Dr. H. Ukani
2502 St Johns Street #201
Port Moody, BC V3H 2B4
Phone: (604) 931-1893
Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.–4 p.m.Friday 9 a.m.–12 p.m.
Tummy Tuck
Royal College-certified plastic surgeon Dr. H. Ukani performs abdominoplasty, often called a tummy tuck, to help people from Vancouver, Surrey, Langley, Coquitlam, and other areas near Port Moody, BC, feel more comfortable and confident. This procedure is a comprehensive and highly effective choice for women and men who are bothered by excess fat, skin, or loose muscles in the abdomen. These concerns can be caused by a number of factors, including weight fluctuations and pregnancy. Dr. Ukani customizes each procedure, taking time to talk at length with patients and working with them to achieve the results they deserve.
If you’re looking for a tummy tuck specialist in the Vancouver area, request a consultation with Dr. Ukani using our online form, or give the office a call at (604) 931-1893.
Tummy Tuck
Before & After Photos
Abdominoplasty with umbilical float and liposuction to flanks
Abdominoplasty and liposuction to flanks
Abdominoplasty with liposuction
Keep in mind that each patient is unique and your results may vary.
Who Qualifies for a Tummy Tuck?
Tummy tuck surgery by Dr. Ukani is popular among men and women from all walks of life who are dissatisfied with the appearance of their abdomens. If you’re in good overall health, tummy tuck surgery can correct 3 main concerns:
- Loose, sagging skin that can’t be remedied by diet or exercise
- Localized fat deposits that don’t respond to a healthy lifestyle
- Weakened or loose abdominal muscles
What Disqualifies Someone From a Tummy Tuck?
Tummy tuck surgery is not a good match for patients who are significantly overweight. Dr. Ukani advises these patients to commit to a healthy lifestyle prior to undergoing the procedure. The ideal weight for a tummy tuck is at or close to your target weight.
Dr. Ukani tailors each abdominoplasty to address the patient’s full needs, making tummy tuck surgery a popular option for a wide range of people. Your tummy tuck surgery may include liposuction to remove excess fat in surrounding areas such as the hips.
How Much Does a Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Cost in Metro Vancouver, BC?
In Port Moody, BC, the cost of tummy tuck surgery varies, depending on the specifics of the procedure. You will be given a specific estimate during your consultation. We recommend choosing your plastic surgeon based on qualifications and experience instead of price. For optimal safety and the best possible results, it’s important to choose a Royal College-certified plastic surgeon with extensive experience in abdominoplasty, such as Dr. Ukani.
Correcting Diastasis Recti With Muscle Repair
Diastasis recti is a condition that often occurs when connective tissue between the abdominal muscles stretches and weakens during pregnancy. This can result in a bulge after women give birth that’s often called a “belly pooch.” Unfortunately, no amount of crunches or core exercises can fully repair this separation, because the underlying connective tissue cannot tighten on its own once it’s stretched. Similarly, skin that has lost elasticity after pregnancy or significant weight changes won’t retract with exercise.
Correcting diastasis recti:
- Repairs and tightens the separated abdominal muscles
- Restores flatter contours
- Improves posture and core stability
Tummy Tuck vs. Liposuction
Patients are often unsure whether they need a tummy tuck or liposuction to improve their abdomen. Dr. Ukani often combines a tummy tuck with liposuction to sculpt attractive, natural-looking contours with targeted fat removal from the hips or waist. During your consultation, he will determine if liposuction alone can achieve your cosmetic goals or if you need a tummy tuck.
| Improvements | Tummy Tuck | Liposuction | Tummy Tuck With Liposuction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tighten Loose Skin | Yes | No | Yes |
| Repair Ab Muscles | Yes | No | Yes |
| Remove Fat | Minimal | Yes | Yes |
| Contour Waist | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Other Popular Combinations
Dr. Ukani can also combine tummy tuck surgery with other procedures to create more extensive, transformative results, such as:
- Breast augmentation to restore or enhance breast volume
- Breast lift to elevate and reshape sagging breasts
- Breast reduction to relieve shoulder and neck pain and create a more proportional figure
When performed together, these procedures are often called a mommy makeover. Dr. Ukani actively guides each patient’s surgical plan to help them reveal the most confident, beautiful version of themselves.
