Many people, both men and women, suffer from sagging belly tissue. Drastic loss of weight, pregnancy or the natural ageing process causes belly tissue to sag. Superfluous skin normally shrinks in a few weeks, including after liposuction, but this is not always the case. The consequences are slack, pendulous folds of skin which are more or less pronounced.

In such cases, an abdominoplasty may be undertaken to give new tone to the belly tissues. According to the extent of the problem zone, an incision is made at the point of transition to the pubic area. The maximum extent runs as far as the hip bone.

The skin is detached together with the underlying fatty tissue and is tightened. The excess tissue is removed and the navel is reinserted. The wound is closed with inset stitches so that the scar is subsequently barely visible. A silicone implant may also be introduced within the context of an abdominoplasty.

The operation lasts from two to three hours, is carried out under general anaesthetic and associated with an inpatient stay of around two days. For the first four weeks after the operation, a girdle must be worn.

No sport may be played for eight weeks after the operation, with bodily exertion and heavy lifting of any kind to be avoided at all costs. Solariums and direct exposure to sunlight are equally taboo during the initial weeks. The operation scar is treated with a special ointment.