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Can Breast Lift Tuck Upper Abdomen Loose Skin?

I had a Mini tummy tuck but should have had a full tummy tuck. Now, however, I'm afraid I have to little skin to do a full tuck and am left with saggy upper abdomen skin. My question is, would a breast lift actually help the saggy upper tummy skin? Can a surgeon just pull the skin up and cut off leaving a scar under the breast if necessary?

Asked 28 months ago by deirdre1234 in greenville,sc

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abdomen breasts female sagging loose scar skin

Tummy tuck through breast lift incisions- pros and cons

As you have gathered from the posts by many fine surgeons, a complete tummy tuck is usually not advisable through breast lift incisions. It is simply too weak an operation to accomplish large removal of extra skin when performed responsibly, and too brutal a procedure with unacceptable scarring when it is performed completely across the upper abdomen. The question arises, however, in fit women with just a little laxity of the upper abdomen. Should they have a full tummy tuck incision when... more

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Brent Moelleken, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Stay away from the reverse tummy tuck

The reverse tummy tuck is an interesting concept and is tempting to do but the scar can come back down from the breast onto the upper abdomen and the surgery can destroy the inframammary crease which is the natural landmark that gives definition to the bottom of the breast. It would be best to see a plastic surgeron and ask if you could do a full tummy tuck. Your previous doctor might not have been a real plastic surgeon as many non-plastic surgeons are out there doing mini tummy tucks.... more

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS

Seattle Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Reverse Tummy Tuck?

Thank you for the question. I am sorry to hear about your negative experience with the tummy tuck surgery. In my opinion, the mini tummy talk is an operation that produces very limited results and is very rarely indicated. Similarly, the “reverse” tummy tuck is also an operation that is very rarely indicated and effective. Please make sure you seek consultation with well experienced board-certified plastic surgeons who will give you good advice. I... more

Tom J. Pousti, MD

San Diego Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Breast Lift to tuck loose upper abdomen skin

Hello, You are better off having the tummy tuck re-done as breast lift surgery does not take in the skin in the upper abdomen as well as a good tummy tuck does.

John P. Di Saia, MD

Orange Plastic Surgeon

Reverse Tummy Tuck

What you are inquiring about is a reverse tummy tuck or some variation of it. It is not advisable and would not give you the results that you would want. You should go see a board certified plastic surgeon to see if a full tummy tuck is possible. It still may be so I would not be discouraged. Good luck.

Farbod Esmailian, MD

Orange County Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Gravity will will

Your question is asked often. The answer is almost always the same. Your breast will not support the abdominal skin. The force of gravity will not only pull the skin down "south" again, the scars will get wide and unsightly. Good Luck to you regarding this problem. Get to a board certified plastic surgeon for an opinion

Rodger Wade Pielet, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Breast lift will not correct loose upper abdominal skin

The decision to complete a full or a partial tummy tuck often hinges on the amount of laxity in the upper abdominal skin, sometimes called the midrift. In the lower or mini tummy tuck the umbilicus remains as a fixed point and limits the correction of skin excess in the upper abdomen. If a patients has had a mini tummy tuck and still remains unhappy with the midrift laxity, the abdominoplasty can be repeated releasing and relocating the umbilicus in the skin as it is advanced further... more

Peter E. Johnson, MD

Des Plaines Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Reverse Tummy Tuck Pros and Cons

Regarding "I'm afraid I have to little skin to do a full tuck and am left with saggy upper abdomen skin" Hi - Deirdre, You exemplify WHY a mini tummy tuck is too frequently the wrong operation for most women. Under the guise of "mini" - if fails to address the whole upper abdomen, leaving a poochy - bulging upper abdomen. A mini tummy tuck - frequently yields mini results. On the other hand, the operation you described, the reverse tummy tuck, is OVERKILL, in my... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD

Memphis Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Reverse tummy tuck

A reverse tummy tuck can be incorporated into the transverse skin incison along the inframammary fold in a standard breast lift. You may want to consider a full tummy tuck to treat the upper abdominal skin.

Steven Wallach, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

"reverse" tummy tuck for upper abdomen: pro's and con's

As you can tell from the previous responses, the 'reverse tummy tuck" is the sort of option you are looking at, but it is not done very commonly. I do think there is a place for it sometimes but there are some limitations to keep in mind. One of these is that in order to lift the skin to a signicant degree, the scar has to come across the midline where it is not very favorable. Also, the more you lift, the more likely the scar will pull down over time. If it can be kept to the area... more

Richard Baxter, MD

Seattle Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Not a fan of the reverse tummy tuck

I have seen many more poor results and poor scar than good results from surgeons who perform reverse tummy tucks. It is a procedure I do not choose to perfrom for this reason.

W. Tracy Hankins, MD

Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

Reverse tummy tuck vs abdominoplasty

Hi Deirdre, I think the main point may be the breasts. Do the breasts need a lift that would require an incision along the lower fold? If the breast do not require a scar then I would not add one by doing a reverse tummy tuck. You have already done a mini tuck and you can use this scar, just longer, to do an abdominoplasty. Your surgeon can tell you that the consequences of not having enough skin would be a vertical scar where the belly button was released. Have this discussion with your... more

Marcus L. Peterson, MD

Saint George Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Upper abdominal skin and breast lift

You have the right thoughts BUT,you must be extremely careful trying to combine a breast lift and an upper abdominal lift. You may compromise both results and the scarring can be very bad. Although it sounds like a good idea it is better to do a traditional tummy tuck and a traditional breast lift.

John P. Stratis, MD

Harrisburg Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Loose upper tummy (abdominal) skin fixed with "reverse" tummy tuck (abdominoplasty)

This is commonly referred to as a reverse abdominoplasty and can be performed but you may get a better result by doing a full abodminoplasty. It is likely you still may have enough skin but your plastic surgeon would be the best source for determining if the reverse or full abdominoplasty is the best option for you.