Tummy Tuck Baltimore, Maryland
Board-certified Baltimore plastic surgeon Dr. Michele Shermak specializes in tummy tuck surgeries in Baltimore for both women and men who are seeking to slim, tone, and recontour the belly for a more attractive silhouette. She will customize your procedure to your aesthetic goals and needs, performing a mini tummy tuck, a full tummy tuck, or a reverse tummy tuck.
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Quite simply stated, an abdominoplasty contours the abdomen. The treatment includes muscle tightening and removal of excess skin. There is a large range of techniques that constitute our abdominoplasty to meet the needs of a diverse population.
Including women who have recently given birth, men and women who have sustained significant weight loss, and those who suffer from abdominal scarring and weakness from prior surgeries. The tummy tuck incision is thin and may be hidden under bathing suits and underwear. The objective of any abdominoplasty in Baltimore is a smoother, fitter torso and the increased self-confidence that goes along with it.
The term “Abdominoplasty” refers to plastic surgery of the abdomen. A full abdominoplasty is the most comprehensive abdominoplasty. With this surgery, the following occurs:
Abdominoplasty surgery typically takes 2-3 hours and is performed under general anesthesia, and patients go home after a short recovery the same day. Intraoperatively, pain management is proactively addressed with the injection of numbing agents to reduce discomfort after surgery for 3 or 4 days. Initial recovery after a Full Abdominoplasty may take about 2 weeks, allowing for about 1 month to return to a full, non-strenuous schedule. A full abdominoplasty is one of the most impactful, satisfying procedures plastic surgeons perform!
Tummy tuck surgery is highly customized to address varying degrees of skin laxity, muscle separation, or stubborn pockets of excess fat. While a full abdominoplasty is the most common technique, some patients may benefit from a mini tummy tuck or a reverse tummy tuck.
Mini abdominoplasty surgery focuses on the area below the belly button using a more limited incision. There is no belly button scar with mini abdominoplasty. This option may be recommended if there is only a small amount of loose skin or mild muscle laxity limited to the lower abdomen. This surgery also provides an optimal approach for belly button hernia repair. While a mini tummy tuck may be suitable for some patients, Dr. Shermak finds that the majority of people seeking abdominoplasty benefit from a full tummy tuck (full abdominoplasty).
Reverse abdominoplasty is a specialized surgical procedure that addresses laxity and excess skin in the upper abdomen—above the belly button—rather than below it. The reverse approach involves incisions placed in the natural breast crease or along the inframammary fold. Through this discreet incision, Dr. Shermak removes excess upper abdominal skin and tightens the tissue for a smoother, more defined upper torso. This technique is often ideal for patients who have had previous abdominal surgery, those who have sustained significant weight loss with residual upper abdominal skin pockets, or those who have maintained good lower abdominal tone but are frustrated by sagging or loose skin in the upper region.
During your consultation, Dr. Shermak will assess your unique needs to recommend the best approach.
On the day of your abdominoplasty, you’ll arrive at Dr. Shermak’s private surgical facility in Lutherville, where your comfort and safety are the top priority. After reviewing your surgical plan and answering any final questions, you’ll be placed under general anesthesia to ensure a pain-free experience.
During the procedure, Dr. Shermak will make a low, horizontal incision, strategically placed so it can be concealed beneath most underwear and swimwear. She will then tighten the abdominal muscles, remove excess skin, and, if needed, use liposuction to refine the waist or flanks. In some cases, the belly button will be repositioned for a more natural appearance.
Advanced pain management techniques are used throughout, including long-acting numbing medication to minimize post-operative discomfort. Once the procedure is complete, you’ll return home the same day to begin your recovery.
“My experience with Dr. Shermak and her entire office was nothing short of perfect from the moment I made my first appointment. Dr. Shermak and her team made me feel so comfortable.”
★★★★★
A tummy tuck is ideal for people with physical changes that cannot be corrected through diet or exercise alone. These often include:
Dr. Shermak treats a wide range of patients, from women recovering from childbirth to men and women who’ve lost significant weight, customizing each treatment to the patient’s anatomy and aesthetic goals.
The results of a tummy tuck are more than cosmetic—they can be functional and emotional as well.
Restore Core Strength and Function
For patients with diastasis recti, a tummy tuck restores the abdominal wall, often improving posture and reducing back pain. This foundational repair supports daily movement and physical activity.
Remove Excess Skin and Improve Shape
After pregnancy or major weight loss, the skin often fails to retract. A tummy tuck removes this excess skin and re-drapes the area for a smoother, more toned appearance.
Increase Clothing Confidence
Patients often report feeling more comfortable and confident in fitted clothing, swimwear, and workout gear. Many tummy tuck patients feel that their exterior finally reflects the work they’ve put in internally.
Long-Lasting, Natural-Looking Results
With a stable weight and active lifestyle, results from a tummy tuck are long-lasting and transformative.
