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Patients who have gone through pregnancy or extreme weight loss or often frustrated with loose hanging skin, poor body shape, and stubborn excess fat. They usually find that diet and exercise cannot correct the problem to their satisfaction and choose cosmetic surgery options such as liposuction and a tummy tuck to get the results they want.
The medical procedure abdominoplasty is commonly known as a “tummy tuck.” This procedure effectively creates a tight, flat abdomen and is one of the most popular surgeries patients request. Educating yourself is the key to selecting the best plastic surgeon for your tummy tuck. Take a look through this page to learn about Joseph T Cruise, MD's abdominoplasty philosophy and the types of tummy tucks he performs. We also encourage you to view his extensive tummy tuck before-and-after gallery so that you can make an informed decision about whether or not tummy tuck is right for you.
Surgery Information
Surgical Options
Anatomy Addressed
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A tummy tuck - also known as abdominoplasty — is a cosmetic surgical procedure to improve the appearance of the upper and/or lower abdomen. During a tummy tuck, excess skin and fat are removed from the abdomen. In most cases, the underlying muscles of the abdomen are tightened as well.
The exact surgical techniques will depend on your goals and the extent of correction needed. Dr. Cruise specializes in mini, standard, extended, and circumferential tummy tucks, allowing for a fully customized procedure tailored to your specific needs.
Each body, each person’s concerns and desired outcomes, is different. As a tummy tuck specialist, Dr. Joseph Cruise understands the importance of customizing each person’s procedure to meet their unique situation, which is why he offers four types of tummy tuck:
A mini tummy tuck focuses on the lower abdomen, specifically the area below the belly button. It’s ideal for patients with mild skin laxity or a small pooch, offering a shorter scar and quicker recovery than a full abdominoplasty.
A standard (full) tummy tuck addresses both the upper and lower abdomen, removing excess skin and tightening the muscles from the ribcage to the pubic bone. It’s the most common option for those with significant skin laxity or abdominal separation following pregnancy or weight loss.
An extended tummy tuck goes beyond the front of the abdomen to include the flanks or "love handle" area. It’s a good choice for patients with excess skin and fat that wraps around the sides, often after major weight loss.
Also called a body lift, this version extends all the way around the torso, removing excess skin and fat from the abdomen, flanks, back, and sometimes the buttocks. It’s best suited for patients who’ve experienced massive weight loss and want a complete lower-body contouring solution.
Your tummy tuck journey begins with an in-depth consultation. Joseph T Cruise, MD, consults with each patient individually in his Orange County office to discuss the changes they desire from their cosmetic surgery. This consultation also includes a physical exam to assess the patient’s skin, fat, and body-type so that Joseph T Cruise, MD, can provide his recommendations for liposuction or abdominoplasty. Your goals and your satisfaction are most important, and Joseph T Cruise, MD can only know what you need after meeting with you personally.
Dr. Cruise performs each tummy tuck in a fully accredited surgical center in Newport Beach. General anesthesia is administered for the patient’s comfort and safety. The tummy tuck procedure usually takes two to three hours.
During surgery, Dr. Cruise makes a low, horizontal incision across the lower abdomen, typically hidden beneath underwear or swimwear. Incision patterns can vary depending on the patient’s needs. He then tightens the abdominal muscles if needed and carefully removes loose or hanging skin before closing the incision. Liposuction may be incorporated to remove any stubborn fat deposits. If necessary, the belly button may be repositioned to maintain a natural appearance.
Understanding what to expect during recovery, as well as how long it will take you to be fully healed, is key when deciding when to have your surgery. Most patients are back to work in 2 weeks, or approximately 4-6 weeks if your job is strenuous or requires physical activity. Dr. Cruise provides clear aftercare guidelines and ongoing support throughout your entire recovery, ensuring smooth healing and an optimal result.
As a result of pregnancy, weight loss, or aging, the abdomen can lose its youthful appearance due to skin laxity, excess fat, loss of shape, and stretch marks.
Ideal candidates are healthy adults dealing with loose skin, separated abdominal muscles, or a bulging lower abdomen, often following weight loss or pregnancy. Candidates should be at a stable weight and not planning future pregnancies, as this could affect results. Those with medical conditions that may impair healing will be assessed carefully to ensure surgery is a safe and effective option.
