Exercise or Tummy tuck?

Some patients come in almost deciding between a personal trainer and a plastic surgeon to get the flat tummy they’re after. Some have already been working with a personal trainer for years, but haven’t been able to get the results they’re looking for. Some people will not be able to reduce the size of their abdomen to their satisfaction despite very rigorous exercise routines. These people have a separated rectus abdominis muscle and it can only be closed with surgery.

In this video, I use photos, illustrations, and high-tech teaching aid to help explain how the “six-pack” works and how the status of the stomach muscles, the rectus abdominis, and the linea alba contribute to the look of your abdomen. If the muscles are not separated, you’re lucky – it’ll only take a lot of diligent exercising to get results. But, when the muscles are separated, whether congenitally or following a pregnancy, a Tummy tuck is needed to get the results you’re after.

After watching this video you’ll be able to do a self-examination to see if you can detect a separated rectus abdominis muscle. If you do, you might be a candidate for a tummy tuck. If you don’t, exercise might be the right thing for you.

For more information about the tummy tuck, see the abdominoplasty information page and to see more before and after photos from actual patients, see our abdominoplasty photo gallery.