Your Tummy Tuck Procedure
Tummy tuck surgery is a highly customized, and Dr. Ukani adapts his surgical technique to suit each patient’s individual needs. In general, the surgery, which he performs while the patient is under general anesthesia, begins with an incision that extends from hip to hip, just above the pubic area. The resulting scar is typically easily concealed by clothing and swimwear.
Once he makes the incision, Dr. Ukani removes and repositions excess fat. If needed, he also surgically tightens abdominal muscles that have been weakened or displaced. Finally, he removes excess skin and redrapes remaining skin for a smooth, taut contour. He may also reposition the navel for a natural-looking appearance. He then closes the incision, and the patient is moved to a private recovery area.
Full Tummy Tuck vs Mini Tummy Tuck
A mini tummy tuck is a modified version of the full tummy tuck that is appropriate in a select few cases. The best candidates for a mini tummy tuck are concerned about excess skin below the belly button only and do not require the repair of abdominal muscles. This procedure involves one short incision above the pubic area and does not reposition the belly button.
Full Tummy Tuck
- Incision: Extends from hip to hip above the pubic area and around the navel.
- Skin Removal: Excess skin is removed from both the upper and lower abdomen.
- Muscle Repair: Tightens weakened or separated abdominal muscles across the entire abdomen.
- Ideal For: Individuals with significant loose skin and muscle laxity due to factors like pregnancy or substantial weight loss.
- Recovery Time: Longer recovery period due to the surgery’s extent.
Mini Tummy Tuck
- Incision: Smaller incision just above the pubic area; the navel is usually not affected.
- Skin Removal: Removes excess skin primarily from the lower abdomen (under the belly button).
- Muscle Repair: Does not usually involve muscle repair.
- Ideal For: Those with a small amount of excess skin and muscle laxity below the belly button.
- Recovery Time: Shorter recovery time due to a less extensive surgical approach.
Dr. Ukani offers personalized consultations to determine which tummy tuck option aligns with your aesthetic goals and lifestyle. His meticulous attention to detail ensures that each procedure is tailored to provide natural-looking results.
Dr. H. Ukani
Credentials You Can Trust
Preparing for Your Tummy Tuck
For optimal recovery and results, it’s helpful to prepare for your tummy tuck surgery. Here are some useful tips:
- Fill and pick up your prescription medication.
- Schedule at least 2 weeks off from work.
- Arrange for someone to help you at home with meals, self-care, children, and pets for the first 5 to 7 days.
- Prepare your recovery area with the following:
- A quiet, comfortable place to rest and sleep propped up such as in a recliner or with extra pillows.
- Cozy blankets.
- Entertainment such as television, books, or podcasts.
- A side table within easy reach for drinks, your cell phone, and other essentials.
- Ensure you have loose, elastic waist pants and comfortable tops that pull over your head.
- Stock your home with healthy food and drinks, toiletries, and other necessities.
Day Before Surgery
- Fill pain medication prescriptions.
- Set up a recovery space with all your essentials, including medication, pillows, ice packs, and post-op instructions.
- Make sure you have someone ready to drive you home from surgery and stay with you for a couple of days after surgery.
- Wrap up any lingering work details. You will need to recover at home for about 2 weeks.
Night Before Surgery
- Follow your pre-surgery instructions, including not eating or drinking.
- Get a good night’s sleep so you’re well-rested before surgery.
- If you feel anxious, meditating before going to bed may help.
What Can I Expect After a Tummy Tuck?
Tummy tuck patients awaken to find their incisions dressed and bandaged. Surgical drains may also be in place to prevent fluid accumulation. You’ll need to wear a compression garment during recovery to minimize swelling, reduce bruising, and enhance comfort. Dr. Ukani provides patients with postsurgical instructions to support a smooth recovery.
How Long Is Recovery From a Tummy Tuck?
You will need to spend around 2 weeks recuperating at home, although it can take about 6 weeks to completely heal. Prior to your procedure, Dr. Ukani provides a detailed plan outlining what to expect and how to care for yourself during the recuperation period. Although no 2 tummy tuck surgeries are alike and your own recovery may vary, the following timeline describes a typical presurgical and recovery experience.
