Before and After
There are several muscles that are affected by pregnancy and a tummy tuck focuses on one of the main muscles: the rectus abdominis. The muscle separation that occurs after childbirth may be located at, above, or below the belly button. If it is separated, this muscle can be brought back together in the midline. Sometimes, the tearing can be flattened out to look better than it did before pregnancy! Skin can be removed and tightened, and the belly button can be reshaped if desired. Dr. Gurley likes to check for hernias because it is not unusual to have one after pregnancy and they can be fixed during the tummy tuck procedure.