Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) at Yanhee: cost, technique and recovery

What a tummy tuck is

Abdominoplasty does two things in one operation. It removes the apron of excess skin and fat below the navel, and it repairs the abdominal wall underneath by stitching the two vertical muscles back together in the midline.

That second part is the one most people have not heard of and the one that decides whether surgery is worth it. Pregnancy and large weight gain stretch the connective tissue between the rectus abdominis muscles, and they stay separated afterwards. The condition is called diastasis recti, and it produces a stomach that bulges outward however lean you get, because the abdominal wall no longer holds the contents in. No amount of core training closes it. Removing skin without repairing it leaves the bulge.

Full or mini

A full abdominoplasty treats the abdomen above and below the navel, repairs muscle separation along its whole length, and moves the navel to a new opening in the lifted skin. The scar runs hip to hip along the bikini line.

A mini abdominoplasty treats only the area below the navel. The scar is shorter, the navel is not moved, recovery is quicker, and it suits someone whose skin laxity and muscle separation sit entirely below the belly button. It is the wrong operation for anyone with looseness above it, because a mini cannot reach there and the upper abdomen stays as it was.

Which you need is decided by examination, not by preference. Yanhee performs both; ask for the mini price at consultation, as it is not yet on the published list.

Who it suits, and who should wait

Good candidates are physically healthy, at or near a stable weight, bothered by loose abdominal skin or a bulge that does not improve with diet and exercise, non-smoking, and realistic about the result. Reasonable skin tone and elasticity help.

Three reasons to wait rather than book:

• You still have significant weight to lose. A tummy tuck removes skin that fits your current size. Lose 15 kg afterwards and you will have loose skin again.
• You may want another pregnancy. A pregnancy will separate the repaired muscles again and stretch the skin, undoing the part of the operation that mattered most.
• You smoke. Nicotine constricts the small vessels that supply the lifted skin flap, and wound breakdown along a hip-to-hip incision is a serious, slow problem. Surgery does not proceed if you are still smoking, and that includes patches and e-cigarettes.

Previous abdominal surgery does not rule you out, but existing scars affect blood supply to the flap and can make the result or the scar less predictable. Bring your surgical history to the consultation.

What it will and will not do

A tummy tuck is not weight-loss surgery and does not touch fat inside the abdominal cavity, the visceral fat that sits behind the muscle wall. Someone whose protrusion is visceral rather than skin and muscle will get a firmer abdomen that is still round, which is why the examination matters more than the photograph.

On stretch marks: those inside the skin that gets removed, generally between the navel and the pubic line, go with it. Marks above the navel remain, though they end up lower on the abdomen once the skin is drawn down.

Where the problem is fat rather than skin, liposuction alone is the smaller operation, and it is often combined with a tummy tuck in one plan to contour the flanks and waist at the same time. Where there is loose skin without much fat or muscle separation, Renuvion J-Plasma tightening is worth asking about before committing to a hip-to-hip scar.

The procedure, step by step

Under general anaesthesia, over about 2 to 3 hours:

1. A linear incision is made low along the bikini line, from hipbone to hipbone.
2. Skin and fat are lifted off the abdominal wall up to the ribs.
3. The separated vertical muscles are pulled together and stitched in the midline, closing the diastasis.
4. Excess skin and fat are removed, a new opening is made for the navel where a full abdominoplasty is done, and the skin is drawn down and closed.
5. Dressings are applied and a temporary drain may be placed to remove fluid.

The muscle repair is why you will not stand fully upright for the first few days: the abdominal wall is now tighter than it was, and the skin has to accommodate. Walking bent at the waist for two or three days is expected, not a sign anything is wrong.

Before surgery

Stop smoking two weeks before and for two weeks after, including patches and e-cigarettes. Avoid alcohol for a week beforehand. Fast for at least six hours before the operation. Stop aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs and any herbal supplements that increase bleeding, on your surgeon's timetable. Patients with a medical condition need surgical clearance. Core and general conditioning in the months before surgery genuinely helps recovery, as does arriving at a stable weight rather than mid-diet.

What a tummy tuck costs at Yanhee

The tummy tuck is priced by body weight, with related add-ons available separately. Prices cover the surgeon, the anaesthesia and the stated stay. Flights and accommodation are not included.

Weight above 70 kg adds 18,000 THB per 10 kg to the base price. Mini abdominoplasty is performed but is not on the published list; ask for the figure at consultation. Combining a tummy tuck with liposuction of the flanks or waist is quoted as one plan rather than as two procedures. Prices are subject to change and are confirmed after consultation — see plastic surgery prices for the current list.

Recovery, aftercare and when you can fly

You stay about three nights. Dressings and a compression garment support the abdomen, and a small drain may be left in to remove fluid. Rest with pillows under your knees and back so your waist stays bent, lie on your side or back, and move your feet and ankles regularly from the first day. Wear the garment snugly for 4 to 6 weeks. Sponge baths at first; showering from 7 to 10 days once the stitches are out. Walk bent at the waist for the first two or three days, return to ordinary activity from about two weeks, and leave strenuous exercise and heavy lifting until 4 to 6 weeks. Follow-up and stitch removal are at 7 to 10 days, which sets the minimum time you need in Bangkok.

Risks to understand

The recognised risks are bleeding and haematoma, infection, fluid collection (seroma), poor wound healing or wound separation along the incision, loss of skin at the edge of the flap, numbness or altered sensation across the lower abdomen which is very common and often permanent in a band above the scar, unfavourable or widened scarring, asymmetry, fat necrosis, prolonged swelling, persistent pain, recurrence of loose skin, anaesthetic risk, and the possible need for revision surgery. Deep vein thrombosis and, rarely, pulmonary embolism are the serious ones, which is why the flying section above exists. Scarring is the trade every patient makes: the scar is long, it sits low enough to hide under underwear or a swimsuit, and it fades but does not disappear. If you form keloids, weigh that carefully. Your surgeon will go through the risks specific to you at consent.

Frequently asked questions

Available doctors

These plastic surgeons at Yanhee perform abdominoplasty. Your surgeon is confirmed at consultation.