I have had 5 kids and I have an umbilical hernia and my stomach muscles are split down the middle. There is a two inch separation. I have some exess fat but not much. I weigh 118 lbs and I am not overweight, but I want my stomach fixed.
I went to a plastic surgeon and he sent me away saying " you don't have enough extra skin for a tummy tuck, and you need to talk to a general surgeon about the hernia and muscle split."
Does that sound right to you plastic surgeons? Is that a standard response in this type of situation or should I get a second opinion?
I would be surprised if after 5 children you would not benefit from some skin tightening. If you do not, you may still benefit from a tummy tuck with a shorter scar to visualize and repair the separated muscles (diastasis recti) while at the same time repairing the umbilical hernia through the same incision. Many plastic surgeons would feel comfortable repairing a small umbilical hernia at the time of a tummy tuck.
