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What Causes Pointed Protrusions on Either End of Abdominoplasty Scar?

asked 9 months ago by jackieliz in El Paso, TX
Latest answer by Tom J. Pousti, MD
Question viewed 474 times
Tags: dog ears, scar tissue

I am considering abdominoplasty and have 3 friends who all had this same procedure years ago with the same surgeon. All 3 have soft but pointed protrusions-the almost look like horns-at either end of their incision. These women affectionately call them their "squishy-squishies".I am wondering what possibly caused these and if they can be avoided. I understand scarring is inevitable, but I would be unhappy with that result.

20 answers to What Causes Pointed Protrusions on Either End of Abdominoplasty Scar?

Dog ears after tummy tuck surgery

Irregular scars at the end of tummy tuck incisions are referred to as "dog ears"; which are raised areas of skin. These can be avoided at the time of surgery by careful incision planning as well as by liposuction of this area so that the "corners" are flat. If this is recognized at the conclusion of a tummy tuck, the incision can easily be extended a few centimeters and the extra skin is trimmed until the contour is flat. Best wishes, Dr. Bruno more

William Bruno, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

www.williambrunomd.com

Dog ears after tummy tuck

What you are describing is a term known as dog ears. Dog ears are formed when there is a mismatch in the amount of excess skin and fat removed as it relates to the length of the scar. If the surgeon tries to close an incision and doesn’t excise enough skin, then, the edges on both sides of the scar to pucker creating unnatural results. The good news is that it can be fixed easily by just excising the excess skin and fat.

Wilberto Cortes, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

Lateral dog ears

Hello, As the previous plastic surgeons have mentioned these are called dog ears. The simplest explanation is that they can occur when the geometry of the tummy tuck resection is as such that the tissue at the sides is under minimal tension or excess tissue presence compared to the center. These are fairly common when the incision is kept fairly short compared to the amount of tissue removed. the closer the resection tissue is to a circle in shape the higher the chance... more

Remus Repta, MD
Phoenix Plastic Surgeon

Dog ears from Abdominoplasty

It sounds like what you are describing is what most people call "dog ears." This is an out-pouching of skin at either end of the incision in an abdominoplasty. This happens when the surgeon make the incision too short or the patient demands a mini-incision. It is physically impossible excise skin and bring the edges together smoothly while trying to cheat the incision shorter. This only leads to "dog ears" or irregularities in the skin contour.... more

David Shafer, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

www.ShaferPlasticSurgery.com

Pointed protrusions at ends of abdominoplasty scar are "dog ears," and additional surgery can fix them.

These abdominoplasty dog ears are a direct result of the operating surgeon's technique, and proper initial incision design can MINIMIZE (but not completely eliminate) how often this occurs in tummy tuck patients. Extending the incisions laterally (more to the side) can also eliminate them, but the scar length is increased. Hence, the trade-off every surgeon and patient has to be aware of! Either the surgeon tries to keep the scar as short as possible and sometimes gets a pair of... more

Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

www.mpsmn.com

Explanation of "dog ears" or bulging at the ends of a scar

The protrusions at both ends of the abdominoplasty scar are better known as "dog ears". Without explaining the geometrical underpinnings, they occur as a result of the surgeon trying to limit the incision length hoping that with wound maturation, this bulging will resolve. Sometimes this strategy is effective enough to be successful resulting in a shorter scar than otherwise would have been the case. When it is not, these "dog ears" are the result. These can virtually... more

Steven Turkeltaub, MD
Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon

www.turkeltaub.com

Dog ears after abdominoplasty

These are usually called dog ears and can be avoided with a slightly longer incision. Some surgeons will make a very long incision and call it an extended abdominoplasty so they can charge you more. If you do happen to have a dog ear, most surgeons will revise this under local for no additional charge because it really should have been dealt with with the original procedure.

Richard Dale Reynolds, MD
El Paso Plastic Surgeon

What causes pointed protrusions (dog ears) on either side of tummy tuck scar?

The "squishy-squishies" or soft but pointed protrusions after a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty are often termed "dog ears" or "standing cones". The best way to avoid this and have a better abdominal contour is to perform an extended abdominoplasty. By extending the scar, the abdominal contour and waistline are improved and dog ears are avoided. It is better to have this corrected in the first surgery than having to have a future revision. Hope this helps,... more

Frank Agullo, MD
El Paso Plastic Surgeon

www.elpasoplasticsurgery.com

Tummy Tuck Scars and Dog Ears?

