Is a Tummy Tuck painful?

Your surgery is performed under anesthesia, so you shouldn’t feel any pain during that procedure. Most patients can expect some pain and/or discomfort after a Tummy Tuck, with the worst of it being experienced, within the first week. Dr. Golger will temporarily prescribe you some medication to alleviate your pain and minimize swelling, as well as advise you on the best techniques for a more comfortable recovery.

How many appointments will I need?

After your initial follow-up appointment, which will take place about a week after your surgery, you should expect at least one or two more, usually around six weeks, and then again three months, where your postop photos will be taken to show your progress. Dr. Golger will always inform you of when you are expected back and when he feels like you have achieved your best results.

How long until I see my Tummy Tuck results?

While every patient will have a different recovery experience, most patients can see their final results in their weight loss procedure in about two to three months. While you will be able to slowly resume working out around a month and a half post-surgery, we strongly recommend easing back into your former weight loss routine only after receiving Dr. Golger’s approval.

Can I combine Tummy Tuck with other procedures?

Absolutely! A Tummy Tuck in Scottsdale is commonly combined with other plastic surgery procedures for an overall better aesthetic. Procedures like an Arm Lift , Breast Augmentation , or Thigh Lift can produce stunning results when paired with a traditional full tummy tuck too. A standard traditional tummy tuck itself is also frequently used in a mommy makeover. If you have a goal in mind or would like to hear the best options for combinable surgical procedures together, please discuss it with Dr. Golger during your consultation and he will be happy to make his expert recommendations.

What are the risks associated with Tummy Tuck?

While a safe procedure when performed by a professional plastic surgeon like Dr. Golger, a Tummy Tuck can have the following risk involved with the plastic surgery itself: Anesthesia risks Asymmetry Bleeding Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications Fatty tissue found deep in the skin might die (fat necrosis) Fluid accumulation (seroma) Infection Numbness or other changes in skin sensation Persistent pain Poor wound healing Possibility of revisional surgery Recurrent looseness of skin Skin discoloration and/or prolonged swelling Skin loss Suboptimal aesthetic result Unfavorable scarring If you experience any concerning or long-lasting reactions, please contact our clinic immediately.

Does Tummy Tuck surgery remove excess skin?

Yes. The standard tummy tuck and procedure will often remove loose skin and excess fat, and even tighten stretched abdominal muscles. A full tummy tuck surgery may also remove stretch marks and excess skin in the lower abdomen below the belly button. However, a tummy tuck won't correct stretch marks or remove excess fat tissue outside of this area.

Are Tummy Tuck patients able to keep a stable weight after their procedure?

Once you have undergone a Tummy tuck, the excess skin is permanently removed and your abdominal contour should be incredibly close to your aesthetic goals. While your body will continue to rebuild and adapt to its new structure, you can maintain your appearance with a balanced diet and active lifestyle.

What happens if you experience weight gain after a tummy tuck?

We strongly encourage our tummy tuck patients to maintain a healthy diet. Most patients have worked hard to lose weight, tummy tuck surgery can help provide the abdominal contour you've been dreaming of, as it will repair stretched abdominal muscles and lift sagging skin in the upper abdomen and lower. The surgery will also improve the belly button appearance. If you do gain weight after your tummy tuck and gain more loose skin, your tummy tuck surgeon will likely advise you to get on a healthy diet. It's possible that other body contouring treatments can be done such as liposuction. If the abdominal muscles do separate again, your surgeon may recommend a mini tummy tuck or an extended tummy tuck — depending on the extent of the weight gain and abdominal muscles.

Can I get a breast lift and tummy tuck at the same time?

Tummy tucks are often paired with aesthetic breast surgery. This is called a mommy makeover and will address multiple areas of the body. A mommy makeover typically consists of a tummy tuck , liposuction , and a breast augmentation, lift , or reduction .

Do tummy tucks cause blood clots?

Tummy tuck surgery is a body contouring surgery that is typically very safe. While blood clots are a very rare condition, it is a possible side effect. During your consultation with Dr. Golger, he'll provide a very thorough assessment of your health, current medications, and past surgeries. Together you'll develop a safe plan to ensure safety.

Where is the incision for a tummy tuck?

The incision for a tummy tuck is often placed on the pubic hairline so that it won't be seen when wearing a bathing suit or any low-cut pants. A surgical dressing is applied to promote optimal healing.

What is an abdominal binder?

