgery in Manchester, there are two components to address:

1) The skin and fat tissue located above the abdominal muscle. This is the area that you can pinch and feel. This “pinchable fat” will be reduced during the tummy tuck surgery. However, the fat tissue located beneath the abdominal wall, called “visceral fat”, can only be reduced through diet and exercise.

2) The second component is the abdominal muscle itself. This can be examined and felt, especially if there is herniation of the abdominal wall. These are the muscles responsible for the six-pack look when well developed. During pregnancy or major central obesity, the abdominal wall stretches excessively to the point that the two muscles separate and produce the diastasis recti. When this occurs, both muscles must be sutured back together in the middle. The tightening and shaping of the abdominal muscle is a very important step in the abdominoplasty procedure at the Manchester Cosmetic Centre.

If you feel that your abdominal muscle is weak or compromised, contact experienced plastic surgeon Dr. Abel Mounir, as you may be a good candidate for abdominal wall repair and muscle tightening. If your main concern is excess skin and fat, Dr. Mounir will often suggest a tummy tuck technique designed to remove excess tissue with no muscle tightening involved. Usually, patients who undergo abdominoplasty without abdominal wall restoration have a quicker recovery and less discomfort.

The decision to include a full tummy tuck or a mini-abdominoplasty in your treatment plan will depend on the amount of excess skin that needs to be reduced. During your initial consultation, Dr. Abel Mounir will determine if you are presenting diastasis recti or not. If you are presenting true abdominal wall laxity, he will advise you to proceed with a full abdominoplasty. However, if you have only some loose skin in the lower part of the abdomen, then a mini tummy tuck would be enough to meet your expectations.

What Happens During A Tummy Tuck Surgery?

During your initial consultation, Dr. Mounir will assess how much loose skin you are presenting to determine your optimal treatment plan. He will start by performing the pinch test to see if you have enough skin to proceed with an abdominoplasty. He will discuss with you how much could be reduced from the area above the belly button.

If you are presenting a lot of skin above the belly button, then you are a good candidate for a full tummy tuck. He will cut around the navel (belly button) so that the skin above the navel can be pulled down without relocating the belly button. You will have a scar around the belly button and a long scar from hip to hip. Dr. Mounir will also restore your abdominal wall if necessary. If you are presenting mainly some loose skin below the belly button, you may be a candidate for a mini-tummy tuck in which only the excess skin on the lower abdomen would need to be removed. A mini tummy tuck does not require an incision around the navel and may not require repair to the muscles.

Manchester Tummy Tuck model with blonde hair

Tummy Tuck Scars

To remove the maximum excess skin, the scar from a full abdominoplasty must extend from one hip to the other. Top Manchester tummy tuck surgeon Dr. Mounir uses mainly dissolvable sutures and likes to close the skin under minimum tension. Usually, this technique allows for optimal wound healing.

If you have lost a significant amount of weight and are presenting excess skin in the front and on your back (circular), you would need either a fleur-de-Lys abdominoplasty or a body lift operation. These are more complex surgeries. Dr. Mounir will advise what route will deliver your best results during your initial consultation. In the most majority of cases, Dr. Mounir’s tummy tuck scars are thin and fine because of the techniques used to allow minimal tension when closing the skin.

Procedure Length

A full tummy tuck usually takes approximately two hours to perform. A mini tummy tuck, however, takes between one hour and 90 minutes to perform.

Anesthesia for Tummy Tuck Surgery

Dr. Mounir uses general anesthesia for almost all abdominoplasty procedures to ensure that you are completely comfortable throughout the procedure. As such, you will need to arrange for a close friend or family member to drive you home and stay with you for a minimum of 24 to 48 hours. Depending on the extent of your surgery, Dr. Mounir will provide you with all details regarding the early stage of your recovery. Full tummy tuck patients should expect to spend at least one night in the hospital following their procedure.

Risks Related To Smoking & Tummy Tuck Surgery

Dr. Abel Mounir will advise that you must not smoke, be exposed to second-hand smoke, or take any nicotine substitutes for a minimum of six weeks before and after surgery.

He will explain to you that the risks of surgery are much greater for smokers, and even if you are off cigarettes for six weeks before and after surgery, you may still experience the effects of nicotine. Smokers are at an increased risk for complications related to scarring, hematoma formation, intra-operative bleeding, poor or delayed healing, hair loss, sloughing of skin (skin loss), infection, increased or prolonged bruising, and hyper-pigmentation. It is for this reason that Dr. Mounir will not perform tummy tuck surgery on patients who are heavy smokers.

Post-Abdominoplasty Care & Downtime

Abdominoplasty is a major surgery that involves the removal of a lot of skin and often muscle repair

The resulting scar is long, and it is important that the wound closure is achieved with as little tension as possible. To reduce the tension during the first few days after your surgery, Dr. Mounir will advise you to bend over whenever you try to walk or stand up for the first few days.

After your full tummy tuck surgery, you will need to stay overnight in Manchester or Preston, depending on where your surgery took place. The nursing staff will take care of you for your safety and comfort. You will be asked to sleep with your head/back elevated 30-40 degrees and your legs bent with pillows right under the knees. If needed, you will receive painkillers. Dr. Mounir will place drains during your procedure, and the nursing staff will monitor the amount of fluid draining from your incision. The drains can be removed the following day, just before your discharge. Usually, you will be given antibiotics for seven days and painkillers to be taken as needed. You should be able to stand upright normally after one week. You will need at least 10 days off work after abdominoplasty. However, you need to avoid any physical activity for at least four weeks.

Manchester Tummy Tuck model with dark hair

Schedule Your Tummy Tuck Consultation with Dr. Mounir

If you are interested in learning more about Manchester Tummy Tuck specialist Dr. Abel Mounir’s approach to the various abdominoplasty procedures he performs, please contact us to schedule your consultation. Dr. Mounir offers consultations in Manchester, Liverpool, and Birmingham.

Perfection is Personal

Your uniqueness is beautiful. At Manchester Cosmetic Centre, our goal is to complement and highlight your unique beauty so that you can realize your ideal you.

If you would like to take the first step toward a truly exceptional experience and stunning results, please schedule your consultation with Dr. Abel Mounir today. We offer consultations in Manchester, Liverpool, and Birmingham.

61 King St, Manchester M2 4PD

Tummy Tuck in Manchester, UK