Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)
Removes loose lower abdominal skin and fat and repairs the abdominal muscles when they have separated. It is a contouring operation, not a weight-loss operation.
Who is a good candidate for a tummy tuck?
Loose skin after pregnancy or significant weight loss; separation of the abdominal muscles (diastasis) that exercise will not close; a lower abdomen that will not flatten regardless of training.
What happens during a tummy tuck?
A horizontal incision low across the abdomen, usually hidden by underwear, and repositioning of the belly button. Muscle repair is done when the muscles have separated. Often combined with liposuction of the flanks for a smoother result. Drains are used for this procedure — they are placed during surgery and removed at a follow-up visit. Best done once you are at a stable weight and finished having children.
How long is recovery after a tummy tuck?
Two to three weeks off work for most patients. You will stand bent forward for the first several days. Compression garment for six weeks, no core or upper-body training for six to eight weeks. Swelling and numbness above the incision resolve over several months.
The scar is permanent and runs hip to hip — and depending on your anatomy, it may extend further. Dr. Vande Ven will show you where it will sit before you decide.
Liposuction
Removes localized fat deposits to refine shape. It treats contour, not weight, and it does not tighten skin.
Who is a good candidate for liposuction?
Diet- and exercise-resistant fat pockets — flanks, abdomen, thighs, back, under the chin — in patients with reasonably elastic skin.
What happens during liposuction?
Small incisions in the natural creases. Commonly combined with another procedure, or used to blend an area after one. If skin quality is poor, liposuction alone can make loose skin look looser — in that case an excisional procedure is the honest answer.
How long is recovery after liposuction?
Most patients are back to desk work within a few days. Compression garment for four to six weeks, light activity at two weeks, full training at four to six. Final contour shows at three to six months as swelling resolves.
Liposuction is not a treatment for obesity and will not address separated abdominal muscles or loose skin.
Post Weight Loss Contouring
Losing a large amount of weight is a real achievement — and it often leaves loose skin that no amount of training will tighten. Contouring removes that skin so the result of your work can actually show.
Who is a good candidate for post weight loss contouring?
Your weight has been stable and you're left with loose skin — most commonly at the abdomen, arms, or breasts. Stable weight matters: the result holds best when your weight does.
What happens during post weight loss contouring?
There is no single operation. The plan combines the procedures your skin actually needs — most often a tummy tuck, an arm lift, breast surgery, or liposuction — done together where it's safe to, and staged for safety reasons when it isn't.
How long is recovery after post weight loss contouring?
It depends on the combination. Each procedure's recovery is described in its own section on this page — and when procedures are combined, you recover once rather than several times. Your specific plan is mapped at your consultation.
Arm Lift (Brachioplasty)
Removes excess skin and fat from the upper arm to restore a firmer contour from armpit to elbow.
Who is a good candidate for an arm lift?
Loose upper-arm skin after major weight loss or with age, where the tissue hangs regardless of how much you train. The ideal candidate has loose skin alone — if there is too much fat tissue, the results will be less ideal.
What happens during an arm lift?
An incision along the inner arm, typically from the armpit toward the elbow — length depends on how much skin has to come out. Often combined with liposuction to refine the shape. This is a trade: tighter arms in exchange for a visible scar.
How long is recovery after an arm lift?
One to two weeks off work. Arms elevated early, no lifting above shoulder height for several weeks, full upper-body training at six to eight weeks. Scars are pink for months and continue to soften for over a year.
The scar placement is the most important conversation in this procedure. Dr. Vande Ven will be direct with you about how visible it will be.
Gynecomastia Reduction
Reduces enlarged male breast tissue to restore a flatter, firmer chest contour.
Who is a good candidate for gynecomastia reduction?
Persistent breast enlargement in men — often present since adolescence, sometimes after weight change, medication or hormonal shifts. Best treated once the condition has been stable for at least a year.
What happens during gynecomastia reduction?
Depending on whether the enlargement is fat, glandular tissue, or both, treatment ranges from liposuction alone to direct excision of gland through a small incision at the edge of the areola. Significant skin excess may require a larger excision. If a medication or medical cause is suspected, that should be worked up first.
How long is recovery after gynecomastia reduction?
Back to desk work in about a week. Compression vest for four to six weeks, no chest training for six. Swelling settles over two to three months.
Recurrence is uncommon but possible, particularly if an underlying cause is untreated or with ongoing anabolic steroid use.
