Lipo or Tummy Tuck with an Upside-down T?

I recently had a Tummy Tuck consultation with a plastic surgeon. I'm 5'3, 110 lbs, and I want a full Tummy Tuck, but might end up with an upside-down T. The other option was aggressive Liposuction on the abs and flanks, Vaser Liposuction, and lower skin excision. Which option is better for me? Why would I end up with an upside-down T?

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abdomen flanks

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10 Doctor Answers | Asked by bebejuicypink in CA

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Without a picture it is hard to give specific advice

Without a picture it is hard to give specific advice. With abodminoplasty, there are many options. The inverted or up-side-down T is only necessary if there is not enough loose skin between your belly button and the low incision. It is rarely necessary to do this. In most cases, this skin can be excised (removed) without much difficult. Good luck with your surgery.

There are many options available

When considering to proceed with a surgical procedure you must feel comfortable with the plan and the surgeon. From the sound of your question you are not excited and are looking for another option. Perhaps you should seek another opinion before making a decision. The inverted t incision works well for removing lots of excess skin however the trade off is the incision. Other options include incisions up your sides or an incision completely around your body. It really depends upon your... more

Avoid "aggressive liposuction"

Overdone liposuction will potentially cause damage to you that is not correctable and won't tighten your skin as well as a tummy tuck. There are many scar patterns availablefor tummy tucks and usually we try to avoid a vertical as often as possible.

Tight skin with long scar or less fat?

You are 5'3'' and weigh 110 pounds, so I assume your problem is not a big abdomen with a lot of fat. I assume what you want is tight skin, but not having a lot of excess skin, the surgeon is worried the skin over the belly button will not reach all the way to the pubis. Ask him how long the vertical scar will be. In my experience, I have found that 99% of the time, even when the skin does not reach the pubis, using the skin bordering the umbilicus as the "vertical element" of the... more

Different versions of the upside down T scar for abdominoplasty

There are a couple of things to consider here. Usually, when we refer to the upside down T scar, it is a vertical line extending all the way from the navel to the horizontal scar which is low. This is done only for massive weight loss patients, which doesn't sound like you. The other version is a short, vertically oriented scar from closing the hole where the belly button was. This occurs because most often we remove all of the skin between the navel and the pubic area, which means that the... more

Have not been impressed with "upside down" results

In my opinion, few women are good candidates for the "upside-down" procedure you refer to. Most patients can get excellent results with the traditional horizontal lower abdominal scar, possibly with a small vertical extension if the skin laxity is not great enough to allow advancement of the point just above the belly button to the lower abdomen without too much tension.

Upside down "T"? incision for tummy tuck

It is difficult to suggest one option over another without examining you. I am not sure why your doctor suggested a "T" incision unless you had massive weight loss and you have significant skin laxity. If you are unhappy with the suggestions from the surgeon you meet with, get a second opinion.

Steven Wallach, MD

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Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

There is probably a better third option.

Hi! It's hard to tell exactly without examining you, of course, but most women like you benefit by a full abdominoplasty with a low, horizontal scar only. I doubt very much that you need an upside down T scar, unless you have lost a great deal of weight. I have published about this topic. On the other hand, most women do not get full correction with "aggressive" liposuction and lower skin removal. And you can get irregularities, and looseness of the upper belly. It really... more

Tummy tucks options

It seems as though you're caught in the middle of several tummy tuck options. For those that don't have a lot of excess skin and fat, but do have some abdominal wall laxity, a full tummy tuck is an option, but in order to keep the incision low you may have a "t" incision. This is because the incisions around your belly button may remain on your abdomen instead of being removed of you have a lot of excess skin. A new hole is made for your belly button in a full tummy tuck. To... more

Patients generally are dissatsified with vertical abdominoplasty scars

These are two very different options. Although the upside down T may give you the overall best correction, I have had many patients complain about the vertical scar when performed by other surgeons. Therefore I tend to avoid it with the exception of massive weight loss or previous vertical scars or severe stretch marks