Tummy tuck best way to get pre-baby abs back, expert advises

Having a tummy tuck could be the only way of getting back a pre-pregnancy figure, one leading plastic surgeon has explained.

While many new mums opt to diet or take up exercise after giving birth in a bid to shed the pounds they piled on while expecting, Baltimore-based expert Dr Jeffrey E Schreiber has advised that, in some cases, the damage may be irreparable without surgical help.

Writing for the website Examiner.com, Dr Schreiber explained that by being stretched out through pregnancy – as well as through obesity – the abdominal tissues below the skin may have lost their elasticity.

As a result, no amount of sit-ups or calorie-counting can help bring back toned abs, with women therefore advised to look into the benefits of cosmetic surgery, particularly tummy tuck procedures.

He wrote: "When all is said and done, the results are fantastic.

"You can expect a smooth contour to your abdomen as well as getting back the flat belly that you had before."

Also known as abdominoplasty, tummy tucks are often combined with liposuction in joint procedures called ‘lipo-tuck’, with patients advised to take between one and four weeks to recover.