A special tummy tuck: Fleur-de-lis

It sounds like a relatively minor procedure, the tummy tuck. Perhaps that is down to the cosy, childlike word “tummy”. And perhaps that also explains why we are becoming so used to this English term. But a tummy tuck is in fact an abdominoplasty, and that really is a procedure that must be carried out with great care. After all, as a patient you want a beautiful result that will last you for years. Scarring is unavoidable, but otherwise it should look very good cosmetically. Anyone who considers that fatty tissue has to be removed from the abdominal area, and that as a result excess skin may also have to be removed, will understand how important it is to find an experienced plastic surgeon for this procedure.

Fat accumulation in the abdominal area

This plastic surgeon will also explain which treatment best fits your request. If you have no excess skin but only excess fat accumulation in the abdominal area, liposuction will suffice. If you do have excess skin but it is limited to the area below the navel, the mini tummy tuck is an interesting option. But if the abdominal wall has really slackened and the same applies to the abdominal muscles, a full tummy tuck is needed to achieve the best result. In this procedure, the plastic surgeon removes the excess tissue and stitches the stretched straight abdominal muscles back together in the midline.

Fleur-de-lis tummy tuck

Usually a horizontal incision just above the pubic bone is enough to make these last two treatments possible. However, this does not apply if there is a great deal of fat and excess skin. Fortunately, there is now a modern variant of the tummy tuck for this, known as the anchor tummy tuck. In addition to the horizontal incision, the plastic surgeon also makes an extra vertical incision above the navel. The name (anchor) refers to the shape of these two incisions. For that reason, the procedure is also called the Fleur-de-lis tummy tuck. Anyone who knows the shape of the French lily will understand why.

Weight loss and tummy tucks

It is clear that this procedure causes more scarring than the types of tummy tuck described above. In addition, the procedure can change the shape of the area immediately around the navel. The anchor or Fleur-de-lis tummy tuck is therefore not everyone’s first choice. But it is an interesting option for women whose abdominal wall has become very slack after giving birth and whose abdominal muscles have been greatly stretched. People who have lost a great deal of weight – for example through a rigorous diet or a gastric reduction – may also be eligible for this procedure.

Would you like to know more about this procedure, for example how the operation works? Then read on on our page about the tummy tuck.