Britney Spears was rumoured to have gone under the knife after she emerged with a flat stomach soon after giving birth to her second son. Although Brit has never admitted to having one- tummy tucks are an increasingly popular method many women are using to improve their figure after having children or losing weight.

Female First look at exactly what's involved with an Abdominoplasty and what the risks are.....

How is it done?

The idea of a tummy tuck is to tighten the skin over the stomach area and make it appear flatter. There are various ways this can be done depending on how much is needed.

The surgeon will start by making an incision right along the bottom of the stomach from hip to hip above the pubic area.

The most basic tummy tuck will simply involve pulling the skin down until the stomach is tight and flat and then removing excess skin before stitching the incision back up again.

Sometimes the muscles in the abdominal wall are also tightened to give the stomach a more toned look.

In some more complex procedures another incision is made around the belly button to separate it from the surrounding skin. Abdominal muscles are then tightened before the skin is pulled tight and excess is removed. Then finally a new hole is made for the belly button to be taken back through.

All tummy tuck operations result in a scar from hip to hip. This will fade slightly after a year or so and is usually far enough down the body to be hidden by underwear.

The Risks

A tummy tuck usually results in a lot of sore stitches, a bit of bruising and swelling which last a few weeks- but that's if things go smoothly.

As with any type of surgery there is always the risk that things will go wrong! The biggest risk with all cosmetic surgery is the risk of infection. Any operation that involves cutting into your skin opens the body to all kinds of bugs and germs that it wouldn't normally come in contact with. A tummy tuck involves a larger incision than most other procedures and therefore the risk of infection is higher.

If an infection occurs it can prevent the wound from healing and make scars much bigger when in eventually does.

A reputable surgeon will obviously operate in a sterile environment but it's after the operation is complete that most people contract infections. Infections can cause prolonged swelling, redness and even permanent scarring.

Another risk is that a tummy tuck could result in the belly button being off centre or even disappear completely. Although it has no function after our birth having stomach without a belly button could cause distress and embarrassment.

Other risks include punctured organs , tissue damage, irregular skin contour or uneven shape and a tummy tuck can even, in rare cases, cause a blood clot to form in the blood vessels and move to the lungs. This is called a pulmonary embolism and can be life-threatening.

Is it worth it?

A tummy tuck can cost upwards of £4,000 depending on the level of surgery and the experience of the surgeon.

Most people who have lost a lot of weight see a tummy tuck as the only way to get rid of excess skin. Those who have lost over ten stone may have a considerable amount of loose skin which can get infected or cause discomfort if left alone.

However a tummy tuck is not an ideal solution to those carrying a bit of extra weight. Although it does result in a tighter firmer stomach area it is not a permanent solution and if a person does not change their diet and lifestyle they will soon begin to reverse the operation.

For most of us the best- and cheapest- way to get a flatter stomach is to get over our gym phobia and do a few extra sit ups or take up swimming. Keep your eyes on Female First over the next month as we bring you the alternatives to surgery.

For further information about cosmetic surgery visit Dr Andrea Marando´s homepage at www.andreamarando.com

Caz Moss- Female First