What is the medical term for a tummy tuck?

What is the medical term for a tummy tuck? Abdominoplasty is the answer.

Abdominoplasty is a cosmetic surgical procedure that removes excess skin and, in many operations, excess fat from the abdomen while tightening the abdominal wall. It is commonly sought after pregnancy or major weight loss, when stretched skin and lax tissues may remain even after diet and exercise.

In a full abdominoplasty, a low abdominal incision is typically made, the skin is lifted, the abdominal fascia may be tightened, and the navel is repositioned through a new opening. The operation changes abdominal contour, but it is not a weight-loss treatment and does not replace healthy weight management.

Liposuction is a common mix-up. Liposuction removes localized fat through a cannula but does not normally remove a broad apron of loose skin or tighten the abdominal wall. A panniculectomy removes hanging lower-abdominal skin and fat, often for functional reasons, but is distinct from the broader contouring and muscle-fascia work of abdominoplasty. Lipoabdominoplasty is a combined or modified technique, not the general medical term for every tummy tuck.