Drainless Tummy Tuck in a 56 year-old Chicago area female in Downers Grove, IL*

This 56 year-old Chicago area mother of four presented to the office with complaints of abdominal tissue excess from previous pregnancies. She was unable to regain her previous shape despite diet and exercise. Given her rectus diastasis and the amount of excess abdominal tissue (pannus), she was recommended to have a drainless tummy tuck (abdominoplasty). This would allow for removal of her excess skin and stretch marks and a rectus plication to correct the muscle separation. She also had liposuction of her flanks at the same time with a Micro-Aire power-assisted liposuction machine to narrow her waistline. We used Quill barbed quilting sutures to eliminate the need for postoperative drains and placed Exparel in the abdominal wall at the time of surgery to improve her postoperative pain control. At six months, she had a flat tummy and a attractive belly button with no visible belly button scars.