An abdominal binder is a compression belt that encircles the abdomen. It is sometimes recommended following tummy tuck surgery.

What is a Circumferential Abdominoplasty?

A Circumferential Tummy Tuck is often used for a massive transformation. This procedure addresses the abdomen, buttocks, lower back, and hips.

What if I get pregnant after a tummy tuck?

It's perfectly safe for a post-tummy tuck pregnancy. While your tummy tuck surgeon will recommend you wait until you're finished having kids to have a tummy tuck, patients can get pregnant following their surgery.

Best Tummy Tuck In Scottsdale, AZ | Plastic Surgery Scottsdale

Introduction to Tummy Tuck

A proper diet and continuous exercise is the best way to have a healthy life and achieve a toned, more athletic body. This is unfortunately not always possible, as some people just can’t seem to achieve the look they’re going for, no matter how hard they try. This can be for many reasons but is often caused by loose abdominal muscles and hanging skin, which can be quickly followed by a steady downslide in body maintenance. Dr. Golger offers the Tummy Tuck for his Scottsdale patients as a fantastic way to improve the appearance of their stomachs. To learn a little more about this surgical procedure, please keep reading below.

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What are the Benefits of Tummy Tuck Surgery?

Our Scottsdale Tummy Tuck patients have been able to see some of the following benefits that this cosmetic surgery can provide:

Better overall flexibility
Flatter abdomen
Gives your body a better appearance and can increase self-confidence
Improved control over bodily functions
Increases your tolerance for more intense exercises once that excess skin is gone
Minimize the risks for certain medical conditions
Motivates to lose excess weight and achieve better health
Prevents painful hernias
Relieves stress urinary incontinence (after pregnancy, some women find they have an issue with accidental leaks)
Removes excess skin and fat
Stronger and improved core

What is Tummy Tuck?

Professionally called an Abdominoplasty, a full Tummy Tuck is a surgical cosmetic procedure that can dramatically reduce the appearance of an extended abdomen by removing excess fat and skin while tightening muscles in your abdominal wall.

The procedure can also restore the weakened abdominal muscles or separated abdominal muscles to create a smoother and firmer abdominal profile. Even if a patient is at their normal body weight, excess tissue on their belly can protrude for many reasons, including:

Aging
Heredity
Pregnancy
Prior surgery
Significant fluctuations in weight

We like to encourage our patients to be as close to their target weight before undergoing this surgery, as it is an outpatient procedure and not a substitution for a weight loss or unwanted fat loss procedure. You will also be able to have significant weight loss and maintain your weight gain and results for longer with a proper diet and exercise.

Mini Tummy Tuck

Sometimes referred to as a “short scar” tummy tuck, a mini tummy tuck is among the abdominoplasty procedures great for patients who are concerned about removing excess skin and fat, but are limited to the area below the bellybutton. One of the major benefits of a mini tummy tuck surgery is the shorter incision and no belly button incision. Unfortunately, a mini tummy tuck incision isn’t appropriate for patients who need abdominal muscles repaired or are trying to get abdominal skin or the stretch marks above the belly button removed.

Drainless Tummy Tuck in Scottsdale

A Drainless Tummy Tuck uses a slightly different technique from a Traditional Tummy Tuck to eliminate the need for drains during recovery. Drains are often necessary after a traditional Scottsdale tummy tuck procedure to eliminate fluid accumulation, however, there can be some complications if they are not removed from the treatment area. These drains can also be uncomfortable and require emptying three times a day.

While a drainless tummy tuck won’t differ too much from a traditional tummy tuck, Dr. Golger will use slightly altered techniques, which include using internal quilting sutures in addition to the sutures on the main incision. These quilted sutures hold together the abdominal fat and muscle layers, eliminating the need for drains. They will then dissolve on their own as the layers heal and reconnect.

After a drainless tummy tuck, you can expect a smoother recovery process without the hassle and discomfort of taking care of drainage tubes. You will still need to see Dr. Golger for the usual post-op visits, but you won’t have to worry about going in to have drains removed.

Who Are The
Best Candidates
For Tummy Tuck?

In general, you may be a good candidate for a tummy tuck surgery in Scottsdale if you are:

In good overall physical health
Maintaining a stable, healthy weight
Non-smoker
Persistently bothered by the aesthetic of your abdomen
Realistic in your expectations for the procedure
Unsuccessful losing weight in the abdominal area through traditional means

What’s the First Step?

