Tummy Tuck
Boca Raton, FL
Pregnancy or significant weight changes can change the appearance of your abdomen, even after your weight is stable. You might have loose skin or stretched abdominal muscles that exercise alone cannot fix. Dr. Landon Pryor offers tummy tuck surgery in Boca Raton to address these issues and help create a smoother, firmer abdominal shape. The procedure is tailored to your body and the level of correction you need.
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Core Purpose
Removes excess skin and fat while repairing weakened or separated abdominal muscles when needed.
Recovery Timeline
Many Boca Raton Tummy Tuck patients return to lighter daily activities within a few weeks.
Duration
Tummy tuck surgery typically takes about two to four hours, depending on the extent of the procedure.
Plastic Surgeon
Landon S. Pryor, MD, FACS, is a board-certified plastic surgeon with advanced training in plastic, reconstructive, and aesthetic surgery.
A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is a type of body contouring surgery that addresses loose skin, stubborn fat, and changes in the abdominal wall. It can tighten your midsection when stretched skin or separated muscles cannot be improved with exercise alone.
During a tummy tuck Boca Raton plastic surgeon, Dr. Pryor removes extra skin and, if needed, repairs weakened or separated abdominal muscles. Liposuction can also be included to reduce stubborn fat and help create a smoother waistline. This surgery is meant for body contouring, not weight loss. You’ll usually see the best results if you’re already near a stable weight you can maintain.
A full tummy tuck treats the abdominal area above and below the belly button. It may be appropriate when loose skin extends across much of the stomach or when the abdominal muscles need more complete repair. Sometimes, the belly button needs to be moved through a new opening after the skin is tightened. Dr. Pryor carefully considers its placement so it looks natural with your new abdominal shape.
A mini tummy tuck focuses on the area below the belly button. It may work well when there is a smaller amount of loose skin or lower-abdominal fullness without significant sagging skin higher on the abdomen. The incision for a mini tummy tuck is usually shorter, and you typically do not need a new belly button opening. Because it treats a smaller area, a mini tummy tuck will not provide as much correction as a full tummy tuck if loose skin or muscle separation extends higher on your abdomen.
Tummy tuck surgery is done under general anesthesia. Dr. Pryor usually makes the incision low on your abdomen, just above the pubic hairline, so the scar can often be hidden by underwear or most swimsuits.
He then lifts the abdominal skin to reach the underlying abdominal wall. When the muscles have stretched or separated, internal sutures are used to bring them back together and restore firmer support. Excess skin is removed, and liposuction may be added when stubborn fat is contributing to fullness through the abdomen or waist. The remaining skin is brought into its new position. With a full tummy tuck, the belly button may be brought through a new opening so it sits naturally within the tightened skin.
The details of your surgery depend on how much loose skin you have, if your muscles need repair, and whether liposuction is part of your plan. Tummy tuck surgery usually takes 2-3 hours, and most patients go home the same day with someone to drive them.
A strong core and healthy weight can make a meaningful difference in your physique, but exercise cannot shrink extra skin. It also cannot directly repair abdominal muscles that have separated.
A tummy tuck may help with:
It can be hard to know if your concerns are caused by fat, loose skin, or muscle separation. A Tummy Tuck consultation with Dr. Pryor helps you understand what’s causing the changes in your abdomen and which options can address them.
The benefits of a tummy tuck depend on what you want to improve. If you have a lot of loose skin, the main change may be removing tissue that hangs or folds. If you’ve had a pregnancy, repairing your abdominal muscles can help your midsection feel firmer and look flatter.
Depending on your anatomy, tummy tuck surgery may:
A tummy tuck won't stop future weight changes or aging, and it can't promise a perfectly flat stomach. Dr. Pryor plans your procedure based on your body, so you can expect realistic improvements.
You might be a good candidate for a tummy tuck if you are in good health, have loose abdominal skin or muscle separation, and are at a stable weight. It’s also important to have realistic expectations about the scar, recovery, and the changes surgery can offer.
If you're planning another pregnancy, it makes sense to wait. Pregnancy can stretch the abdominal skin and muscles again and compromise the repair made during surgery. Many women consider abdominoplasty once they have finished having children. Smoking and nicotine can interfere with blood flow and healing. Dr. Pryor will also review your medications, supplements, previous surgeries, weight history, and overall health before recommending surgery. Certain medications or supplements may need to be stopped before your procedure if they increase bleeding risk.
You don't have to decide in advance if you need a mini tummy tuck, full tummy tuck, liposuction, or another body contouring option. At your consultation, Dr. Pryor will examine your skin, fat, and abdominal wall, and explain which options match your needs, as well as the incision, recovery, limitations, and risks.
Recovering from a tummy tuck requires some planning, since your skin, incision, and abdominal wall all need time to heal. After surgery, you will wear an abdominal binder to support the area and reduce swelling. Sometimes, Dr. Pryor places small drains to prevent fluid buildup under the skin. These are removed during follow-up visits when they’re no longer needed. Swelling, bruising, tightness, and discomfort are normal at first. Pain usually gets easier to manage as you recover. You might also walk slightly bent at the waist for a short time, since standing up straight can put tension on the incision.
Following a Tummy Tuck Boca Raton patients can plan to take around two weeks away from work. You may be able to return sooner if you have a desk job and are healing comfortably, while jobs that involve lifting, prolonged standing, or physical activity may require additional time. Light walking is encouraged early, but heavy lifting, strenuous exercise, and anything that puts significant strain on the abdominal muscles need to wait. Strenuous exercise is generally restricted for about four to six weeks. Dr. Pryor will follow your healing and let you know when you can safely begin adding exercise, lifting, and normal activities back into your routine.
