I am almost 3 weeks post-op tummy tuck. I am 5'8" and weigh 115 pounds. I chose the tummy tuck to remove stretch marks and loose skin so I could wear a bikini. The scar was made at my pubic hairline but now that I am trying to stand up straight, I have noticed that my scar and pubic hairline are much higher. I still am not even at a full upright position and am afraid of it continuing to pull upward. Now the scar and my pubic hair are visible when I wear a bathing suit or panties. Help?
Answer: Tummy tuck scar When the skin of the abdomen gets stretched out from pregnancy, usually the skin of the pubic region gets stretched out as well. If this is not compensated for by reducing the height of the pubic hairline (essentially cutting out the upper portion of skin containing pubic hair) you can end up with the pubic hairline rising up too high. Without seeing your situation, I cannot determine if this is the case with your outcome.
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CONTACT NOW Answer: Tummy tuck scar When the skin of the abdomen gets stretched out from pregnancy, usually the skin of the pubic region gets stretched out as well. If this is not compensated for by reducing the height of the pubic hairline (essentially cutting out the upper portion of skin containing pubic hair) you can end up with the pubic hairline rising up too high. Without seeing your situation, I cannot determine if this is the case with your outcome.
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CONTACT NOW July 20, 2011
Answer: Rising Scar
The incision from a tummy tuck will rise after surgery during the healing process. It is crucial to plan the final position of the incision during the marking. Meaning placing the original incision lower so that the anticipated rise when the patient is completely upright the incision is still hidden in the panty line.
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Answer: Rising Scar
The incision from a tummy tuck will rise after surgery during the healing process. It is crucial to plan the final position of the incision during the marking. Meaning placing the original incision lower so that the anticipated rise when the patient is completely upright the incision is still hidden in the panty line.
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July 18, 2011
Answer: Why is my Pubic Hairline and Scar Being Pulled Upwards After my Tummy Tuck?
From your description I see two issues. First, the pre operative discussion was not clear between you and your surgeon. In other words, you should have requested that the incision be low enough to be covered by your bikini. Second, the experience of the surgeon, maybe he did not or does not know that the incision moves upward in a TT. Well best to allow some more healing than consider a revision.
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Answer: Why is my Pubic Hairline and Scar Being Pulled Upwards After my Tummy Tuck?
From your description I see two issues. First, the pre operative discussion was not clear between you and your surgeon. In other words, you should have requested that the incision be low enough to be covered by your bikini. Second, the experience of the surgeon, maybe he did not or does not know that the incision moves upward in a TT. Well best to allow some more healing than consider a revision.
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October 28, 2016
Answer: Anchoring sutures Thank you for your post. It is not common for surgeons to anchor the lower incision to the fascia or covering of the abdominal muscles to keep the scar low, however, I do use this technique and agree with it. All the tension on the incision is from above, not below, and thus the scar tends to move toward the area of maximal tension (towards the ribs/bellybutton). This moves the scar higher than desired. I like to keep my scars very low, and feel that anchoring the scar helps accomplish this. The following photo is an example of this.
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October 28, 2016
Answer: Anchoring sutures Thank you for your post. It is not common for surgeons to anchor the lower incision to the fascia or covering of the abdominal muscles to keep the scar low, however, I do use this technique and agree with it. All the tension on the incision is from above, not below, and thus the scar tends to move toward the area of maximal tension (towards the ribs/bellybutton). This moves the scar higher than desired. I like to keep my scars very low, and feel that anchoring the scar helps accomplish this. The following photo is an example of this.
Helpful 3 people found this helpful
February 13, 2019
Answer: The Migrating Scar
Tummy tuck scar migration is due to one thing only, tension. At the start of a tummy tuck the surgeon cuts around the belly button. After the skin is pulled down the hope is that enough skin can be removed so that the top incision is made at the top of the belly button incision, thus removing it. If not then the belly button incision can end up as a small vertical incision. Not such a big deal. In fact none of my patients have ever complained about it.
Some surgeons get fixated on getting out the belly button incision and will severely flex the patient on the operating room table. Although they can then make the top incision high enough the tension that it puts on the wound closure can lead to several potential complications. First, the tension can cause the blood flow to the skin to be severely comprimised leading to wound healing issues or at worst skin loss. And secondly the severe tension eventually pulls up the skin in the midline, because that's where the most tension is. Unfortunately, there's no way to correct it and it will continue to migrate until the tension is gone.
I tell my patients when I think they may have a small vertical scar because patients prefer this to a migrated scar.
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February 13, 2019
Answer: The Migrating Scar
Tummy tuck scar migration is due to one thing only, tension. At the start of a tummy tuck the surgeon cuts around the belly button. After the skin is pulled down the hope is that enough skin can be removed so that the top incision is made at the top of the belly button incision, thus removing it. If not then the belly button incision can end up as a small vertical incision. Not such a big deal. In fact none of my patients have ever complained about it.
Some surgeons get fixated on getting out the belly button incision and will severely flex the patient on the operating room table. Although they can then make the top incision high enough the tension that it puts on the wound closure can lead to several potential complications. First, the tension can cause the blood flow to the skin to be severely comprimised leading to wound healing issues or at worst skin loss. And secondly the severe tension eventually pulls up the skin in the midline, because that's where the most tension is. Unfortunately, there's no way to correct it and it will continue to migrate until the tension is gone.
I tell my patients when I think they may have a small vertical scar because patients prefer this to a migrated scar.
Helpful 2 people found this helpful