If you’re interested in a Tummy Tuck in Scottsdale, your first step is to schedule your consultation with board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Golger. Before your appointment, we encourage you to prepare yourself by defining and understanding your surgical goals as best as possible. When you come in, Dr. Golger will evaluate your body and discuss the best method to achieve your aesthetic desire, as well as discuss any medications you are currently taking, your lifestyle and medical history, and details about any previous surgeries you may have had.

Dr. Golger will guide you through every step of the procedure and may take some photographs for comparison pictures. Once he has a good idea of how to best perform your procedure, he will create your procedure plan, and if you agree with it, our Patient coordinator will help you set up your surgical date.

You may be asked to adjust any medications you are currently taking and it is advised to stop smoking as soon as possible before the procedure.

What to Expect on the Day of a Tummy Tuck Procedure

On the day of your surgery, you will first be administered anesthesia, which could be general anesthesia or intravenous sedation, depending on what is discussed during your consultation.

Dr. Golger will begin by making an incision just above the pubic area, which is used to remove the excess skin and fat from the middle and lower abdomen. The skin is then separated from the abdominal wall to the ribs, followed by folding the large skin flap to reveal the vertical muscles in your abdomen. These muscles are tightened by pulling them close together and stitching them into their new position to provide a firmer abdominal wall and a narrow waistline.

Once the underlying abdominal muscles and tissue are pulled together, Dr. Golger will stitch them up to narrow the waistline and provide more strength to your abdominal wall. The abdominal skin or flap is then stretched down, any extra skin is removed, and a new hole is cut for your navel, which is then stitched in place. Finally, the incisions will be stitched up, dressings will be applied, and a temporary tube called a cannula may be inserted to keep blood flowing and drain excess fluid from the surgical site.

Your procedure can last anywhere from two to five hours.

Tummy Tuck Recovery

After your Tummy Tuck surgery, we will monitor you in our recovery area. You should be released the same day so you can recover comfortably at home, but there are instances in which a patient is held overnight. When you are ready to go home, you should have a relative or friend available to give you a ride home. You will be outfitted with a compression garment to wear around your abdomen to reduce swelling. Surgical drains may also be used to assist in fluid drainage.

The first few days after your abdominoplasty surgery, there will be some swelling, bruising, and discomfort in the treatment area, which is relieved with pain medication. While it will take about six weeks to fully recover from an abdominoplasty procedure, many patients can return to work and resume light activities within 7 – 10 days. Heavy lifting and strenuous physical activities should be avoided for several weeks.

Our Patient Coordinator will provide you with detailed instructions on how to care for the incisions and drains until they are removed, which usually happens just a few days after surgery.

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How Much Does Tummy Tuck Cost in Scottsdale, AZ?

The cost of Tummy Tuck in Scottsdale typically cost between $8,500 – $10,000, but can vary from patient to patient. After consulting with Dr. Golger, our patient coordinator will provide you with a breakdown of the costs for your surgery. In most cases, health insurance policies do not cover the cost of Abdominoplasty.

Why Choose Us?

Plastic Surgery Scottsdale is led by Dr. Alexander Golger B.Ed., MD, FRCS(C), a board-certified, gifted Toronto plastic surgeon with many years of advanced training at prestigious universities and hospitals. He is a certified recipient of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, which is an honor bestowed only on doctors who have completed the organization’s stringent education and examination requirements. After earning his Doctor of Medicine degree from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, he then completed a five-year medical residency at the highly recognized Division of Plastic Surgery at the University of Toronto.

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Schedule Your Consultation

If you want a tighter, leaner-looking stomach but have been able to achieve it through traditional methods, a Tummy Tuck in Scottsdale could be your saving grace. To schedule your consultation with Dr. Golger, please contact Plastic Surgery in Scottsdale to set up your appointment.

Tummy Tuck FAQs

Your procedure questions answered.