Understanding what recovery involves can help you decide if this is the right time for surgery. At your consultation, you can discuss your job, exercise routine, family responsibilities, and other practical concerns to see how recovery will fit into your life.
You’ll see changes in your abdominal shape soon after surgery, but swelling may hide the final results at first. As the swelling goes down over the next weeks and months, your abdomen will look flatter and your waistline more defined. Tummy tuck results can last many years, particularly when your weight remains relatively stable. Significant weight gain, weight loss, another pregnancy, and normal aging can stretch the skin and abdominal tissues again.
The scar from surgery is permanent. Dr. Pryor makes the main incision low on your abdomen, so it can usually be hidden by underwear or most swimsuits. The scar will change as it heals and usually becomes less noticeable over time. Maintaining a stable weight, exercising once you are cleared, and following Dr. Pryor’s recovery advice can help protect your results for the long term.
Dr. Landon Pryor is a triple board-certified plastic surgeon with advanced training in plastic, reconstructive, and aesthetic surgery. His experience in body contouring means he looks at your entire abdomen, not just the loose skin you notice. A tummy tuck may involve several different decisions: how much skin can safely be removed, whether the abdominal muscles need repair, whether liposuction would improve the waistline, and where the incision should sit. Dr. Pryor considers each of these details when building the surgical plan.
If pregnancy, weight loss, or aging have left you with loose abdominal skin, stubborn tissue, or muscle separation, you may be wondering if a tummy tuck is the right solution. A consultation with Dr. Pryor helps you learn what is causing changes in your abdomen and what your options are. You can talk about full or mini tummy tucks, liposuction, muscle repair, incision placement, recovery, risks, expected results, and the cost of your recommended surgical plan.
Schedule a private tummy tuck surgery consultation with Dr. Landon Pryor in Boca Raton to get personalized answers and decide whether surgery fits your goals.
East Coast? West Coast? No matter where you are, getting high-end care from one of the nation’s leading plastic surgeons will be worth the trip. Dr. Landon Pryor is a triple board-certified, triple fellowship-trained plastic surgeon known for surgical excellence in both aesthetic plastic surgery and as a national leader in Breast Implant Illness (BII) care and explant surgery. His aesthetic highlights include a deep structural approach to procedures like facelift, rhinoplasty, and breast contouring, aiming for natural-looking, refined, and stable results. For BII patients, he is recognized as a "Surgeon Advocate" who utilizes innovative explant techniques, such as the En Bloc Capsulectomy, and integrates holistic recovery protocols.
Patients travel from across the country to see Dr. Pryor because he is a "National Destination for Explant Surgery & Aesthetic Excellence," offering a steady presence, an evidence-first approach, and compassionate care from a highly trained surgeon who validates their symptoms and provides a safe path to restoration.
You can schedule a consultation with Dr. Pryor at the following locations:
Liposuction removes excess fat but does not significantly tighten loose skin or repair separated abdominal muscles. A tummy tuck can address skin, fat, and the abdominal wall during the same procedure. Dr. Pryor may combine liposuction with tummy tuck surgery when reducing surrounding fat will improve the overall contour.
Yes. Many women consider a tummy tuck after pregnancy and C-section because surgery can remove loose skin and repair abdominal muscle separation that remains afterward. Dr. Pryor can often use the existing C-section scar area when planning the tummy tuck incision. His current guidance recommends waiting at least six months to a year after your last pregnancy and until you have finished breastfeeding before undergoing surgery.
It can remove stretch marks located on excess skin that is surgically removed, which commonly includes skin below the belly button. Stretch marks higher on the abdomen may move lower when the skin is tightened but will not necessarily disappear. Dr. Pryor can show you which skin is likely to be removed when he examines your abdomen.
Yes. Some patients combine abdominoplasty with liposuction, breast surgery, or another body contouring procedure. When breast and abdominal procedures are performed together after pregnancy, the combination is commonly called a mommy makeover. Combining procedures is not appropriate for everyone, so Dr. Pryor considers your health, the procedures involved, overall surgery time, and recovery needs before recommending whether procedures should be combined or performed separately.
Light walking generally begins early in recovery, while strenuous exercise and heavy lifting need to wait as the incision and abdominal wall heal. Dr. Pryor generally advises avoiding strenuous exercise for about four to six weeks. Your specific timeline depends on the extent of surgery and how you are healing.
Usually not. A mini tummy tuck focuses on the lower abdomen below the belly button, so a new opening for the navel generally is not necessary. If loose skin extends above the belly button, a full tummy tuck may be more appropriate.
Yes. Significant weight loss can leave extra skin around the abdomen that does not shrink with further dieting or exercise. A tummy tuck can remove that tissue and improve the abdominal contour. If sagging skin also extends around the hips, thighs, breasts, arms, or back, Dr. Pryor may discuss other body contouring options as part of a broader plan.
Some weight is removed along with excess skin and fat, but abdominoplasty is not a weight-loss procedure. It is most useful for patients who are already near a stable weight and want to address loose skin, abdominal muscle changes, or localized excess fat.
Potential risks include bleeding, infection, fluid accumulation, changes in sensation, poor wound healing, unfavorable scarring, blood clots, asymmetry, anesthesia complications, and the possibility of revision surgery. Your individual risk depends on your health and surgical plan. Dr. Pryor will review these considerations with you before you decide whether to undergo surgery.
The cost of tummy tuck surgery depends on the extent of the procedure, whether muscle repair or liposuction is needed, anesthesia, facility costs, and other factors specific to your surgical plan. After Dr. Pryor evaluates your abdomen and recommends an approach, you can receive pricing based on the procedure being considered. Elective cosmetic tummy tuck surgery is generally not covered by health insurance.
