Tummy Tuck in 46 year-old Chicagoland female in Downers Grove, IL*

This is a 46 year-old female who presented to the office with complaints of excess abdominal tissue after pregnancy and a muscle separation. The patient was unable to improve her appearance with diet and exercise. On exam, she had a lower abdominal rectus diastasis (muscle separation) which worsened with exertion. She also had extensive stretch marks of the lower abdomen. We recommended a full tummy tuck with liposuction of the waist and back bra rolls to improve the contour of her flanks. She had the procedure under general anesthesia at our AAAASF accredited surgical facility in Downers Grove, IL. We used the MicroAire power-assisted liposuction machine to perform liposuction of the waist and back bra rolls and contour the patient's waist. We performed a rectus plication with permanent sutures to correct the muscle separation. Exparel was injected in the abdominal wall at the time of the surgery to allow for better postoperative pain control. A drainless technique was used with barbed sutures (Quill) to eliminate the need for postoperative drains. A special technique was used for creation of the new belly button to give it a natural appearance. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course, and was able to do full activity at 6 weeks postop.