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Flank Area Forgotten?

asked 1 year ago by point pleasant in point pleasant, pa
Latest answer by Tom J. Pousti, MD
Question viewed 353 times
Tags: flanks, female

Hi, I had full tt with flank lipo 5 wks ago. never had bruising/any discomfort to flank areas. Flanks look exactly the same as before surgery. Nurse at ps office said incisions healed and are "invisible". PS looked at flanks for time then said "curved" canula used and went thru tt incision. I fear area was accidently forgotten. By the way- I am a nurse and my husband a surgeon. Can't ask my husband as he is not happy with my desire for surgery .

12 answers to Flank Area Forgotten?

Liposuction and Tummy Tuck: Modern Abdominoplasty

A tummy tuck or abdominoplasty removes excess skin on the abdomen as well as tightens the muscles. This can be combined with liposuction, though the classic training cautions against liposuction during these body contouring procedures for fear of skin healing problems and blood clots. In the properly selected patient, a lipoabdominoplasty (tummy tuck with liposuction) can be safely performed to achieve improved contouring, especially in the flanks and central abdomen. The majority of my... more

Andrew P. Trussler, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Liposuction of the flanks is essential in liposuction

I am sorry to hear about your disappointment after tummy tuck and flank liposuction. I routinely incorporate liposuction of the flanks from a posterior and anterior approach during abdominoplasty. Nevertheless, you should have access to the operative report and nurse's or report to confirm liposuction and volume. 5 weeks is early and swelling may still be an issue.

Frank Agullo, MD
El Paso Plastic Surgeon

www.elpasoplasticsurgery.com

Flank area After Tummy Tuck?

Thank you for the question. Treatment of the flank area should be discussed prior to surgery. Although liposuction of the area maybe helpful in some cases it may be insufficient to achieve the patient's goals. In those cases, treatment of the stubborn flank (muffin top) may involve excision (lipectomy) of excess skin and adipose tissue (extended tummy tuck). Liposuction surgery alone will potentially leave patients with loose skin and an... more

Tom J. Pousti, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

www.poustiplasticsurgery.com

Forgotten flanks?

It may be that your surgeon tried to remove the flank lipodystrophy from your tummy tuck incision and maybe it needs to be redone with you in a prone position.

Robert Brueck, MD
Fort Myers Plastic Surgeon

Flank liposuction

It may be a bit early for you to appreciate the finla results of your flanks. Swelling after liposuction can take months to resolve. I would like to think that your surgeon is honest and did what he said that he did.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Big dilemma if you don't believe your surgeon.

What you describe sounds curious. I am not sure how the flanks can be suctioned with a "curved" canula, but there maybe a technique that allows access. I would get a copy of the operative note. If the procedure were done, it would be dictated as such.

Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Lipo of flanks during abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) called into question

I understand the difficulty of this situation as essentially you are calling the surgeon's integrity and honesty into question and it is coming down to a matter of he said/she said. You could ask for a copy of the operative report to see the documented amount removed. I doubt this would be fabricated. However, it may jeopardize your relationship with the physician. The other approach is to ask for more lipo at a later date and simply observe their response.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Flank lipo with a tummy tuck

I presume as a nurse and with a surgeon husband that you chose an excellent plastic surgeon to do your surgery. All you can do is trust him that he did what he said he did, since the liposuction is typically done through the TT scar so there are no scars from it.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Flank liposuction "forgotten" during tummy tuck surgery?

While this is possible, the fact that you are even considering this scenario is a concern that your patient-surgeon relationship is "on the rocks." You can ask for a copy of your medical records, but be aware that this signals to your doctor you may be questioning his/her veracity or considering legal action! So unless you have solid reason to disbelieve what you have been told, let's examine reasons why you "feel" this may have been inadvertently skipped, even... more

Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

www.mpsmn.com

Liposuction

Without photos it is difficult to assess, but it's likely that it was done; however, using the abdomen may not be the best approach for the flanks.Still, additional time is required for the swelling to subside.

Shahin Javaheri, MD
San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

Flank Area Forgotten?

I am sorry to hear that you are not seeing the results you were expecting. It has only been 5 weeks since your surgery, so you know that more time is needed to see the end result. I have liposuctioned flanks from both the posterior and anterior approach and either way may work well. Stay in close contact with your surgeon and keep him/her posted on what you are thinking and seeing. If he eventually thinks that a touch-up is needed, he will be in a position to... more

Allan J. Parungao, MD
Oak Brook Plastic Surgeon

Disappointed with flanks after tummy tuck

Without pictures, this is hard to evaluate. However, I would say that approach to the flanks through the abdominal incision is probably going to give you a mild or minimal change at best. While this approach used to be used in the past, more and more plastic surgeons are using a posterior approach so that the flanks can be more adequately contoured during your procedure. I would give it a little time since it does take about 6 months or so for swelling to improve. ... more