Another incision is made around the navel to free it from surrounding skin. The large skin flap is then separated from the abdominal wall and lifted all the way up to the ribs to reveal the muscles. The muscles are pulled close and sewn together to tighten and narrow the waistline. The skin flap is then stretched down and the excess skin is trimmed away. A new hole for the navel is made since the old opening is now too low.
Incisions are then closed and an elastic dressing is put in place.
If flabby skin is limited to below the navel, a partial tummy tuck is sometimes performed. This mini-tummy tuck takes only an hour or two. For this surgery, the skin is tightened from the pubic area to the navel. Depending upon the extent of the surgery, a patient may be released within a few hours or remain hospitalized for 2 to 3 days. The outer stitches are usually removed in 5 to 7 days.