Little Rock, AR: (501) 575-0088
Wright Plastic Surgery and Med Spa: Dr. Eric Wright
1811 Rahling Rd, Suite 100
Little Rock, AR 72223
Phone: (501) 575-0088
Monday-Thursday: 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Friday: 8:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
Whether you’ve had children or lost a lot of weight, major body changes affect your midsection. Many people struggle with stretched skin, unwanted fat, and a permanent belly bulge. Still, diet and exercise aren’t always enough to solve these common problems.
Dr. Eric Wright, a board-certified plastic surgeon, has helped countless patients create a firm, flat belly with tummy tuck surgery in Little Rock, AR. Men and women visit from Fayetteville, Jonesboro, Conway, Hot Springs, Pine Bluff, and across Arkansas to have Dr. Wright tighten saggy skin and remove stubborn fat deposits for a trimmer, more sculpted midsection.
Plastic surgery is an effective way to tone the body and improve your self-confidence. You no longer have to be afraid of wearing form-fitting shirts or low-rise pants—Wright Plastic Surgery and Med Spa can rejuvenate your look.
Keep in mind that each patient is unique and your results may vary.
Technically called abdominoplasty, a tummy tuck is a cosmetic procedure used to flatten the midsection and define the waistline. The surgery involves removing excess skin and fat from the abdomen and tightening the abdominal muscle wall underneath.
A tummy tuck can:
When performing post weight loss plastic surgery, Dr. Wright can extend the tummy tuck into a circumferential 360° lower body lift, which removes excess skin all the way around the abdomen.
An Arkansas native, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Eric Wright has spent over a decade helping Little Rock women and men look and feel their best with both reconstructive and plastic surgery options.
Meet Dr. Wright
Pregnancy is the most popular reason for a tummy tuck, but loose, stretched-out skin can bother men and women of all ages and lifestyles. Ideal tummy tuck candidates are non-smokers who are:
While tummy tuck surgery can help define the waistline, it is not a weight loss procedure. Maintain a healthy BMI for several months before surgery to achieve the best possible results.
Dr. Wright often combines tummy tuck surgery with other procedures for patients who have multiple areas they would like to improve with a single surgery and recovery period. He combines tummy tuck surgery with liposuction and a breast enhancement procedure like breast augmentation when performing mommy makeover surgery for women after pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Tummy tuck results can be enhanced with minimally invasive procedures such as ellacor® or Genius® RF microneedling to make the skin firmer and smoother and soften the appearance of stretchmarks.
While both liposuction and tummy tuck surgery are body contouring procedures, they are used for different purposes.
Dr. Wright often combines liposuction and tummy tuck procedures to restore firmer, more youthful-looking abdominal contours.
During surgery, you will be put to sleep under general anesthesia. During the procedure, Dr. Wright makes a horizontal incision that extends from hip to hip. A second incision is made around the bellybutton, which can be repositioned during treatment. Dr. Wright uses these incisions to access the abdominal muscles and tissues underneath the skin.
Excess skin is tightened or removed, and unwanted fat is suctioned out via liposuction if necessary. Weakened abdominal muscles are stitched back together to create a firmer core. Once the procedure is complete, Dr. Wright inserts surgical drains to prevent fluid buildup and carefully closes the incisions with sutures. The entire surgery typically takes around 2 to 3 hours.
Tummy tuck recovery generally takes 2 to 6 weeks. Bedrest and gentle movement are required the first week after treatment. The drains can be removed after 7 to 10 days. Most patients can return to work after 2 to 3 weeks. Exercise or strenuous activities should wait until 6 weeks after surgery.
If you’re visiting Little Rock to see Dr. Wright, our patient care team will help make your trip easy and enjoyable.
As plastic surgery procedures go, recovery from a tummy tuck is among the most challenging for the first few weeks. Dr. Wright prescribes medication to control pain, which patients typically take for the first few days. Abdominal muscle repair, skin tightening, and swelling create tightness that can be uncomfortable and prevent patients from standing upright initially. Keep in mind—the vast majority of patients say that the discomfort they go through is well worth the results they gain.
A tummy tuck is not a weight loss procedure; however, many patients fit in smaller clothing sizes after recovery because they no longer have stretched abdominal skin and muscles.
Stretch marks below the bellybutton are removed, along with the lax skin, during a standard tummy tuck. As the remaining abdominal skin is pulled tight, stretch marks that were above the bellybutton before surgery end up below it where they can typically be concealed by underwear and swimsuits.
As the belly expands during pregnancy, the left and right rectus abdominis muscles often separate, which is called diastasis recti. In some cases, the muscles return to their normal position; often, the muscles remain stretched apart and create a belly bulge. A significant benefit of tummy tuck surgery is the correction of diastasis recti.
The incision made during tummy tuck surgery is placed very low on the abdomen. This area is typically covered by pants or a bikini bottom, allowing it to be easily hidden. Dr. Wright is careful to minimize any scarring and can offer advice on reducing your scar’s appearance.
It takes about 6 weeks for the incisions to heal enough to make sleeping face down safe and comfortable after a tummy tuck. Learn more by reading this related blog post.
Plastic surgery procedures, including tummy tucks, are considered elective and not covered by medical insurance. Complications after these elective procedures are typically also not covered. Dr. Wright offers his tummy tuck patients the reassurance of choosing Aesthetisure insurance for plastic surgery complications as an option (additional fee).
If you would like to flatten your midsection and contour your body, tummy tuck surgery can help. Request a consultation with Dr. Wright or call our Little Rock office at (501) 575-0088.
RealSelf Q&A with Eric Wright, MD Back to Top
