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What Causes Upper Tummy Bulge After Tummy Tuck?

asked 3 years ago by Newmee in albuquerque
Latest answer by David Shafer, MD
Question viewed 1,875 times
Tags: abdomen

I have researched the Tummy Tuck procedure extensively. Online, I have been coming across people who, at 3-5 years post op, have flat lower abs but also have upper belly bulge. They had nice initial results. Why might this have happened and how can it be prevented, if any?

7 answers to What Causes Upper Tummy Bulge After Tummy Tuck?

+1

Bulges after tummy tucks

If a mini tuck was performed with no tightening of the fascia, this could cause a bulge in the upper abdomen. Mini tucks can be performed with full fascial tightening (I e hybrid tummy tuck (TM). Still even if a beautifully performed full tummy tuck was performed bulges can result. Remember that the patient's fascia is aggressively tightened, not completely replaced with a young fascia that has never had the stretching of childbirth. Your doctor should be realistic with you. Not... more
Brent Moelleken, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

www.drbrent.com

+1

Several possibilities for bulges after tummy tuck

There are several possibilities for bulges after tummy tuck. During the tummy tuck, the fascia is usually plicated (brought together) to tighten up the muscles. If this becomes loose, then a bulge can form in the location of the looseness. This can happy immediately after surgery or years later. This is very rare. If the bulge appears soon after surgery, you may have a seroma or fluid collection that can simply be drained and rarely needs surgery. In the vast majority of tummy... more
David Shafer, MD

New York Plastic Surgeon

www.ShaferPlasticSurgery.com

+1

Fat Redistribution

I like Dr. Beraka's answer, so I will not repeat his excellent summary. I would just add that when you take fat out of the body, via lipo or Tummy Tuck, the body readjusts its total fat content according to the "calories in, calories out" balance. If there is no change in diet or activity level, the body will continue to store fat, but since the fat cells in the lower abdomen are gone, it will look to store fat in nearby areas. The upper abdomen is a common place for the fat... more
Ricardo Rodriguez, MD

Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

www.cosmeticsurg.net

+1

Couple of reasons for residual or recurrent upper abdominal fullness

First of all, be wary of drawing conclusions from, or comparing one patient to another in, photos. They don't always tell the full story. If aggressive liposuction is performed on the epigastric region, lymphatic drainage is disturbed and one can develop a roll of induration and edema. I don't think this is what you are really referring to but this can happen. Another reason is that, depending on the type of abdominoplasty, the soft tissue that is tightened the most is the tissue of the... more
Robin T.W. Yuan, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon
+1

I have not seen this.

Hi! There are several possible reasons to get upper abdominal fullness after a tummy tuck: 1) Only a mini abdominoplasty was done. This should not be done too often. 2) The upper abdominal skin and fat were not slid down sufficiently. 3) The separation (diastasis) of the muscles in the upper belly was not repaired. But all these problems would be apparent right away. You are talking about someone whose upper belly initially looked good after abdominoplasty, and 3 years later developed... more
George J. Beraka, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
+1

Bulging after a tummy tuck

This can be caused by loosening of the stitches or weight gain. Despite our efforts to tighten the abdomen as much as we can, certain events can happen that reverse this tightness. An abrupt increase in abdominal pressure with severe coughing can "pop" some of the stitches. Gaining weight will cause the loose areas of the abdomen to bulge as well. I hope this helps!
Jeffrey E. Schreiber, MD

Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

www.BaltimorePlasticSurgery.com

+1

Several different factors influencing longevity of muscle repair with tummy tuck

First, it really depends on the muscle repair technique Second, it can be effected by muscle strengthening regimens. For example, mini tummy tucks may only repair the muscle below the umbilicus, leaving the upper abdominal muscles to separate. When a full muscle repair is perfomed, I generally prefer a two layer repair which I feel is more likely to maintain the correction over the long run. However, there is considerable variation among experienced surgeons in regard to technique and... more
Otto Joseph Placik, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

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