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What Type of Tummy Tuck to Correct the Loose Skin Above my Belly Button?

asked 3 years ago by onyx in Pennsylvania
Latest answer by Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Question viewed 683 times
Tags: c-section, loose

After my C-section I notice that my muscles protrude where they were not stiched back together from the belly button up. I have some wrinkled skin above the belly button in the center portion of my stomach only. Below the belly button my skin is firm and taught. What type of

tummy tuck

would best correct the loose skin above my belly button? I would like to avoid a huge scar from hip to hip as my loose skin is only in the central portion. Thanks.

8 answers to What Type of Tummy Tuck to Correct the Loose Skin Above my Belly Button?

Tough problem: lots of good answers below; also consider "Reverse Abdominoplasty".

There are many good answers here. I briefly reviewed these and the one other option I did not see is the "reverse abdominoplasty". This is not a popular approach and places a long scar in the underwire area. However, what it does allow you to do is correct the upper abdomen without effecting the lower abdomen. You may want to look into this as another potential solution.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Laser-assisted liposuction can tighten loose skin above the belly button

If you in fact have loose muscles, a hernia, or diastasis (muscle separation) above your belly button, then you will in fact need surgery and a scar to correct it. If however, you only have loose skin above the belly button, it is possiblke that laser liposuction may help. See before and after photos of Slim Lipo.

Brooke R. Seckel, MD
Boston Plastic Surgeon

www.drseckel.com

Unfortunately, you probably do need a long tummy tuck scar.

Hi! I can visualize exactly what you look like because here in NYC, we see several women like you every year. What you want is the best possible cosmetic outcome, and this involves several trade offs and compromises. A scar is cosmetically acceptable as long as it is very LOW. Through this approach, your muscles can be fixed, and the loose skin is tightened and slid down. Your loose skin cannot be removed "where it is". This would give you a horrible result. That is why... more

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Loose skin above belly button means you need a full Tummy Tuck

The changes you describe are very typical after pregnancy or significant weight loss. Some patients have loose skin in the lower abdomen and sometimes it is above the belly button. Most patients also have some degree of rectus diastasis after pregnancy (looseness of fascia over and splaying of rectus abdominus muscles from the stretch of pregnancy). Some patients can even develop a small epigastric hernia in this area after pregnancy if there was extreme stretch on the abdominal wall. All... more

James F. Boynton, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

www.BoyntonPlasticSurgery.com

Generally loose skin above the umbilicus requires a full tummy tuck

There are basically three types of tummy tucks. A "mini" only addresses the lower abdomen and has very limited application. A "full" addresses the entire abdomen and corrects problems both above and below the umbilicus. A "floating umbilicus" is a hybrid operation designed to keep the scar low in those with limited excess skin but if overdone can move the umbi too low and create a strange look.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Difficult Problem

Your problem is not unique but it's also not that common. You need muscle tightening and removal of supraumbilical skin. So let's go through the different surgeries. A full tummy tuck will require a hip to hip scar but provides access to the entire abdominal wall for muscle tightening. The entire muscle would be tightened. However, because you don't have much excess skin below the belly button I assure you that you will end up with a short vertical scar as well where the belly button... more

Christopher L. Hess, MD
Fairfax Plastic Surgeon

Surgery should target areas of concern

This is a great question since it brings up the need to customize surgery to fit the patient's anatomy and concerns. Of course I am speaking in general terms to some extent since I have not examined you and can only take your word at face value. If you are truly only concerned about some loose skin above the belly button and have diastasis of the muscle as well, you can approach both through your C-section scar. Using this incision, a surgeon can usually tighten the muscles directly or... more

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

Loose skin above the belly button usually means a longer scar

Hello There are many names for tummy tucks: standard, modified, hybrid, mini, etc. If you have loose skin above your belly button you need to have a standard tummy tuck (which means the long scar you are trying to avoid). A lesser scar could correct the muscles (Hybrid tummy tuck) or remove skin from below the belly button, but not from above the belly button. Most patients would gladly give up the separation of their upper muscles and loose skin and trade it for the low, longer scars. ... more

Francisco Canales, MD
Santa Rosa Plastic Surgeon

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