Full abdominoplasty
Hip to hip: removes skin and fat, repairs rectus diastasis and repositions the navel. The scar sits below the bikini line.
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Tummy tuck cases
Abdomens operated on by Dr. César Padilla at Quirónsalud Málaga Hospital.
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Tummy tuck
Why it happens
Three situations exercise cannot fix. After pregnancies, the rectus muscles may stay separated (diastasis) and the skin overstretched. After major weight loss, an apron of inelastic skin remains. And sometimes abdominal skin has simply stretched beyond recovery.
In all three the problem is not fat — or not only — but skin and muscle. That is why no diet solves it, and why abdominoplasty remains one of the most transformative operations: it removes the excess, repairs the abdominal wall and restores a flat, firm abdomen.
Techniques
Hip to hip: removes skin and fat, repairs rectus diastasis and repositions the navel. The scar sits below the bikini line.
For excess limited to the lower abdomen: shorter incision, navel untouched, faster recovery.
The house signature: water-assisted liposuction defines waist and flanks, and the harvested fat is reused where it adds. Not just a flat abdomen — a complete contour.
For massive weight loss with vertical and horizontal excess: an inverted-T incision that removes it all.
Before surgery
Your consultation starts with a thorough assessment of your anatomy and goals, followed by a photographic study used to plan the procedure and compare your results later on.
Practical points that apply to every surgery: arrive at a stable weight, have your medication reviewed (antiplatelets and anticoagulants are usually paused beforehand, always together with your doctor) and stop smoking well in advance.
Specific here: if you plan more pregnancies soon, it is honest to wait — a later pregnancy can undo the muscle repair. And tobacco is especially critical for healing in this surgery.
The pre-operative tests and the anaesthesia assessment are completed at Quirónsalud Málaga Hospital.
Recovery
Thanks to the WAL technique the surgical trauma is smaller and discomfort is well controlled. What you notice most at first: the tension of the repaired abdomen.
You walk slightly bent to protect the repair — normal and temporary. Abdominal binder from day one; discomfort managed with standard medication.
Quiet home life, short walks, check-ups. Posture straightens day by day.
Back to office work and routine without strain; the binder continues as prescribed.
Progressive exercise once cleared at review; abdominal work returns last.
The swelling fully resolves and the final result shows: flat abdomen, defined waist, reinforced wall.
Scars
The main scar runs hip to hip, designed to hide below underwear and bikini lines. The mini version is shorter; the fleur-de-lis adds a vertical line. When the navel is repositioned it keeps a natural look.
Good news for mothers: a previous C-section scar is removed and replaced by the new, tidier one. Scars stay pink for months, then mature and fade with care and SPF.
Surgical honesty
Skin and tissue are removed, not scale kilograms: best results come at a stable weight. Anyone promising otherwise is misleading you.
It repairs what exercise cannot — skin and muscle separation; the tone afterwards is your job. Teammates, not alternatives.
Repairing the abdominal wall improves posture and core function; in marked diastasis the functional gain matches the visual one.
A later pregnancy can re-separate the repaired muscles. If you plan to grow the family soon, the honest advice is to wait.
Patient information
Every surgery carries risks and this one is no exception. You will go through them in detail during your consultation and in writing in the informed-consent form; this is the honest summary.
Expected — not a complication
Uncommon
When not to operate. With active smoking, with weight still dropping, or with a pregnancy planned soon. This surgery is done once, and done well.
Hospital
Consultation, surgery and post-operative follow-up in a leading hospital: state-of-the-art operating rooms, ICU and private rooms.
12
Operating rooms
24 h
ER & ICU
100 %
Private rooms
Price
The price varies with the complexity of the case and any associated procedures (extensive liposuction, breast surgery). After your consultation you receive a closed quote covering hospital costs at Quirónsalud Málaga, anaesthesia, aftercare and full follow-up.
About cheap offers. You will see plenty. Our honest advice: research and choose your surgeon first, and only then compare prices — never the other way round.
FAQS
Yes: the separated muscles are sutured and reinforced during the operation. If diastasis is your main concern, it is one of this practice's specialties.
Yes, routinely: WAL lipo-contouring is part of the standard approach, and combining with breast surgery is the basis of the Mommy Makeover — fewer trips to the operating room.
The change is visible immediately, but the final result appears at 3–6 months once the swelling has fully resolved.
The anaesthetic protocol is decided at your consultation, with the assessment of the anaesthesia team at Quirónsalud Málaga Hospital as part of the pre-operative workup.
Content reviewed by
Dr. César Padilla
Specialist in Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery
Member of the Spanish Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (SECPRE)
15+ years of practice · Quirónsalud Málaga Hospital
Last content review: August 2026
