Is a Tummy Tuck with No Muscle Repair Going to Give Me Good Results? (photo)

I was examined by a board certified plastic surgeon who says my abdominal separation is minimal. He says he can do a tummy tuck with no muscle repair and lipo on my flanks to give me great results. I have the "flap" and am 5'2" 145 lbs. I do not want a six pack, just no more pouch and a flatter tummy. Is this realistic or should I buckle down and do the muscle repair?

Tags:

flanks muscle repair recommendation second opinion

Comment on this

17 Doctor Answers | Asked by unhappy with my flappy

Doctor Answers (17)
Community Comments (0)

Muscle Repair

While an in person consultation and exam would be necessary to confirm, you would seem to benefit from muscle repair. Consult in person with two or three additional expert and experienced board certified plastic surgeons to explore your options. see video

Muscle Repair Necessary?

Thank you for your question. I would not compromise on your "end result" by only having things partially performed. From your photos, I would recommend a tummy tuck with muscle plication. Best wishes. see video

Tummy tuck - abdominoplasty results

Your posted photos show a protuberant abdomen with a bulge of excess skin and fat above the belly button and another below it. The upper bulge covers the belly button and the lower hangs over your undergarment. That is clear a case for the liposuction and skin removal aspects of a tummy tuck. It can be very hard to assess the degree of muscle laxity deep to these bulges so one should plan on suture tightening of the muscles and then adjust depending on intraoperative findings. I think you... more

Tummy Tuck without muscle repair is not a tummy tuck at all.

If you have carried even one prgnancy to term you need muscle repair to get a teen-ager flat tummy. Total cost is $5346 at my practice. Don't settle for anything less. Dr Foster

Great results? (photo)

You have redundancy of the abdominal wall, and fascial tightening, or "plication," in my opinion, is an important component of abdominoplasty. This maneuver, by diminishing abdominal girth, will permit removal of more abdominal skin.

To do a Tummy Muscle repair or not To? that is the Question.

Difficult to tell without an exam, but, if you have had kids, if you had a rapid weight gain, I would suggest a tummy tuck with muscle repair. There is a reason that muscle repair is done with a tummy tuck, the results are amazing and if not done the result are not much better than just liposuction alone. Do the muscle repair and you will be forever thankful.

Tummy tuck without muscle repair

Thanks for your question. If you were my patient I would want you to have a muscle repair. The question to me is why not repair the muscle? It would greatly improve your result. Good luck.

Lipo vs. Tummy Tuck

Generally when thinking about abdominal contouring the 2 major options we consider are tummy tuck vs liposuction. It is hard to say which would be better without seeing you in person and examining you. Liposuction may do the trick. It is possible after lipo you may have a ledge of overhanging skin or skin folds that can be treated at a later time. The liposuction should improve your contour and tighten the skin a bit. Recovery is relatively easy - compared to tummy tuck - with lipo as well. more

Tummy tuck without muscle plication

The answer is no. The operation involves removal of excess skin AND recontouring of the abdominal wall. This is the only way to achieve a flat abdomen in a case like yours. Removal of skin only will not lead to an aesthetically pleasing result.

Tummy tuck procedure

When I talk to my patients about a tummy tuck I tell them we have two main goals. The first is to remove extra skin and fat. The second is to tighten the abdomnal wall muscles which are loose from children or weight loss. There are a few patients who do not need muscle tightening and there are some who have too much intra abdominal fat so that it is very hard if not impossible to tighten the abdominal wall muscles. If someone is overweight I will often see if they can diet and... more