It is important that you have a clear idea of what you want changed when you schedule your consultation. The most difficult question for a plastic surgeon to answer is: What do you think I need done? The resources on this page are here to help you assess your goals in preparation for your consultation with Dr. Cruise.
Take a look at the graphics below and select the abdomen that is most similar to yours. To rotate images, place your mouse on any image and drag.
No Love Handles
Excess skin only below belly button. Skin above belly button is tight.
With Love Handles
Excess skin only below belly button. Excess fat in love handles (flanks).
No Love Handles
Excess skin below and above belly button. Most obvious when bending forward.
With Love Handles
Excess skin below and above belly button. Excess fat may make skin appear tighter than it is.
Very Little Fat
Loose skin extends over hips. This skin can easily be grabbed and has "muffin top" effect with tight clothes on. Stretch marks often present.
With Love Handles
Excess skin extends over hips. Excess fat may make skin appear tighter than it is. With liposuction, this skin will likely become loose. Stretch marks often present.
With Little Fat
Excess skin goes completely around to back. Stretch marks often present. Not removing all excess skin will not create tight, shapely result.
With Excess Fat
Excess skin goes completely around to back. Excess fat will make skin appear tighter than it really is. Not removing all excess skin will not create tight, shapely result.
Significant Excess Fat Circumferentially
Two operations will be necessary. The first one is liposuction to remove the excess fat and the second is to remove the excess skin. Doing everything at once would be unsafe. A better option is to lose the excess weight with diet and exercise if possible.
A tummy tuck can address a range of concerns in the midsection that are often difficult to target with diet and exercise:
Tummy tuck procedures will effectively remove unwanted excess abdominal skin and fat, as well as significantly improve any remaining stretch marks. The right type of tummy tuck for your body can dramatically alter your shape and silhouette.
Benefits include:
No matter which procedure is right for you, you should be aware that any abdominoplasty procedure will leave a scar that extends across the lower abdomen, near the public bone. Joseph T Cruise, MD’s incision scars are minimized by years of careful training and practice, and therefore are easily hidden.
Understanding the recovery period after a tummy tuck is an important element in choosing when to undergo the surgery. Immediately after surgery, your abdomen will be covered in a surgical dressing. Often, small drainage tubes will be present around the incision to aid in proper healing.
For the first few days of recovery, you will need to rest at an angled position. Expect some difficulty with bending, lifting, or standing for prolonged periods of time. During this initial healing period, have a trusted friend or family member present to care for you.
Before your tummy tuck surgery, Dr. Cruise will give you detailed instructions on caring for any drainage tubes and dressings as well as your incision site. It is common to have a prescribed cream to apply to the incision site as well as support or compression garments to wear.
You will have several follow-up appointments scheduled so that Dr. Cruise can help monitor your recovery process throughout the first year post-op. Most patients are able to return to normal daily activities including work or school after about a week or two after their surgery.
Recovering After Tummy Tuck Surgery
"80% of your results come from surgery, 20% from aftercare"
The chart details the timeline that most patients can expect after their tummy tuck surgery, including photos of the healing process.
Tummy tuck results are visible as soon as swelling goes down, with the final contour taking shape over several months.
The smoother, flatter midsection can last for years with a stable weight and healthy lifestyle. Scars are placed low and fade with time, often becoming barely noticeable. The result? A more confident, elegant you—with results that feel like your body, only better.
Dr. Joseph T. Cruise, board-certified Newport Beach plastic surgeon, is a tummy tuck specialist who has performed hundreds of various types of tummy tucks over the years. As one of the most technically challenging cosmetic procedures, tummy tuck surgery requires a great deal of knowledge, skill, and expertise to achieve an optimal result.
Prior to your consultation, it is helpful to determine where you see yourself and get educated about treatment options. Joseph T Cruise, MD, will work with you to determine the best surgical plan to obtain your desired result. He will take into consideration the "Look You Have" and the "Look You Want."
Dr. Cruise will go over your selections during your consultation. Please keep in mind surgery results are highly dependent on your anatomy. This selection process is meant to understand your goals and does not guarantee a result.
When considering a tummy tuck, it can be very helpful to hear from others who have already recovered from surgery. Real Self, the number one online resource for learning about elective cosmetic procedures, is a great resource. You can even talk to others to get answers to your questions, receive emotional support, as well as get tips and advice.
