Plastic Surgery
Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) in Lagos
Loose skin and fat below the navel are removed and, in most cases, the stomach muscles that separated in pregnancy are stitched back together. It is the operation for the stomach that pregnancy or large weight loss leaves behind, the part exercise cannot fix.
Also called: Abdominoplasty, Mini tummy tuck, Extended abdominoplasty, Panniculectomy, Diastasis repair
Medically reviewed by Dr Debo Odulana, Founder and Chief Executive, Mezo. Last reviewed 7 October 2026. This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Care is decided with you after an examination.
Assessed and planned by
Dr Chinwe Kpaduwa, MD FACS
Plastic surgery, with Lyfe Plastics & Dermatology. Dr Kpaduwa assesses you and plans the surgery. The surgeon who operates, and where, is named in your written quote before you agree to anything.
- Board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery
- Fellow of the American College of Surgeons
Seen in person at Medlyfe Lifestyle & Regenerative Medicine Clinic, inside i-Fitness, 25 Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos. Where an operation takes place is named in your written quote.
Video consultations: Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 11am to 1pm WAT, 30 minutes. Put towards the total cost of your surgery if you go ahead. In person at Medlyfe, Lekki: ₦186,000. Prefer to talk first? Send an enquiry and a coordinator calls you back.
How the price is set
Written quote after consultation
Consultation with Dr Kpaduwa, 30 minutes by video: ₦150,000
Put towards the total cost of your surgery if you go ahead.
Your price is a written quote after the consultation, because it depends on your body and the plan you agree. It does not move without your written agreement.
What your written quote covers
- The surgeon, the anaesthetist and the theatre
- Where the operation takes place, named in writing
- Garments, dressings, medication and your review appointments, priced into the number rather than added afterwards
Not in the quote
- Anything not listed in the written quote, which is costed for you before you decide rather than after
- Travel and accommodation if you are coming from outside Lagos
What decides your quote
- Mini, full or extended tummy tuck
- Liposuction of the flanks or back in the same operation
- A muscle repair, which most full tummy tucks include
- An overnight stay, which most full tummy tucks need
HMO plans in Nigeria generally treat cosmetic surgery as excluded. If you believe yours may contribute, ask the HMO before the consultation and bring the answer in writing.
Who this is for
- Loose or overhanging skin on the lower abdomen after pregnancy or weight loss
- Stomach muscles separated in pregnancy (diastasis), leaving a bulge that exercise does not flatten
- Finished having children, or content to wait until you have
- A steady weight
When it is not the right answer
- Planning another pregnancy, which can undo the muscle repair
- Fat without loose skin, which liposuction may treat with a smaller operation
- Current smokers. Nicotine is the main cause of wound healing problems in this operation
- Still losing weight
The pathway, step by step
- 1
Consultation with Dr Kpaduwa₦150,000
Thirty minutes with the surgeon herself, by video. You bring your goals, your history and photographs; she tells you what is involved, what she would and would not do, and whether you should be doing anything at all.
- 2
Examination and a written quote
An in-person examination in Lagos, then a written quote that says what is included and what is not. Costings come from the team in writing, not from the surgeon in the room.
- 3
Screening before a date is offered
Nicotine, medicines, blood pressure, and whether your weight is still changing all affect safety and timing. The clinical team reads your answers before anyone offers you a date.
- 4
The operation
Under general anaesthetic. The scar runs low across the abdomen, placed to sit inside underwear. In a full tummy tuck the navel is brought out through a new opening so it stays in its natural place.
- 5
Recovery and reviews
A garment, sometimes drains for the first days, and named follow-up.
Recovery, realistically
Days 1 to 3
Walking slightly bent at the waist, which protects the repair. Drains, if used, usually come out within days.
Weeks 1 to 2
Short walks every day. Most people need help at home, especially with small children.
Weeks 2 to 4
Back to desk work for most people. No lifting.
Week 6 onwards
Exercise and lifting return as the surgeon allows. The scar keeps maturing for a year or more.
Risks you should be told about
- Slow healing at the centre of the scar, much more likely in smokers
- A fluid collection (seroma)
- A scar that widens or, on keloid-prone skin, thickens
- Numbness of the lower abdomen
- Blood clots in the legs or lungs
- Infection, and an unsatisfactory navel shape
Every operation carries risk. A surgeon who lists none is not being straight with you. Yours will go through these with you before you consent.
Questions people ask
How much does a tummy tuck cost in Lagos?
Dr Kpaduwa's price is a written quote after the consultation, because it depends on whether you need a mini, full or extended tummy tuck and what is combined with it. Her video consultation is ₦150,000 and is put towards the total if you go ahead.
What is the difference between a mini and a full tummy tuck?
A mini tummy tuck removes skin below the navel only and leaves the navel where it is. A full one treats the whole abdomen and usually repairs the muscles. An extended one carries the scar round to the flanks. A panniculectomy removes an overhanging apron of skin, often after major weight loss.
Will I get a keloid?
Nobody can promise you will not. If you or your family form keloids, say so at the consultation: it changes the scar plan and the aftercare, and occasionally the advice.
Can it be combined with liposuction or breast surgery?
Often, yes. That combination is what people mean by a mommy makeover. Whether it is safe to do in one operation depends on your health and the total time under anaesthetic.
Prices shown are in naira and were last checked on 7 October 2026. A “from” price is the all-in starting price for the standard case. Every operation is confirmed in a written quote after your consultation, because the right operation for you, and its cost, depend on what the surgeon finds.