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Is It Normal to Not Get Muscle Repair During a Tummy Tuck?

asked 1 year ago by mystical_1977 in Regina, Sk
Latest answer by Tom J. Pousti, MD
Question viewed 1,045 times
Tags: age 25-34, female, 150-169 lbs, 5 ft 0 in to 5 ft 3 in, muscle tightening, post-pregnancy

I'm 33 years old, 5'3, 154 lbs and have had 3 children with the last being a c-section. I was told that I wouldn't get any muscle repair done during my Tummy tuck! Is this normal? I have not been able to see any results from surgery since i'm bandaged up and wearing a binder until Thursday when i see the surgeon. Will my final results be good without the Muscle Repair?

18 answers to Is It Normal to Not Get Muscle Repair During a Tummy Tuck?

Abdominoplasty without muscle tightening

Am I correct that you are asking AFTER the surgery whether muscle tightening should have been done? An issue this critical should generally be ironed out before the patient has surgery. It would be common not to do the muscle tightening if you were contemplating having more children but were bothered by excess skin, as in massive weight loss patients. Generally we wait until patients no longer anticipate having more children before doing an abdominoplasty. Otherwise, we... more

Brent Moelleken, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

www.drbrent.com

No muscle plication

It is very rare for me to not plicate the muscles in a patient with your anatomy. Unless there is some major detail that you're leaving out of the story, I probably would've opted to do it. There are MINI-TUMM

Ricardo A. Meade, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

www.DoctorMeade.com

Muscle plication and tummy tuck

The tummy tuck procedure typically involves plication of the abdominal wall muscle that have spread during pregnancy or weight gain/loss. Omitting this part of the procedure will leave you with continued abdominal wall laxity and, in my opinion, a less than optimal result. Best wishes.

Tom J. Pousti, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

www.poustiplasticsurgery.com

Muscle repair generally needed after multiple pregnancies

Generally, most women who have had one or more children, will need their abdominal muscles tightened to some degree. Women who have a wider diastasis will need the repair more than others. However, if you have the good fortune of having had children but do not have any widening between the abdominus rectus muscles, then you will not benefit from repair of the muscle. Only your surgeon can see for sure once he/she has lifted up the skin and fat to expose the muscle. more

James Tang, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

Most Tummy-Tucks Get a Muscle Repair for Optimal Results

Aging alone, and even more so with pregnancies and/or obesity, the muscles of the abdomen gets weaker and most tummy-tuck procedures include tightening the 2 recti abdomini muscles. It makes the results so much better by recreating the hour-glass silhouette of a woman's body and by bringing the abdomen "in" for a flatter result. Without the tightening, the 'gut' or intra-abdominal content will continue to protrude. Dr. Marc DuPéré,... more

Marc DuPere, MD
Toronto Plastic Surgeon

Muscle repair during tummy tuck done in most patients.

After three pregnancies and a C-section, I find it unusual to have not received a muscle plication, but not impossible. To decide this ahead of time and to tell you that muscle repair would not be done is quite another matter. If so informed, why did you not ask why? Were you given a "low-price" special? Is your surgeon an ABPS-certified plastic surgeon? At this point, however, the deed is done, and now you have spent your money, had your procedure, and will have to... more

Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

www.mpsmn.com

Muscle repair/tightening required to correct post pregnancy changes

A tightening of your muscles(rectus plication) is needed to reverse the changes from pregnancy. Without a muscle plication, your rectus muscles will remain "separated" and it may cause a continuation of abdominal bulging. Please talk with your surgeon as to his/her reasoning to exclude the muscle plication.

C. Bob Basu, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

www.basuplasticsurgery.com

Muscle repair is the norm in tummy tuck after pregnancy

After one or more pregnancies the abdominal covering tissues relax and the muscles will separate called a diastasis. Correction of the muscle foundation is an important part of the tummy tuck as it is unlikely that the skin alone will hold the proper abdominal tone and contour. We wish you well, and for others, it is essential to do your homework and ask questions carefully rather than hope for the best. Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd

Peter E. Johnson, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Is It Normal to Not Get Muscle Repair During a Tummy Tuck?

80% of ALL TT have some muscle repair. But this is an issue between you and your chosen surgeon. From MIAMI Dr. Darryl j. BLINSKI

Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

VIDEO; Muscle repair with tummy tuck

I perform a muscle repair in 95% of the tummy tucks for correction of a lax abdominal wall following pregnancy in females. I rarely do not perform this except in males or women following massive weight loss. see video

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Muscle tightening with an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck)

Muscle tightening is part of the tummy tuck procedure especially if you have had multiple pregnancies. An exception can be made if you are considering having more children. Good luck!

Dana Khuthaila, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Muscle repair during tummy tuck

It is very common to have the diastasis of your muscles repaired during a tummy tuck. That is what causes most of the post-op discomfort.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Muscle Repair Usual Part of Tummy Tuck

Muscle repair is a standard part of my tummy tuck procedures. I very rarely perform a full tummy tuck in women who have not had pregnancies without a concurrent muscle repair or plication. I do sometimes perform a limited abdominoplasty without a muscle repair when a patients opts for this more limited and less expensive procedure.

John Whitt, MD
Louisville Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck without muscle repair.

Tummy tuck without muscle repair is the exception and I see one every 3-4 years. After going through full term pregnancy you need a muscle tightening if you want to regain your pre pregnancy figure. All the photos that you show beg for muscle repair. I would be surprised if your surgeon was a board certified plastic surgeon. Good luck at the unveiling!

George Marosan, MD
Bellevue Plastic Surgeon

Muscle repair is part of most tummy tucks.

I probably do a mucle tightening in more than 95% of all the tummy tucks I do. To do it after you have had a tummy tuck is to have to go through the whole tummy tuck again. Is your surgeon a plastic surgeon?

Victor Au, MD
Chapel Hill Plastic Surgeon

Repairing separated muscles during Tummy Tuck

It is more common than not to repair the abdominal muscles at the time of abdominoplasty. There are select patients who do not need this aspect of the surgery and that is usually identified before surgery. If you do have muscle looseness that is not repaired, you will continue to bulge in front. Not repairing the muscles means less pain, but often less gain.

Byron D. Poindexter, MD
Reston Plastic Surgeon

Muscle repair with a tummy tuck

In every postpregnancy tummy tuck I do, there is a need for some muscle repair - 100%. Some need more than others but you lose an opportunity to get the flattest abdomen if you don't do one.