Read what actual patients say about their tummy tuck experience:
Joseph T Cruise, MD, understands that all tummy tuck patients want the lowest incision possible, so it is not visible with low cut pants and bathing suits. While not all plastic surgeons are able to achieve the ideal incision placement, Joseph T Cruise, MD, is known for his low tummy tuck incisions and natural belly button technique. This can be seen in our tummy tuck before/after photo gallery.
Standard way of placing an incision around the opening for belly button. The incision is made in the shape of simple circle. The incision does not recess inward, therefore, is more apparent.
Joseph T Cruise, MD hides the incision inside and allows the new belly button to be much more attractive and natural appearing. (Courtesy of Joseph T Cruise, MD)
Joseph T Cruise, MD performs 4 Types of Tummy Tuck procedures:
A mini tummy tuck is a procedure which removes loose skin from below the belly button only and includes liposuction to contour the abdominal region as well as tightening of the lower abdominal muscles. It is a suitable treatment for those who have only minor to moderate skin laxity. The mini tummy tuck technique involves a single incision, resulting in a small scar, usually only a few inches long. The recovery is generally faster than that of a full tummy tuck procedure.
Whether or not you should have liposuction will be determined at your consultation with Joseph T Cruise, MD. He will evaluate your body and provide his recommendation.
A large majority of Joseph T Cruise, MD's patients do have fat removal of their abdomen and flanks with their tummy tuck procedure. Using a specialized technique, Joseph T Cruise, MD, is able to sculpt the abdomen to give patients a youthful flat tummy and attractive look from all angles, not just the front view of the abdomen.
An abdominoplasty removes excess abdominal skin and fat using an incision just above the pubic bone. Depending on the type of tummy tuck, the incision can be as short or longer than a C-section incision. Orange County plastic surgeon, Joseph T Cruise, MD, has developed a precise surgical technique in his over ten years’ experience, which minimizes and hides tummy tuck scars.
In general, most patients, especially those who have gone through pregnancy, would get a better result with a muscle plication (stitching the muscles together in the middle). A corset or hour-glass result can be achieved with muscle tightening.
During the consultation Joseph T Cruise, MD, will assess your abdominal wall tightness to determine the best procedure for you.
An easy test for you to try is to lay flat on your back with no shirt on and perform a half sit up. Notice if there is a long bulge down the midline of your tummy. If so, then you need a muscle repair to improve the results. If the tummy stays tight and strong, you likely won't need a repair.
A pubic lift can be performed in combination with an abdominoplasty to improve function and appearance. This procedure lifts and tightens the area of the mons pubis, the soft mound located over the pubic bone and just above the female genitalia.
While the abdominoplasty removes excess tissue and skin from the midsection, the pubic lift (monsplasty) focuses on the area below. When excess skin begins to sag around the mons pubis, it can interfere with urinary function and reduce sexual enjoyment. It can also cause significant embarrassment, which can further impair intimate relationships. Lifting and tightening the area can result in restored urinary function, greater sexual enjoyment and improved self-confidence.
Complications occur in less than 4% of patients nationwide (reported by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons).
The most common complications are in this order:
Patients with poorly controlled diabetes ,and/or those who are unable to completely stop smoking at least 4 weeks before and after surgery, will not be considered for tummy tuck surgery.
You may be wondering, “What is the cost of a tummy tuck?” Tummy tuck surgery varies in cost, depending on the type and technique used, the expertise of the surgeon, and the geographical location of the surgery. In Southern California, including cities such as Los Angeles, Irvine, and Newport Beach, your tummy tuck procedure will cost approximately $10,500-$17,000.
Joseph T Cruise, MD's tummy tucks range in price from $8,000 - $15,000. The cost depends on the type of tummy tuck needed. If additional procedures are added on, there will be an increase in the cost, however combining procedures is more cost effective than having separate surgeries.
Cruise Plastic Surgery accepts the following forms of payment:
Financing: Prosper Lending, Care Credit, Alphaeon Credit
Looking at examples of people about the same height and weight as you can demonstrate what result to expect from tummy tuck surgery. Photos also show you the work of the surgeon.
Most patients are cleared to return to all physical activity at 3 months. Every patient heals at a different rate, and some tummy tucks are more invasive than others, so please refer to Joseph T Cruise, MD's, recommendation for your individual situation.
