When a C-section is part of the story

If one or more of your children arrived by caesarean, the stomach you are left with may have three things going on at once: the scar itself, abdominal muscles that pregnancy pulled apart down the middle, and loose skin that diet and exercise have never tightened. Bellava’s guidance is that a tummy tuck can often deal with all three in the same operation. Dr. Chang Soo Kim performs it at 182 Route 117 Bypass Road in Bedford Hills. From New Castle Town Hall that is about 14 minutes without traffic, by Quaker Road and the Saw Mill River Parkway.

What becomes of the old scar

A full tummy tuck is made through one horizontal incision between the belly button and the pubic area, set low enough to sit below the bikini line — much the same stretch of skin where a C-section scar usually lies. Dr. Kim can often take the existing scar into that incision, or revise it, and he decides which after examining you. The tummy tuck scar is permanent, but it is hidden by underwear and swimwear and goes on softening for 12 to 18 months.

The muscle repair

The separation, known as diastasis recti, is what leaves a pooch even in women who are lean and fit, and no amount of exercise closes it. In a full tummy tuck the two sides of the abdominal wall are stitched back together along the midline before the surplus skin and fat are removed and the belly button is given a new opening. If your looseness and separation stop below the navel, a mini tummy tuck may be enough: a shorter incision, less muscle repair, and the belly button stays where it is.

Timing it after children

Your family is complete. Bellava advises waiting, because a later pregnancy can affect what the operation achieved.
Your weight has settled. You should be at or near your goal weight; a tummy tuck reshapes, it does not slim.
The bill. A cosmetic tummy tuck is generally not covered by insurance. Where a hernia needs repairing, that part may qualify for partial coverage, and Bellava’s team can supply documentation for your enquiry.

Recovery, briefly

The operation is outpatient, under general anesthesia, and lasts two to five hours depending on the technique. A responsible adult takes you home and stays with you for the first 24 to 48 hours. Desk work usually returns after two to three weeks, exercise at about six once Dr. Kim clears you, and the final shape shows as the swelling settles over three to six months.

Your surgeon

Dr. Kim has performed more than 500 tummy tucks. He studied at the Yale School of Medicine, completed his plastic surgery residency at Yale–New Haven Hospital and is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Surgery takes place in Bellava’s own suite, accredited by The Joint Commission.

New Castle patients ask

Will my stretch marks go? Those below the navel can come away with the skin the operation removes.

Could breast surgery be done at the same time? Often. A tummy tuck with breast augmentation is a pairing Bellava patients ask for frequently, and with a lift or liposuction it becomes a mommy makeover. Dr. Kim decides whether combining is safe for you.

How do I begin? Request a free consultation with the button on this page, or call or text; the patient coordinator rings you back to arrange it. The main tummy tuck page is worth reading first.

Tummy Tuck for New Castle, NY