Thank you for the question. The areas you are referring to (dog ears) amount to " excess" skin and/or adipose tissue at the end of the tummy tuck incision lines. These can be avoided by making sure the incision is long enough to remove the redundant skin and adipose tissue. Otherwise, patients may be displeased with the appearance of these areas and revisionary surgery may become necessary. Address your concerns with your surgeon prior to surgery. Best... more

Tom J. Pousti, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

www.poustiplasticsurgery.com

Dog Ears

What you are describing are termed dog ears. They are usually the result of not extending the incision far enough laterally. Usually they are small and can easily be revised under local in the surgeons office. some patients present for tummy tuck surgery that have excessive amounts of excess or large fatty hip rolls that make the prevention of dog ears difficult to avoided without extending the tummy tuck incision on to the back requiring different positions at the time of surgery.This is... more

Richard Linderman, MD
Indianapolis Plastic Surgeon

Dog ear from a tummy tuck

What you have described can be a common problem after having a tummy tuck and is referred to as "dog ears". It is usually caused by technical error in the initial design of the incision. This is the result of the removal of a significant amount of skin with an incision that is not long enough. Correction is general straight forward and usually consist of excising more skin/tissue. However in certain situation liposuction by itself may be all that is needed. In any event,... more

Mark A. Jabor, MD
El Paso Plastic Surgeon

www.elpasolaser.com

Dog ears and tummy tucks

Dog ears, excess of skin at the end of the incisions, after a tummy tuck are generally due to a lack of intra-operative attention and meticulousness. Once the upper abdominal skin is brought down during the abdominoplasty there are methods that we use to assess the need to take care of the dog ear. This generally includes slight extension of the incision to a point that there is smooth transition. This takes a little time and passion to do. If not done, then patient will come back later for... more

Sepehr Egrari, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

www.egrari.com

Dogears after tummy tuck

Dogears are not that uncommon after tummy tuck. These are usually from trying to keep the incision short. They can be removed easily under local anesthesia after things have settled. Donald R. Nunn MD Atlanta Plastic Surgeon.

Donald Nunn, MD, DDS
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Dog ears after tummy tuck

As the other surgeons have pointed out, these are best dealt with at the time of the tummy tuck. I hardly ever leave a dogear because it means another procedure, a touchup, at the office and I would rather take care of it when I see it. The removal of a bit more skin and the fat underneath it are what is needed to prevent this in the first place.

Victor Au, MD
Chapel Hill Plastic Surgeon

Dog ears after abdominoplasty

The skin protrusions you describe are refered to as"dog ears". These are not rare and can be easily corrected by an excisional procedure, usually in the office setting. These may occur when an attempt is made to keep the final scar too short which can result in a bunching of the skin at the ends of the incisions. A longer scar, well placed, with smooth lateral contours is usually preferable.

David A. Bottger, MD
Philadelphia Plastic Surgeon

What Causes Pointed Protrusions on Either End of Abdominoplasty Scar?

Tell your friends they are called "dog ears". Minor attention to detail during the operation can resolve these issues by extending the lateral excision of skin another 1 or 2 inches. If after the operation a minor local and excision can be done.

Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Revising dog ears after your abdominoplasty

Excessive lateral abdominal skin after your abdominoplasty is termed dog ears. It results either inadquate skin removal during your procedure. However, not all patients desire to have their scar lengthened during their initial surgery, and thus are left with these undesireable results. Depending upon their size, these can removed by lengthening your scar either in the office, or in the operating room. The recovery period is significantly shorter than your tummy tuck procedure. Usually a... more

Jeffrey D. Hoefflin, MD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Dog ears

Bulges at the end of an abdominoplasty scar at affectionally named dog ears. They can be minimized by defatting or liposuctioning at the end of the incision. The hip bone underneath is unforgiving so it shows more there. It is due to the width of the ellipse of skin removed vs the lenght of the scar. We try to keep the scar as short as we can, but sometimes the dog ear results. Touch up in the office after a number of months allowing it to get smaller can quickly correct the bulge but it... more

Rick Rosen, MD
Norwalk Plastic Surgeon

Dog ears after tummy tuck

These are commonly called "dog ears." When you remove tissue in an elliptical pattern (football shape) and then close the incision as a line as is done during a tummy tuck, there is a chance you will get a dog ear at the end of the incision on either side. If the incision as made longer, the dog ears can usually be prevented, but this will result in a longer scar. If you already have dog ears, they can be removed, but the scar will need to be lengthened. more

Laurence Weider, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Dog ears

These are commonly called dog ears. It has to do with excess tissue and the length of a scar. As plastic surgeons, we try to minimize the length of scars as much as possible. On occasion if the scars are made too short, skin puckers at the ends like pleats in a skirt or pants. These can be corrected but require lengthening the scar..