Abdominoplasty

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /æbˈdɑm.ɪ.noʊˌplæs.ti/

Definitions

1. A type of surgery performed to reshape the abdomen by removing unwanted skin and fat while also tightening the underlying muscles
2. A medical procedure conducted to enhance abdominal appearance through the excision of surplus skin and fat along with muscle tightening
3. A surgical operation aimed at improving the appearance of the abdominal region by excising excess skin, fat, and reinforcing the muscular structure

Etymology: Abdominoplasty is a compound built from two parts. The first, "abdomino-", comes from Latin "abdomen", the belly or lower trunk of the body. The second, "-plasty", comes from Greek "plastikos", meaning "fit for molding or shaping," from "plassein", "to mold." Surgeons used "-plasty" as a combining form for operations that reshape a body part, so the word literally means a shaping of the abdomen. The "-plasty" element carries the older history. It appears in many surgical terms, and its use reflects the broader sense of "plastic" in medicine, where plastic referred to the moulding or remodelling of tissue rather than to the synthetic material. Abdominoplasty applies that pattern to the stomach area: the surgeon removes excess skin and fat and tightens the muscle wall beneath, reshaping the whole region.

Synonyms: tummy tuck