Tummy tuck, also known as abdominoplasty, is a surgical procedure that can remove the excess fats, tissue, and skin which are medically referred as panniculus that may result to foul odor, non-healing skin rashes, and skin ulcer caused by two segments of skin rubbing each other.

These are the types of patients who can benefit the most from tummy tuck procedure:

* Individuals who have lost a significant amount of body weight which left them with a sagging, excess skin in the abdomen.
* Women who are left with a drooping skin in their tummy caused by several pregnancies.
* People who have sagging, excess skin in their abdomen caused by hereditary condition.

It is important to note that tummy tuckis not a substitute for any weight loss procedure. In fact, patients who are more than 30 percent of their ideal body weight are not considered as a good candidate because they are at higher risk of complication. To prevent any problems, most doctors recommend patients to lose their extra weight before they can have this cosmetic surgery.

According to Los Angeles plastic surgeons, tummy tuck should be only seen as the last resort for individuals who have exhausted all other means to remove the excess fats and skin in their abdomen (such as exercise and proper diet).

Since the tummy tuck is an invasive procedure, people who have serious medical conditions may not be allowed to have this surgery. These conditions include: heart problem, diabetes, high blood pressure, lung problem, and bleeding problem.

This is how the tummy tuck procedure is performed:

1. The patients are injected with a general anesthesia or intravenous sedation to make them fall asleep during the whole procedure.
2. The surgeons make a horizontal incision usually 6 or 7 cm above the pubic region. Meanwhile, the length of the incision will be longer for patients who need the most correction.

Through this incision, the surgeons will remove the excess skin, fats, and tissue. To address tissue laxity, they may also put sutures and reposition the abdominal muscles.

In case there is a significant excess skin in the upper abdomen, the plastic surgeons might create a second incision around the navel.

3. After removing the excess skin, fats, and tissues, the surgeons will then close the incision site that will result to a permanent scar. Fortunately, the appearance of the scar will improve over time and is usually hidden even if the patients are wearing a bikini.