Abdominoplasty, better known as the tummy tuck is a procedure that many people turn to rid their body of those embarrassing stretch marks after giving birth.

Abdominoplasty is the procedure that is used to reshape your abdomen when there is a sign of major laxity of the abdominal muscular envelope, seen primarily in women who have had multiple pregnancies. It is also recommended in cases of individuals with excessive skin of the abdominal wall, which cannot be corrected with liposuction alone, and in some cases involving minor scarring of the skin in the lower abdomen.

When it comes to abdominoplasty for stretchmarks, you should understand that there are three different types of surgery, the standard procedure, the mini tummy tuck and the modified abdominoplasty.

The standard procedure is done when there is a large amount of fat and skin that needs to be removed. This procedure addresses the laxity of the abdominal wall along with the extra fat and skin that is in the upper and lower abdomen.

The mini tummy tuck is usually performed on patients that do not have all excessive fat and skin that needs to be removed. Normally, a mini tummy tuck will only leave a tiny scar usually under the bikini line. Liposuction may also be used to help rid the body of extra fat. However, the mini tummy tuck is only used for fat removal and abdominal laxity below the umbilicus. Skin tightening will also allow be performed below the umbilicus.

The modified abdominoplasty gives the patient a bit more say so in some of the procedure especially when it comes to where the scar will be. You can specify what clothing such as bikini should cover the scar. You can also choose whether you desire any muscular repair. Without muscular repair, you will have less pain after the surgery. This is the best surgery for stretch marks if you are in between the two above-mentioned categories.

Liposuction can be used along with abdominoplasty surgeries and even up to one year after the surgery to fine tune the appearance.

Remember, prior to any type of surgery you should talk with your physician and your dermatologist to ensure that this is the best method for you to get rid of the appearance of stretch marks. Surgery, no matter what kind, is expensive. There are other methods to help fade stretch marks without the pain and cost associated with abdominoplasty.