A tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) flattens the upper and lower abdomen, but that’s not always enough. Many men and women experience extra fat and bulging in the mons pubis area just above the genitals, as well, and flattening the abdomen alone can make an enlarged mons pubis appear even more pronounced.
Treating both areas at the same time in a combination procedure creates a more cohesive contour. It also saves money as you’ll only need to pay for anesthesia, pre-op lab work, and other fees once. This guide explains how a monsplasty and tummy tuck work together, who it’s right for, and what to expect from this powerful combination procedure.
Although they are often combined, a tummy tuck and a monsplasty are two unique surgeries with different goals. Understanding the differences between them can help you understand what they both do and how they can work together. This chart provides a quick summary of how the two procedures differ.
| Tummy Tuck | Monsplasty |
|---|---|
| Removes excess skin/fat from the abdomen | Reduces and lifts the mons pubis |
| Repairs separated abdominal muscles (diastasis recti) | Does not address muscle structure |
| Incision runs from hip to hip on the lower abdomen | Small, centered incision just above the genitals |
| Often improves waist contour | Improves pubic contour and clothing fit |
If you have excess skin and fat in both your abdomen and mons pubis, reshaping only one of them can exaggerate your issues with the other. Performing both procedures together creates a smoother silhouette and toned contour from your upper abdomen all the way down to the pubic region. Addressing abdominal and mons pubis issues together creates better results and just makes sense.
Of course, not everyone needs to combine their monsplasty with a tummy tuck. If your dissatisfaction is localized solely in your mons pubis, you may not need or benefit from a tummy tuck. So, should you have both? Only you and your plastic surgeon can find a definitive answer to that question. We can, however, tell you that ideal candidates for combining the two procedures include:
Combining a monsplasty and tummy tuck does require some planning. Doing both surgeries together means making some changes to each. Your plastic surgeon will, for example, create a plan that involves one incision through which both procedures can be performed. This may mean adjusting the incision location a bit. Here we will explain what happens when you choose to have both surgeries at the same time.
Every surgery starts with a surgical plan unique to you. In this case, surgical planning means assessing your upper and lower abdomen along with the mons pubis. Your doctor will need to look at this area as a single connected anatomical zone to ensure that both areas work together when finished.
Careful measurements will help determine how much skin and fat need to be removed from each area to achieve the desired result. Your surgeon will also assess whether muscle repair to fix split abdominal muscles, or diastasis recti, will be necessary as part of your tummy tuck. Diastasis recti is common in women who have been pregnant but can also occur as a result of injury. This means sometimes men need diastasis recti repair as well as women.
During your surgery, you will be under general anesthesia and blissfully unaware of your surgery. Your care team will be alert and attentive, however, and take the following steps to complete your procedure:
As mentioned above, combining a tummy tuck and monsplasty means making some adjustments to your incision and therefore scar location. The result is usually one horizontal line that sits low on the pelvis. The scar may be slightly longer in cases where a large amount of tissue is taken from the mons pubis. In most cases, however, the scar remains low enough to hide beneath underwear and bikini lines.
So far, we have told you several times that combining a tummy tuck and monsplasty often makes sense and provides several benefits. We have yet to really list those benefits for you, however. Don’t worry—we’re getting to that right now. The benefits of combining these two procedures include:
When planning to have any surgery, the recovery after is always an important consideration. Here we will give you an overview of the typical timeline most patients experience when recovering from a combination tummy tuck and monsplasty procedure. If you want more detailed information about the recovery process for the individual procedures, please visit our more detailed tummy tuck recovery timeline and monsplasty recovery timeline pages.
Unfortunately, no surgery comes without any risks. Although rare, some patients do experience incision separation, prolonged swelling in the mons pubis, and scar irregularities between the abdomen and mons pubis area. These issues aren’t common, but they can happen. The risk of these complications is low, but you can reduce your risk of experiencing them further by choosing a qualified plastic surgeon experienced in tummy tuck and monsplasty combination procedures.
There are also some side effects of combining these surgeries that you should be aware of. Side effects are not worrisome as they are an expected and normal part of the healing process. You should be aware, however, that you will likely experience the following when combining these two procedures into one:
If you’re bothered by both abdominal laxity and pubic fullness, combining a tummy tuck with monsplasty can maximize your results in a single procedure. With proper planning and care, this combination can create a more defined waistline, flatter mons pubis, and balanced body contour. It can also give you a real confidence boost and make you more comfortable in some clothing and in intimate settings. If you’re wondering whether combining these procedures is right for you, schedule a free virtual consultation with us and find out.
In some cases, yes, but the scar is still placed low and horizontally where it can be hidden in underwear and swimwear. Plastic surgeons are well aware that scar visibility is a concern for patients and make every effort to keep scarring to a minimum and place incisions where the scars can be hidden. Scars will also flatten and fade with time, becoming less visible as they age.
Combining these two procedures doesn’t necessarily make your recovery significantly more difficult. The swelling in your mons pubis may last a bit longer, but recovery time is generally only extended slightly.
Yes, and vice versa. You can have each procedure on its own, but combining the two often leads to better symmetry and a more cohesive look. It also means only one recovery period. But if you need only one procedure now and develop a need for the other later, you can absolutely have the surgeries separately.
No. Both the monsplasty and the tummy tuck deal with excess skin and subcutaneous fat just under the surface of the skin. The procedure does not require a deep dive into your body and won’t affect nerves or genital function.
No. Even the safest surgeries create trauma for your body, and surgeons try to minimize this. One simple way to do that is to avoid performing unnecessary procedures. If you need both surgeries, it makes sense to find a plastic surgeon who can do them together. But if you don’t need both, there is no reason to get both.
If you have fullness, drooping, or a bulge in your pubic area, monsplasty may be recommended during your consultation. Your surgeon is the best person to answer this question for you as they can do so based on your unique anatomy and aesthetic goals.
Yes. Adding a monsplasty to a tummy tuck does make surgery more expensive initially. You will save money overall because you will only need to pay for one set of lab work, one anesthesia fee, and one facility fee. But you will have to pay more for your tummy tuck if you add monsplasty to it.
Absolutely! Men often get a tummy tuck and monsplasty combination procedure. This is especially common among men who have lost a significant amount of weight or who struggle with fat accumulation in their midsection. Whether you’re a man or a woman, we can help you get rid of your FUPA.