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Tummy Tuck Through Incision Under the Breasts?

asked 3 years ago by jmnda in la, ca usa
Latest answer by Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD
Question viewed 2,577 times
Tags: incision, technique

I have no stretch marks and I have fairly tight skin. I have very severe diastasis. I'll be having a breast augmentation, and was wondering, is it possible to also have a Tummy Tuck done with the incision under the breasts, not from one side of the hip to the other?

20 answers to Tummy Tuck Through Incision Under the Breasts?

Reverse tummy tuck

Patients who have loose deep fascia may want to get this tightened. This can be done through minimal incisions (endoscopic tummy tuck or hybrid tummy tuck). It is no longer necessary to get a hip to hip incision to tighten the entire deep fascia. It is possible to remove a small to moderate amount of upper only abdominal skin through a breast lift incision, not through a breast augmentation incision. It can actually be a very satisfying procedure for a fit woman without a lot of loose... more

Brent Moelleken, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

www.drbrent.com

Reverse Upper Abdominoplasty for Diastasis

I regularly perform upper tummy tucks for excess skin in the upper abdomen withtthe scars hidden in the inframammry fold under the breasts. This surgery can be performed alone if the only concern is excessive or loose skin in the upper abdomen. Often, patients with this concern have had a mini tuck from another physician who did not address fullness in the upper abdomen. Usually, however, I perform an upper abdominoplasty in conjunction with a mini tummy tuck. The muscle repair... more

Michael Law, MD
Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon

michaellawmd.com

Great concept, but bad idea for your situation.

A reverse abdominoplasty is sometimes done in patients undergoing large breast reduction surgery since the incision goes from one side of the chest to the other. However, if you are having breast augmentation, then you should have very small incisions (<3 cm each). The incision to do the reverse abdominoplasty would be closer to 30 to 40 cm. Even if you did not mind the incision, the results from reverse abdominoplasty do not look as nice as traditional abdominoplasty. Please really... more

David Shafer, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

www.ShaferPlasticSurgery.com

No Do-Over's: A Scar is Forever

If you are concerned about an incision across the pelvic brim, which should be hidden by your underwear and most swimwear, you should ask the surgeon if he (or she) would, in good conscience, place the proposed incision on his wife or sister's chest. I'd be willing to bet the answer would be NO, approximately 999 times out of 1000. First, there is nothing inherently wrong with placing breast implants through the inframammary fold, with the exception that this incision is sometimes visible... more

Athleo Louis Cambre, MD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Consider a though the belly button abdominal wall tightening procedure!

As you'll notice above, there is general disagreement about the procedure you're considering. If skin is not an issue on your abdomen, you should consider having an abdominal wall tightening (rectus diastasis repair) through an incision placed only in the belly button. You do not need additional scars in the pubic area or underneath the breasts. The procedure takes about 60-90 minutes and can accomplish the same thing from an abdominal wall tightening perspective that a full... more

David L. Kaufman, MD
Folsom Plastic Surgeon

Don't try this

This would be an ill advised procedure in my opinion. It is possible however to do a rectus diastasis repair from a small lower abdominal incision. Some surgeons even do this endoscopically.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

I would avoid this in most cases

This technique (a reverse abdominoplasty) is helpful only in certain cases, and the two biggest problems with it are the presence of the scar and the inability to adequately contour the abdomen. A traditional tummy tuck works very well and the scar is not only hidden but will usually fade quite a bit with time.

Shahram Salemy, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

www.drsalemy.com

Reverse abdominoplasty

You're describing a technique called a reverse abdominoplasty. You are correct that the incision changes from being from hip to hip to being across the entire chest at the level of the inframammary fold. This can be an effective technique for patients with significant amounts of excess skin above the umbilicus. Here are the things that are important to consider: 1. Even though the majority of the scar is hidden within the breast fold, the scar typically also continues between the breasts... more

Steven H. Williams, MD
San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

A tummy tuck is rarely performed through an incision under the breasts.

The scars of this type of operation are usually unacceptable. It is occasionaly done in massive weight loss patients as a secondary procedure to an extended abdominoplasty. I personally have never used the approach in any other patients.

Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Diastasis Repair

I would not recommend a "reverse" tummy tuck when having a breast augmentation. A reverse tummy tuck places the incision in the upper chest rather than at the lower abdomen. This is particularly useful for women with excessive skin in the upper abdomen rather than the lower abdomen. Often, this is performed after massive weight loss and can be combined with a breast reduction or lift. For issues related only to a diastasis or separation of the rectus muscles, I recommend a... more

David Bogue, MD
Boca Raton Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck through inframammary incision

Tummy tucks are a very popular and effective procedure to contour the abdomen. In a small select group of patients, it is possible to perform a vertical tummy tuck where the incision is placed underneath both breasts. This is best for patient who does not have excess skin or bulge in the lower abdomen. Naturally, patients like this are uncommon so this surgery is performed rarely. If you have severe diastasis which involves the lower abdomen, the best procedure for you is a regular tummy... more

B. Pat Pazmino, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

www.miamiaesthetic.com

Reverse Tummy Tuck or Abdominoplasty

Some people call this the reverse tummy tuck. It tends to leave a more visible scar then the coventional tummy tuck. The muscle repair cannot always be completed through the upper abdominal scar but it can be accomplished through limited pubic or umbilical scars.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

The short answer is maybe

If your major procedure is the breast augmentation you should probably have that done with incisions at the fold beneath the breast or at the areolar border. At the same time if you have a major diastasis of your rectus muscles, but minimal skin excess, a nice procedure is through a short pubic scar (as with a c-section) and a small incision at the belly button through which an endoscope can be introduced to help visualize and repair the stretched out fascial tissue. Alternatively, if... more

David J. Levens, MD
Coral Springs Plastic Surgeon

www.drlevens.com

Think this one out- no do overs

You can get two small incisions for the implants and a well placed tt incision that can be hidden beneath your favorite underwear or swimsuit. It is a very powerful procedure that can have lipo used as an adjunct. OR You can have a scar that can extend from one side of yor breast to the other, and will likely not be able to give you the same powerful result.

Scott E. Kasden, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Reverse tummy tuck

The reverse tummy tuck may be an effective procedure for loose upper abdominal skin, but not if you only require correction of a diastasis recti. You would do better with an endoscopic or fiberoptic tummy tuck or a full tummy tuck with insertion of your breast implants through the tummy tuck incision. Good luck!

Kenneth R. Francis, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Incisions aren't always a bad thing.

Your clinical situation is unusual. Most women who have a severe diastasis don't usually get to keep their abdomens stretch mark free and tight. Any procedure that attempts to tighten only the diastasis of the rectus muscles will cause a midline bunching of skin that will have to be addressed. This can only be done by some type of skin incision. If this bunching is just below the belly button then a mini tummy tuck is possible. If the bunching is above and below the belly button, then a... more

Manish H. Shah, MD
Denver Plastic Surgeon

I do not recommend this.

When the only abdominal problem is the diastasis, this is corrected through a short incision at the level of the pubic hair. Surgery is done with fiberoptic retractors or endoscopically. You need to get around the belly button to correct both the upper and the lower diastasis. Patients accept this scar well. Trying to do this through incisions under the breasts will only lead to problems. With cosmetic surgery, it is always best to do the safest thing. It sounds good, but it really isn't. more

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Reverse abdominoplasty with breast augmentation

You are asking about a reverse abdominoplasty to be done at the same time as a breast augmentation. This will only help the upper third of the abdomen. A better alternative is erforming a full tummy tuck and using that approach to insert breast implants without adding an incision on the breasts. This is called a TABA or transabdominal breast augmentation. It basically saves an incison on the breast. This is something that I have a lot of expereince with, and have presented papers and have... more

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Customization of procedure

What you are trying to accomplish will point to the surgical procedure required. If your skin is"normal" and you have little or no excess fat, and if your sole goal is to correct the diastasis of the recti abdominis muscles, you can do this through any incision your surgeon feels comforatable with. Some use endoscopic methods, some use a short "Mini-tuck" incision, and some might be proficient in doing this through an inframammary incision. You will need to remember that... more

Robin T.W. Yuan, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Reverse Tummy Tuck Surgery is kinda limited.

Hello, This can be done, but I have seen the results and they are not the same as in a regular tummy tuck. It is hard to produce the same tension as in a regular tummy tuck and have the result look good. The incision is also more obvious. Not all things that can be done, should be done. Be careful. Best Regards, John Di Saia MD