Anterior T Scar for Bodylift Due to Previous Scar?

asked 2 years ago by girlwithabrokensmile in France
Latest answer by Paul Vitenas, Jr., MD
Question viewed 326 times

I recently met with my surgeon and he told me that because of an old barely noticeable tummy ring scar I have just above my navel (about 0.2in wide, 0.2in above), he'll have to leave me with a T scar (to prevent any rip the scar could cause). Though I'm certain he knows what he's talking about, this really doesn't make much sense to me. Could there be any other solution? (I really don't have a huge excess of skin in the front and a T scar is something I'd really like to avoid).

7 answers to Anterior T Scar for Bodylift Due to Previous Scar?

Body Lift

No it does not make sense. If you do not have significant laxity of the abdominal region in a horizontal direction you will not need an inverted T incision.

Siamak Agha, MD, PhD
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

www.drsiamakagha.com

Body lift and the need for a vertical scar

Vertical scars are necessary in a tummy tuck when there is excess skin in the vertical vector. What this means is that if you draw a vertical line in the middle of your abdomen, do you have a significant excess that can't be corrected by pulling the skin down using a horizontal incision. The other time a a vertical scar is necessary is when the plastic surgeon cannot completely excise enough skin to remove the incision left after the incision made around the belly button. If this is... more

Joseph Michaels, MD
Bethesda Plastic Surgeon

Anterior T Scar for Bodylift Due to Previous Scar

The part of the information you gave that gives one question is that you say you really do not have "a huge excess of skin in front" and this may be the reason for the surgeon saying he will leave a small T scar. If he does not feel there is enough skin to bring down and fully close the wound he will have to leave a T scar. Perhaps you should ask him to explain the situation further to you.

Paul Vitenas, Jr., MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

www.drvitenas.com

Body lift and t scar

The reason you gave for his rational does not make sense. But, I do a fluer-de-lis quite often on weight loss patients because of all the laxity.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

T scar in Bodylift

This answer does not make much sense to me. There are two reasons to add a vertical scar to a horizontal bodylift scar. 1. Better contour will be obtained by excising a vertical ellipse of tissue in addition to the horizontal body lift. 2. You do not have enough skin between your belly button and bodylift incision to close completely. Therefore, your surgeon must leave a small vertical scar where they close the area where the belly button used to be... more

Paul S. Gill, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

Body lift

Vertical incision are done to removed excess of skin in the horizontal direction. If you only have excess of skin in the vertical direction a horizontal incision is the only incision you need. In some patient they have already a vertical incision this one can be removed and improved

Alejandro J. Quiroz, M.D.
Mexico Plastic Surgeon

If there is enough loose skin between the pubis and above the belly ring piercing then no t is needed

If you have enough loose skin to close the removal of the skin between the lower incision just above your pubis to above the belly ring piercing, then you can avoid a t scar. But if it is too tight to remove all that skin and still close the wound you will need a t incision. Probably your surgeon can guess about this pre operatively but will only know for sure in the operating room when undermining has been completed.

Carl W. "Rick" Lentz III, MD
Daytona Beach Plastic Surgeon

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