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Will a Tummy Tuck Scar Drop over Time?

asked 1 year ago by KSP2 in California
Latest answer by Robert M. Grenley, MD
Question viewed 1,049 times
Tags: drop, scar

I had surgery 3 weeks ago. The doctor marked where I wanted the scar given the underwear I wore, but the scar is about 1" higher than that now, so not concealed by my underwear. He says it will drop over the next few months, but I don't see anything online supporting that. Will it drop? How much and when? Thank you for your help!

16 answers to Will a Tummy Tuck Scar Drop over Time?

Tummy tuck scars - how to make a lower scar

Scars for a tummy tuck will end up roughly midway between the upper incision (usually just above the umbilicus) and the lower incision. Sometimes if the upper abdomen releases more than anticipated, the scar will be a bit lower, for example if the patient has had a lot of scarring from a prior liposuction procedure, or has a great deal of upper abdominal looseness. But generally, the incision ends up slightly higher than midway between the umbilicus and the lower incision. So... more

Brent Moelleken, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

www.drbrent.com

Tummy tuck scar too high...will it drop?

In my opinion, in a word, no. We work hard to try to place the scar low and as accurately as possible, but there is always a small amount of variability as to where it will end up and patients should be warned of this. Some surgeons try to avoid leaving a small vertical scar from closure of the old umbilical site by raising the whole scar higher. I think this is not a desirable trade-off. If over time, perhaps a year or two, your skin relaxes a bit, then maybe the scar can be lowered a... more

Robert M. Grenley, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Drifting tummy tuck scars...

Tummy tuck scars are more likely to drift in an upward direction rather than downward. This is due to the upward pull on the scar from the upper abdominal flap. It's possible your surgeon feels the postoperative swelling is making the incision placement appear displaced, and once it goes down it will be in a slightly different location. I'm not sure that will happen, but in any case, 3 weeks after surgery is too early for any revision. I would recommend allowing time for your... more

Anita Patel, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Will a tummy tuck scar drop over time?

The scar will probably not drop, but it may fade to the extent that it could be hard to see, so I would leave it for 6-12 months to see how it settles. It is possible to surgically lower the scar, but it can be difficult, with no guarantee of success.

Jonathan J Staiano, MBBS
Birmingham Plastic Surgeon

TT scar will not drop

When marking an abdominoplasty incision it is imperative that the abdominal tissues be pulled upward firmly as they will be afterwards (more in the center than on the sides). If they aren't the incision will be too high which may be what happened to you. It takes practice. I made this mistake marking my own abdominoplasty incision twenty years ago. The scar has not dropped even a little since then. The scar faded over a year or more and doesn't... more

Lori H. Saltz, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

www.ljcsc.com

Tummy Tuck Scar Locations Are The Result Of Presurgical Markings And The Tension Of The Wound Closure

Once the horizontal tummy tuck scar is set at the completion of the procedure, it largely is not going to change after it heals. It most certainly will not drop and may slightly raise up a bit. (although not much) Although tummy tuck closure appears to depend completely on the upper skin flap being brought down to the lower incisional edge above the pubis, it is not really a complete unidirectional tissue shift. Depending on whether it is a mini- or a full tummy tuck and what the... more

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD
Indianapolis Plastic Surgeon

www.eppleyplasticsurgery.com

There is hope...

Picking a location for the tummy tuck incision site take s some practice and experience. In general its nice to have the incision as low as possible because then it can be hidden in nice lingerie, undergarments or swimwear. If your surgeon based the incision on the underwear location and didn't take into consideration displacement of the skin with the procedure then sometimes it will end up riding higher than anticipated. If there is still ( hopefully)... more

Kimberly A. Henry, MD
Greenbrae Plastic Surgeon

Will an abdominoplasty scar drop?

It is unlikely that your scar will drop. However, as it fades it will be less of a problem for you. Most patients make a few clothing adjustments to keep the scar concealed, and I rarely hear any complaints about the scar. Remember that the final scar location is determined by the 'tug-of-war' between the tissues above and below the incision. It is not always possible for the surgeon to guarantee its final position.

Eric Pugash, MD
Vancouver Plastic Surgeon

www.vancouvercosmeticsurgery.ca

Tummy Tuck Scar Position

I doubt the scar will drop much . It has been my experience that they tend to rise some as the patient straightens out. In general, I like to see at least 4 inches between the umbilicus (belly button) and the top of the scar - more if possible. Scar position is one of my 3 "keys" to a good tummy tuck.

Daniel Reichner, MD
Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon

Position of Tummy Tuck Scar

Many changes do take place over the first three months after surgery and maybe even some "drift" of the scar, but not much. Everything is still tight and swollen now and as this decreases you will have a much better idea of the final result. After things have completely relaxed a few months down the road there may be enough looseness to move the scar down some more. Interestingly in marking the tummy tuck incision line it is important to pull the skin up tight in... more

Byron D. Poindexter, MD
Reston Plastic Surgeon

Will a tummy tuck scar drop after surgery?

Tummy tuck scars tend to stay where the surgeon placed it or it might rise. If the scar is too high now, it will not drop. Depending on the tension across the incision, the scar usually tends to rise. I place my suprapubic scar 6cm above the convergence of the labia majora and also use suture fixation internally to prevent the pubic area being pulled up into the lower abdomen.

George Marosan, MD
Bellevue Plastic Surgeon

A tummy tuck scar will not drop over time

Placement of the incision line in a tummy tuck procedure is very important when planning in order to ensure that the scar will be concealed under the clothing you will wear after your procedure. Wearing your underwear as you did is an excellent way for your surgeon to see what you expect after. Unfortunately if the incision is placed too high it will not move lower as you heal. Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd

Peter E. Johnson, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck scars do not drop with time

If your scar is too high now, it will not 'drop' into a better position over time. It was likely placed too high to begin with, and the tension created by TT closure promotes an upward 'drift' of TT scars. I try to place my TT scars as low as possible, relying on the zones of adhesion along the groin area to limit the migration of the scar upward.

Scott Sattler, MD
Bellevue Plastic Surgeon

Will a Tummy Tuck Scar Drop over Time?

In my over 30 years I have yet to see a TT scar "drop"! Sorry but that is my opinion. From MIAMI Dr. Darryl j. Blinski

Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Does an abdominoplasty scar drop in position over time? Can it's position be altered?

In general, the scar position in a tummy tuck changes little over time. If it was placed high, it will mostl likely remain as such. Nevertheless, you are only 3 weeks postoperatively which is still very early. At around 3 - 4 months you will have a much more refined idea where it will be situated. That being said, there are some ways to lower the scars down to some extent but this would depend on several factors including the location, tissue tension and skin quality. For this, I would... more

Steven Turkeltaub, MD
Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon

www.turkeltaub.com

Tummy tuck scar location

While it might be true that a scar's position can change, it depends on the opposing forces or tension that are present. I will tack the skin closure down to the deep fascia or lining of the abdominal muscle to secure in the location that is desired. If there is a lot of tension in the abdominal flap, it can actually pull the scar up over time. It depends if the surgeon applied the same, opposing tension to the pubic skin when the wound was closed. There is not much you can do anyway so... more