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

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?

Tags:

age 25-34 female 5 ft 0 in to 5 ft 3 in 150-169 lbs muscle tightening post-pregnancy

Comment on this

18 Doctor Answers | Asked by mystical_1977 in Regina, Sk

Doctor Answers (18)
Community Comments (2)

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

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.

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

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

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

11 reviews

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

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.

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

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

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