Tummy Tuck: Q&A

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Plication with Full Tummy Tuck

I am scheduled for a a TT with flank lipo in April. I am 32 years old. I have lost a total of 60 lbs, and have kept it off since June of 2007. I am 5ft 7" and weigh 165. I see where others have posted that they know how many inches, etc. their abdominal muscles have seperated. I have never been pregnant. Is there a chance that my muscles will not need tightened (stitched) or can being overweight seperate them just as much? Thank you in advance for your professional opinion.

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age 25-34 overweight female 5 ft 4 in to 5 ft 7 in 150-169 lbs muscle plication separation

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15 Doctor Answers | Asked by Niffie in Central Minnesota

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Full plication not always needed in abdominoplasty

During the preoperative visit your surgeon should do a full evaluation of your abdominal wall in the standing position, with your normal muscle tone and then with the muscles relaxed in order to determine if you will need a rectus muscle plication or not, how extensive in length or the degree of plication. Besides pregnancy or significant weight gain there are genetic and morphological factors that will determine if the abdominal wall will need reshaping or not. In summary, most patients... more

Full Tummy Tuck Should Include Plication

The terms tummy tuck, abdominoplasty, and plication can be misleading. In general the changes to the female abdominal wall from significant weight loss (obtained by diet and exercise) can be similar to those changes subsequent to child bearing +/- significant weight loss. A rectus diastasis ( separation of the rectus abdominis muscles, usually because of thinned or stretched fascia) is not the only indication for a plication. At times it is helpful to contour and strengthen... more

Abdominal Muscle Plication During Abdominoplasty

Excellent question! In my experience, most patients who have had major weight loss, with or without pregnancy, will require abdominal plication due to stretching of the fascia from weight gain.

Abdominal Muscle Tightening in Tummy Tucks: Creating a waistline

Abdominal muscle tightening or midline plication can be used to repair a diastasis recti which is spreading of the central abdominal muscles, and/or to shape the abdomen and help create a waistline. I do not use it on everyone, but in general someone who has had children and/or has lost weight will have some element of abdominal spreading which would benefit from correction. I use 2 layer of internal sutures to hold this in place and have found that in combination with liposuction, it can... more

The need for plication in a tummy tuck.

You certainly can have a separation (diastasis) of the muscles from increased abdominal weight if that excess weight was underneath the muscle (known as "visceral fat"). However, it is much more common following pregnancy. During your tummy tuck, your plastic surgeon will evaluate your muscle separation and repair it if necessary. This repair is straightforward with the goal of improving the underlying abdominal wall so that the contour effects of the tummy tuck result in a flat,... more

David Bogue, MD

6 reviews

Boca Raton Plastic Surgeon

www.drbogue.com

Separation of tummy muscles,diastasis recti, tummy tuck surgery, repair of muscles with tummy tuck,abdominolasty

The tummy muscles usually separate not only during pregancy but also with weight gain for fat is accumulated around the intestines within the belly. After pregancy or weight loss, the separation becomes apparent. Sometimes, the Tuppler method can help to correct this. This diastasis though is usually surgically corrected with bringing the muscles together during a tummy tuck procedure. This also narrows the waist.

Muscle plication vs no plication

I usually check to see how the tummy looks ahead of time. If it looks flat to begin with, you might not need muscle plication. If it looks like it's bulging, obviously plication is needed. If it is flat because you hold your stomach in and bulges when you are relaxed, then muscle plication will make it tight so you don't have to suck it in. I think this is something that needs to be agreed upon before the procedure. But your Plastic Surgeon might have a different way of going about... more

Plication with Abdominoplasty

Every patient is different, so there is no way to give you specific advice. However, while pregnancy can cause diastasis, obesity can too. I suspect that you will require plication during your abdominoplasty to achieve the best result. However, you should discuss your concerns with your surgeon. Good Luck.

Tummy tuck and liposuction, weight loss

A good preoperative examination can usually demonstrate muscle widening of the abdomen. There are patients who have never been pregnant who have muscle widening. This can be due to weight issues, trauma, other previous surgery, inherent muscle weakness, some connective tissue disorders etc. A surgeon can determine intraoperatively if the muscles have to be tightened. Your recovery will be a lot easier if the muscles don't have to be tightened. Tightening... more

Tummy Tuck Without Muscle Plication

Some patients who have never been pregnant do not need to have their muscles plicated in order to obtain a good result from abdominoplasty. This is something that your surgeon should have discussed with you at the time of your initial consultation. This is a question which he or she should answer before your surgery is performed.

Muscle Tightening Determined in Surgery

Whether you will need muscle tightening is determined intraoperatively. Since you have never been pregnant it is likely that your muscles will not be diastatic (split). Increased weight with signicant intra- abdominal fat can stretch your abdominal wall. It is not so much that your muscles split but the fascia (envelope around the muscles) gets lax. To give you better tone, your surgeon may elect to tighten this area. Not doing this would give you only a partial correction of the... more

Scott R. Brundage, M.D.

5 reviews

Grand Rapids Plastic Surgeon

Not everyone needs muscle repair with tummy tuck

The plastic surgeon you have scheduled your surgery with is the best person to answer your specific questions. Oftentimes, patients who have experienced major weight loss are candidates for the removal of excess skin. Your surgeon will be able to assess the laxity of your abdominal muscles and make a recommendation accordingly.

George John Alexander, MD

3 reviews

Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

Muscle tightening

It may very well be that your muscles do not need to be plicated since you have not been pregnant.If you do not have a bulge in your lower abdomen then I would say you don't need it and it will make your recovery a little easier.

Muscle tightening is not always needed in patients who have not been pregnant

In patients like yourself, with loose skin from weight loss but who have not been pregnant, muscle tightening or rectus plication may not be necessary. It is possible that when you were 100 lbs heavier, that some of that weight was carried inside your abdomen, in which case, the muscles may have separated. The position of the rectus muscles should be evaluated by examination in person. If they are not separated, a muscle tightening is not necessary. Also, you are... more

Rectus diastasis repair in weight loss patients

Your surgeon will assess the degree of rectus diastasis, and abdominal wall laxity, during your procedure - in my mind, the abdominal wall repair is the most powerful part of a TT procedure - most patients have some myofascial laxity after weight loss that would be improved from tightening.