Your surgery is performed under anesthesia, so you shouldn’t feel any pain during that procedure. Most patients can expect some pain and/or discomfort after a Tummy Tuck, with the worst of it being experienced, within the first week. Dr. Golger will temporarily prescribe you some medication to alleviate your pain and minimize swelling, as well as advise you on the best techniques for a more comfortable recovery.
After your initial follow-up appointment, which will take place about a week after your surgery, you should expect at least one or two more, usually around six weeks, and then again three months, where your postop photos will be taken to show your progress. Dr. Golger will always inform you of when you are expected back and when he feels like you have achieved your best results.
While every patient will have a different recovery experience, most patients can see their final results in their weight loss procedure in about two to three months. While you will be able to slowly resume working out around a month and a half post-surgery, we strongly recommend easing back into your former weight loss routine only after receiving Dr. Golger’s approval.
Absolutely! A Tummy Tuck in Scottsdale is commonly combined with other plastic surgery procedures for an overall better aesthetic. Procedures like an Arm Lift, Breast Augmentation, or Thigh Lift can produce stunning results when paired with a traditional full tummy tuck too. A standard traditional tummy tuck itself is also frequently used in a mommy makeover. If you have a goal in mind or would like to hear the best options for combinable surgical procedures together, please discuss it with Dr. Golger during your consultation and he will be happy to make his expert recommendations.
While a safe procedure when performed by a professional plastic surgeon like Dr. Golger, a Tummy Tuck can have the following risk involved with the plastic surgery itself:
- Anesthesia risks
- Asymmetry
- Bleeding
- Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications
- Fatty tissue found deep in the skin might die (fat necrosis)
- Fluid accumulation (seroma)
- Infection
- Numbness or other changes in skin sensation
- Persistent pain
- Poor wound healing
- Possibility of revisional surgery
- Recurrent looseness of skin
- Skin discoloration and/or prolonged swelling
- Skin loss
- Suboptimal aesthetic result
- Unfavorable scarring
If you experience any concerning or long-lasting reactions, please contact our clinic immediately.
Yes. The standard tummy tuck and procedure will often remove loose skin and excess fat, and even tighten stretched abdominal muscles. A full tummy tuck surgery may also remove stretch marks and excess skin in the lower abdomen below the belly button. However, a tummy tuck won't correct stretch marks or remove excess fat tissue outside of this area.
Once you have undergone a Tummy tuck, the excess skin is permanently removed and your abdominal contour should be incredibly close to your aesthetic goals. While your body will continue to rebuild and adapt to its new structure, you can maintain your appearance with a balanced diet and active lifestyle.
We strongly encourage our tummy tuck patients to maintain a healthy diet. Most patients have worked hard to lose weight, tummy tuck surgery can help provide the abdominal contour you've been dreaming of, as it will repair stretched abdominal muscles and lift sagging skin in the upper abdomen and lower. The surgery will also improve the belly button appearance. If you do gain weight after your tummy tuck and gain more loose skin, your tummy tuck surgeon will likely advise you to get on a healthy diet. It's possible that other body contouring treatments can be done such as liposuction. If the abdominal muscles do separate again, your surgeon may recommend a mini tummy tuck or an extended tummy tuck — depending on the extent of the weight gain and abdominal muscles.
Tummy tuck surgery is a body contouring surgery that is typically very safe. While blood clots are a very rare condition, it is a possible side effect. During your consultation with Dr. Golger, he'll provide a very thorough assessment of your health, current medications, and past surgeries. Together you'll develop a safe plan to ensure safety.

Genuine and Talented

I had an abdominoplasty done by Dr Golger here almost 2 years ago and realized I never left a review. Everyday Im so thankful for the confidence its given me. Dr Golger is one of the most professional, genuine and talented doctors Ive encountered.

Extremely Happy

My experience with Dr. Golger, and his team was a dream! From the consultation to the post-op follow up appointments, they treated me with genuine warmth and care. I am extremely happy with my results, and the healing process was absolutely seamless.

Wonderful Staff

Dr golger is an amazing surgeon he knows what he is doing I went to him for a breast reduction and I couldn’t be much happier. Both Cathy & Josie are amazing as well. Really happy i came across Dr. golger and his wonderful staff.

Highly Recommend

I highly recommend avenue plastic surgery. I just had a breast reduction and I am extremely pleased! Everyone in the office was amazing at answering any questions I have had over the phone as well . Dr Golger made me feel so comfortable .

Phenomenal Surgeon!

Dr. Golger is a phenomenal surgeon!! I can't recommend him enough. He flawlessly performed my breast reduction and lift in June 2022 then performed my breast reconstruction immediately after having my cancer prevention mastectomy done.

Very Ethical

Very ethical Dr he was kind patient and understanding. He took his time to explain the procedure. I decided to go back to my original Dr and Dr Golger refunded my deposit without any issues as promised. I highly recommend Dr Golger. Thanks to Valerie for her exceptional customer service

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Tummy Tuck in Scottsdale