Mini Tummy Tuck: Q&A
Ask a QuestionBulging Upper Abs After Mini Tummy Tuck
I had a Mini Tummy Tuck (and some lipo) done in my abs. It appears that the area below the belly button is tight but the upper abs area is loose and fills up quickly after a meal giving me that bulge.
In other words, pre-op, my belly would get fat on the lower half, now its fat on the upper half. I've had the surgery 2 months ago and I am a petite person. Do I have to go back for lipo in the upper abs or will time help me settle some fat back into the lower abs, making me look proportioned again?
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12 Doctor Answers |
Asked by
deboraht2
in Los Angeles, CA
+3
Upper abdominal bulging after mini tummy tuck
Liposuction will not likely solve your problem.
More likely is the fact that a mini tummy tuck only repairs the muscle below the belly button whereas the full tummy tuck repairs the muscle above and below the umbilicus.
The bulging you experience after a meal is due to the unrepaired muscles allowing the upper abdomen to distend whereas the lower abdomen remains restrained by the muscle repair.
It is possible that the lower abdominal repair may loosen and ease the difference....
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+2
Upper Abdominal Bulging after Mini Tummy Tuck
Upper abdominal bulging is usually the result of inadequate plication (tightening) of the abdominal musculature during the mini tummy tuck. In cases where the umbilicus (belly button) is not being repositioned, as when the focus of the procedure is the lower abdominal wall, it is difficult to reach the upper abdominal wall and sufficiently tighten the muscles. In such cases, the muscles have been tightened below the umbilicus but not above it. This, in effect,...
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Bulging of the upper abs after a mini tummy tuck
When performing a mini tummy tuck it is crucial to establish a good balance between the upper and lower abdomen. When examining a healthy young woman, it is common to see a flatter stomach in the upper abdomen than the lower abdomen. This must be kept in mind when performing a mini tummy tuck. If the lower abdomen is tightened excessively, this may create too much flattening in the area below the belly button and excess fullness about the belly button. Your best bet is to work with a...
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Results from Mini Tummy Tuck
Without examination, it is hard to say, but in my opinion, it sounds like you needed a full tummy tuck ( abdominoplasty) to acheive the results you were looking for. Go back and discuss this with your surgeon, or get a second opinion. Be sure to see a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon certified by the ASPS( American Society of Plastic Surgery) to resolve this issue. Best of luck with that.
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Upper abdominal bulge
That effect is likely because only the lower half was tightened with surgery. Its important for the surgeon to create the balance and its unlikely that the upper portion will "settle", although the lower abdomen will relax and create a better visual balance balance.
Tampa Plastic Surgeon
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Excess Upper Abdominal Fat after Mini Tummy Tuck
Excess upper abdominal fat after a mini tummy tuck is sometimes due to the need for additional liposuction at the time of the mimi tummy tuck.
However this can result in excess skin above the belly button, and may have been the reason your surgeon did not originally do more liposuction in this area.
In retrospect, you may have needed a full tummy tuck or as you suggested may have been more even if less liposuction of your lower abdominal fat had been done.
I suggest that...
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Mini tummy tuck problem
Thank you for the question.
What you are describing is one of the problems they can be seen after the mini tummy tuck procedure is performed.
In my opinion, the mini tummy talk is an operation that produces very limited results and is very rarely indicated. It involves a shorter incision but does not address the majority of the abdominal wall issues present for most patients who present consultation. For example, the area of skin excised is quite small. The abdominal wall...
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Bulge after mini tummy tuck
The upper abdominal bulge is most likely due to the weak muscles above the umbilicus that I assume were not plicated during the mini-tummy tuck. Repairing this will possibly get rid of your bulge. An exam would give me answers.
+1
Bulge following a tummy tuck
DeborahT,
Sorry to hear about your upper abdomen. A few things are important here. While you are not ecstatic about your upper abdomen, it is still early in the post-operative period. It is prudent to wait at least 6 months before being critical of the outcome. Nevertheless, it may be true that the muscle plication of your upper abdomen was lax. That is, your fascia (layer enclosing the muscle) was tightened more below the navel than above. However...
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Plication of the upper abdomen
It seems that you will need a plication of your upper abdomen with or without Liposuction. this is a common problem when plication is not done in the same time for the upper stomach.
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.
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