24 Hours After Surgery
- Rest as much as possible as you may feel groggy from the anesthesia and pain medication.
- Get up and walk around every few hours to prevent blood clots. While resting, move your feet and legs frequently.
- Rest and sleep in a recliner or propped up with several pillows to keep from putting tension on your incisions. These positions also make it easier for you to get up when necessary.
First Week After Surgery
- Expect to have some pain, swelling, and bruising. You can control discomfort with pain medication and ease swelling with cold compresses.
- You may have difficulty walking fully upright, especially if your abdominal muscles were tightened during the procedure. This improves progressively over the next couple of weeks.
- Do not lift anything heavy, bend over, or engage in strenuous activity for at least 6 weeks.
- Expect to wear a compression garment most of the time for at least a few weeks.
Second Week After Surgery
- Stay lightly active to reduce the risk of blood clots. Short, light walks are effective.
- Most discomfort gradually subsides this week, although swelling persists.
- You may be able to return to nonstrenuous work after 2 weeks.
- Drains are typically removed early in the second week.
2 Months After Surgery
- Your incisions should be healed, leaving red or purple raised scars that will eventually flatten and fade to pink over the coming months.
- The swelling is mainly resolved.
- You may resume exercise and most regular activities.
6 Months After Surgery
- Enjoy your results! Most post-surgical swelling is gone, activity restrictions are lifted, and you can see your taut, contoured midsection.
Although your tummy tuck scar is easily concealed by underwear and swim bottoms, it will continue to fade and flatten for about a year after surgery.
How Do You Maintain Tummy Tuck Results?
Your results can last for years if you maintain a steady weight and stay healthy and active. Pregnancy or significant weight fluctuations following surgery may necessitate additional surgery to repair the abdomen.
Tummy Tuck FAQ
Because tummy tuck surgery is such a popular procedure among Vancouver residents, Dr. Ukani has fielded countless questions about it over the years. Below are answers to some of the questions he hears most often.
Is tummy tuck surgery safe?
While considered major surgery, abdominoplasty is considered safe when performed by a Royal College-certified plastic surgeon on a properly screened patient in a certified facility.
How painful is an abdominoplasty?
Moderate pain is common the first few days after surgery. Pain medication and ice packs ease the discomfort, which gradually abates during the first couple of weeks.
Can a tummy tuck get rid of stretch marks?
Yes, a tummy tuck can get rid of stretch marks, but only those that are on the skin that is removed. Usually, this means stretch marks that lie below the belly button. Stretch marks above the belly button usually end up below it after surgery and can then be hidden by underwear.
Will I get a new bellybutton with a tummy tuck?
Your bellybutton is repositioned during a tummy tuck, but it is not a new bellybutton. During a tummy tuck, your surgeon makes one horizontal incision low on your tummy and another around your bellybutton to release it from the surrounding skin. After excess belly skin is removed, the remaining skin is pulled down to the incision line and a new, aesthetically pleasing opening is made for your bellybutton.
How much weight is typically lost with a tummy tuck?
While you may lose a few pounds after your tummy tuck, it is not a weight loss procedure. By eliminating the excess skin and tightening the abdominal muscles, a tummy tuck will likely make you look much more fit than you did before your surgery.
Is it safe to get pregnant after a tummy tuck?
It is perfectly safe to become pregnant after a tummy tuck, but if you’re planning to have a baby within the next year or so, it’s best to postpone your cosmetic surgery. Because the growing baby will stretch your abdominal skin and muscles out, pregnancy will likely undo any improvements you gain from surgery. Dr. Ukani recommends women wait until they are done having children to have a tummy tuck.
How many sizes do you lose with a tummy tuck?
Some patients report dropping 1 to 2 clothing sizes after recovery, but this depends on individual factors and the extent of the procedure. While you may drop a few sizes or shed some pounds by removing excess skin and fat, the main goal of a tummy tuck is to create a flatter, more toned abdominal appearance.
Is a tummy tuck covered by BC Medical Services Plan (MSP)?
A tummy tuck is typically not covered by the British Columbia MSP because it’s considered a cosmetic procedure. In limited cases, certain body contouring procedures may qualify for coverage.
Reviewed for clinical accuracy by Dr. Ukani on August 5th, 2026.