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Fatty Pockets and Dog Ears 1 Month PO Tummy Tuck, is This the Norm?

asked 1 year ago by Jessica9025 in Georgia
Latest answer by Tom J. Pousti, MD
Question viewed 1,770 times
Tags: female, dog ears, normal, puckering, rippling, scar tissue

I am concerned with scar placement, dogears and irregularities on the hips. While the picture is 1 month post-op I understand I should see the final result by now. My question is...does this look like the norm for 1 month out? Should I be concerned with the fatty pockets and dogears? I know revisions aren't recommended until 6+ months but I'm stressing out over a less than impressive (in my opinion) result. Any advice or feedback welcome.

12 answers to Fatty Pockets and Dog Ears 1 Month PO Tummy Tuck, is This the Norm?

This is not a very good result.

Plastic surgeons are loathe to criticize the work of others, particularly as any surgeon who has operated for any length of time has his own patients with less-than-stellar results. "That could be my patient" is the prevailing attitude, and in fact is always a possibility despite good training, intentions, and complication-free recovery. That being said, this really is a pretty sad result, and you have every right to expect your surgeon to be equally disappointed. Check the... more

Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

www.mpsmn.com

Dog ears after tummy tuck

At one month after surgery, it is normal to expect some degree of puffiness at the ends of the incisions. In your case, though, even after the swelling is gone it looks like you will have extra skin. It probably won't be a major procedure to trim the extra skin, though. To remove all of the extra skin at the first procedure requires making the scar longer, obviously. Allowing for some contraction and then removing a small dog-ear later will result in a shorter... more

Malik Kutty, MD
Sugar Land Plastic Surgeon

Tummy Tuck Recovery and Dog Ears

It is difficult to completely evaluate your tummy tuck result without seeing your before tummy tuck photos, however, I agree with other posters and, unfortunately for you, do not consider this a normal tummy tuck result 1 month postoperatively. Your dog ears are much larger than usual and while I'm sure you still have some swelling, it does appear that your surgeon left a significant amount of excess skin and fat on your abdominal wall. The skin laxity and appearance... more

Jaime Perez MD
Tampa Plastic Surgeon

www.jaimeperezmd.com

Tummy Tuck Result?

Thank you for the question and pictures. Although your surgeon likely had good intentions to keep the incision as short as possible, the “dog ears" present on either side of the incision line are not acceptable and will likely require revision surgery. Assuming your surgeon was a board-certified plastic surgeon continue to follow and express your questions and concerns. Best wishes.

Tom J. Pousti, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

www.poustiplasticsurgery.com

One month from tummy tuck, is this the norm?

No, it is not the norm. I don't want to make you feel bad, but this is nothing like I have ever seen in my practice in the 25 years that I have been doing tummy tucks. (I actually saw a patient who looked like this on this RealSelf board with a similar result asking if this was a normal result. It is not.) The upper incision can be a bit longer than the lower incision, and sometimes there can be some mild gathering. Mild gathering will settle, this degree of... more

Robert M. Grenley, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Revision surgery for poor tummy tuck result.

I am afraid that your result is not typical for a tummy tuck. The excess tissue at the edges of the incisions is unlikely to flatten and a revision procedure is likely. I would recommend seeking a second opinion only from a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in your area for the correction.

David Bogue, MD
Boca Raton Plastic Surgeon

Dog eras

After looking at your pictures I think the dog ears will need to be excised.This can be done in the office as an outpatient.

Robert Brueck, MD
Fort Myers Plastic Surgeon

You will need to have revision

Your results are not acceptable and I would think that your surgeon is not happy with result either . If he or she would consider this as a acceptable result, please find another board certified plastic surgeon. You may continue to improve ,but the pattern of incision and raised scar will not change much.

Kamran Khoobehi, MD
New Orleans Plastic Surgeon

Fatty Pockets and Dog Ears 1 Month PO Tummy Tuck, is This the Norm?

You have every right to be unsatisfied. From your posted photos, I'm concerned that your doctor was not a boarded PS? In my view this is a very mediocre outcome/result. Seek second opinions from ONLY boarded PS's in your area. Yes you need further surgery to correct the "puckering and dog ears".

Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck

The after pictures are helpful and the before would also be useful. The dog ears that you have a little larger than what my settle down on their own. It is likely that you may require a revision but be patient.

David L. Abramson, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Tummy Tuck Recovery and Dog Ears

Thanks for posting the pictures. It would be great if you could post some before pictures as well. You may not want to hear this, but for the sake of all the other people looking at your photos, this IS NOT what you should look like one month after a tummy tuck. You should have a visible incision, but nothing like yours. You are most certainly going to need a revision surgery to remove the dog ears. My Advice would be to let it settle for a least 3 to 6 months... more

David Shafer, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

www.ShaferPlasticSurgery.com

Fatty pockets and dog ears

It looks like your surgeon tried to keep the scar small by tailoring everything toward the middle. you probably will lose some of the dog ear, but do not be surprised if a small touch up is in your future. i would love to see your preop pictures and see how much excess skin you had to begin with