Good candidates for our abdominoplasty in Baltimore are men and women in good health who have excess, overhanging skin, significant stretch marks, muscle laxity, localized fat, or discomfort from scarring.
A tummy tuck is most often performed due to abdominal muscle laxity that might result from pregnancy, intrinsically lax tissues, or postoperative scars. Some women post-pregnancy appear to still look pregnant due to residual long-standing muscle laxity. A tummy tuck is also the most often performed procedure for individuals who have sustained massive weight loss.
A tummy tuck may focus primarily on excess skin and improving skin contour, or on tightening abdominal muscles, but most of the time on both. A tummy tuck may be combined with liposuction, a back lift, a thigh lift, or breast augmentation to rejuvenate the entire torso. A tummy tuck may also be combined with abdominal hernia repairs, sometimes utilizing materials to reinforce the muscle repair. During the initial consultation, you will discuss with Dr. Shermak what you would like to improve so she can understand your expectations and determine how to best achieve the desired result.
Recovery from tummy tuck surgery requires planning and patience. In the first few days, you’ll need help at home as you limit movement and allow your body to rest. You’ll wear a compression garment to support the healing tissue, reduce swelling, and promote a smooth contour.
Most patients return to non-strenuous activity within 10–14 days and resume regular routines by the four-week mark. Dr. Shermak and her team provide thorough aftercare instructions and are always available to address concerns as you heal. You’ll also receive guidance on scar care, incision management, and how to ease back into physical activity at the right pace.
You’ll begin to see your initial results as early as two weeks post-op, with swelling continuing to subside over the next few months. Final results typically emerge by the 3–6 month mark, revealing a flatter, firmer, and more sculpted midsection.
Patients often describe their tummy tuck results as life-changing, not only because of the physical transformation, but because of the emotional confidence that follows. When combined with a healthy lifestyle, these results can last for many years.
Dr. Michele Shermak brings a level of experience and surgical artistry that few others match. A board-certified plastic surgeon with almost three decades of national recognition, Dr. Shermak is an educator, author, and leader in aesthetic plastic surgery, having published extensively on abdominoplasty and body contouring.
Dr. Shermak loves performing Tummy Tuck surgery and performs it often: she notes that there is so much variability in presentation and patient need, and she feels uniquely equipped to approach patients with all kinds of presentations, big and small.
Her approach is personal and precise. She listens, tailors, and treats every patient as a partner in the process. From the moment you step into her care, you’ll feel the difference—expertise guided by compassion and results shaped by a deep understanding of both form and function.
Typically, this condition, often seen after pregnancy or abdominal surgical procedures, is not covered by insurance unless there is a hernia diagnosed. Just a space between the abdominal muscles is not covered under insurance. Sometimes hernia repairs will be covered by insurance and thus require no additional cost to fix at the time of tummy tuck.
Liposuction is the preferred treatment to reduce focal fat deposits, not to tighten or reduce excessive skin. A tummy tuck in Baltimore is the best option for men and women who require abdominal skin reduction and muscle tightening. Liposuction may also be performed on the back or waist to improve overall contour. You can discuss this with Dr. Shermak.
In many cases, a tummy tuck may be performed with breast surgery to improve the overall look of the torso. Breast augmentation, breast lift, or a combination of the two often accompanies abdominal surgery. It is actually optimal to perform both breast and abdominal surgery in the same setting to increase efficiency and reduce cost, while enhancing overall outcome.
A mini tummy tuck has a shorter abdominal incision and no incision around the belly button. A mini tummy tuck is typically performed for individuals with minimal excess skin or for those who desire small skin resection, including possible surgical scars, in addition to abdominal muscle repair and tightening.
The procedure is not applicable to most individuals seeking a tummy tuck in Maryland, who often require more significant skin removal. Dr. Shermak has lectured on mini tummy tucks at national cosmetic surgery meetings and understands the applicability and performance of this surgery.
The cost of a tummy tuck in Baltimore depends on the type of tummy tuck you receive and how extensive the procedure is. During your consultation, Dr. Shermak will determine which type of tummy tuck will be best to achieve your aesthetic needs. The cost of the procedure ranges from $8,700 to $10,900, depending on its complexity.
After surgery, Dr. Shermak will instruct her patients on surgical incision management, which typically includes applying moisture, using gauze, and wearing a binder early on. After about a month, she discusses massage and moisturizers with her patients, with possible focal compression to reduce swelling and optimize contour.
Ideally, clients should be at an ideal weight for their body height, namely a Body Mass Index (BMI) less than 35. Having said that, many patients are at a weight higher than recommended, and those who are otherwise healthy may be fine candidates for a tummy tuck. The best way to determine this is to schedule an appointment with Dr. Shermak to find the safest approach to achieve your contour goals.
