Abdominoplasty is a procedure in which excess skin and fat are removed from the abdominal area. An excess of fat alone (without lax and excessive skin) is not a correct surgical indication for this procedure, but an excess of skin alone or predominance of excess skin can be corrected this way. Under general anaesthetic a suprapubic horizontal incision is made, extending laterally towards the hips, depending on how much tissue is to be removed. Skin and fat are then loosened from the underlying layer of muscle, and, if they are to be moved from the median line they may be sutured together, thus reducing the possibility of umbilical hernia. The loosening of skin and fat continues up to the navel (or a little beyond) in the case of smaller quantities of excess suprapubic tissue (miniabdominoplasty) while it reaches the lower edge of the ribs for larger quantities of excess tissue (abdominoplasty). The loosened flap is then moved downwards and the excess tissue is removed. In the case of ample abdominoplasty, the umbilical scar is moved and repositioned higher up. The skin incision is then sutured. This operation is not a weightloss procedure, and must only be carried out when bodyweight has been stable for some time.