“TT Scar Above Pant Waistline”

I am with you :(. Mine looks exactly like this. I am only 3 weeks post op and very upset and my belly button is unnatural looking as well. I guess we are that statistic. I go tomorrow to see my surgeon and I am going to demand he fix me. I am 23 years old and there is no reason I should look like this. Mine looks worse in the center where my upside down V goes I may have worse problems. I hope that we can be fixed. Your probably upset about yours as I am mine. All my money went into it and now I am left I cannot wear 50% of my clothing as the scar is on my waistline and comes out. I cannot believe people do this to others. Good luck and I hope the issue can be fixed for you.

Hey, I really am sorry to hear someone else is in the same situation. I didn't go back to my surgeon and ask b/c I was of the position that he should have known better the first time and I never want him to touch my body again! I don't trust him. This is completely unacceptable. It does impact me...I think about it literally everyday at least 5 times. I have been a size 0/2 my whole life but had twins and literally had this "pouch" of skin that I wanted to corrected and my goal was to get back into a bikini....well I went from tankini (after kids) to now a one piece. I hate the way I look and I get sad. I went to two other plastic surgeons since then and they both agreed this was not appropriate and the issue is my skin is so tight. I don't have that extra skin to get the scar down. Also, they both told me that I had to heal a year b/4 they would fix so...you might have to wait. Best of luck to you -- I am sure we will resolve this...either thru surgery or internally.

it seems kind of obvious to me that your scar is so high because of your tattoo. did you watch while the Dr did diagram on your belly of where he'd be cutting you? did you tell him that you wanted it really low? also, you have to have more time for the scar to fade, i had a crash c-section and it was about a year before i didn't notice that scar. also, you always have the option of getting a tattoo over the scar. don't hide it, change it into something you like. but again, wait a while for it to finish healing.

Oh my! How similar to my own story! My belly button is similar to yours, maybe a little worse. Its so big with a big flap of skin at the top. He tried to correct the navel after complaining so much but all he did was stitch the bottom of it closer together! It looks fake and stupid! I think I'll have to get a tattoo around it... I also had a huge tattoo on me before my tt but he cut it all off, leaving me with barely any skin to pull and then I ended up with an open wound. My scar is horrible. I am going in for surgery to have that corrected and to have the scar moved down. Hopefully they will be able to find some skin to pull down. My doctor's before and after pics must be somebody else's!

Sorry to hear you had such an awful experience. I too live in Tampa and waould like to schedule a tt in a few weeks. Any suggestions on where to go or where not to go will be helpful.

Mine is the same - it shows above any clothes but I have a paunch above the scar which you can see through dresses, gym gear and one piece swim suits! It also seems that I still have heaps of loose skin above the scar as I can grab an inch - or two!!! Not what I expected! Good Luck to all!

Ladies,

As a Plastic surgeon it is hard to read your comments and not feel for you. I would like to put forward some comments for your considerations which are NOT meant as accusations nor criticism since I was not in the exam rooms nor in the OR's with you.

1. The outcome of a Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) depends on the skill and experience of the surgeon in carrying out the plan h/she agreed on with the patient (ie You). You should ask and go over everything before (scar placement etc).

2. After a surgeon has performed 100 such operations, he / she gets much better at them - do not "buy cheap" - buy good. Pick you surgeon as carefully as you would your husband. Remember it is easier to ditch a lousy boyfriend or husband but scars are forever...

3. The goal of a tummy tuck is to hide the scar within the confines of the underwear you normally wear (AND plan to wear for the rest of your life). IF you want to save a tatoo, the scar will need to be placed higher (I do not know if this was a consideration in your case Kendall007. If it was me, I would have told you to ditch the fish)

4. Every surgeon has his/her faforite way to recreate a belly button. Discuss it with them. Do not assume. Personally, I think the ideal belly button should be in the center of a sunken area and not look like a golf hole which is not visible from side or oblique views. The upper border (10 to 2) should be hooded. the scar should be on the inside not on the skin surface. It should not be too tight not too big (where your thumb tip would fit in it).

5. The tummy tuck should mildly elevate the pubic mound AND the anterior thigh skin. Under NO circumstances you should have what TUBS referred to as "heaps of loose skin above the scar as I can grab an inch - or two!!! " - The tummy should be FLAT.

6. Fortunately and UNfortunately, skin always gives and stretches. It will need 8-12 months or so but it will become soft again. Once the scars mature, then SOME corrections may be made.

I hope this helped.
Dr. Peter Aldea

This is in regards to Dr Peter's comment. I agree with the outlined suggestions there that we should consider before going under the knife. That way we can make a informed decision. I am not sure about the others but for me I thought I had made the right choice. I went all the way to LA to meet with a surgeon there and yes it was extremely costly in the beverly hills area. So in all honesty you do get what you pay for. However in my case I wanted to go with a surgeon closer to my home and not have it cost as much as the LA doctors. My doctor I chose had said to me why go all the way down there when he could perform the same procedure and produce the same results. My surgery was not cheap by any means. It costed as much the most expensive tummy tucks in CA. I got mine done in Palm Springs at a hospital even. THE CONSULT: I went in for my consultation and he seemed nice not caring by any means though and I showed him my body in a bra and underwear state. I had said to him I was uncomfortable with my loose skin flap and I wanted to look good and even wear a bikini again. We discussed alot of things and he assured me that I will look so much better and everything I wanted was achievable and I did have realistic goals. However he didn't tell me the down time and how long this process was going to be and I tried asking and he merely said months?.... As in how much I think doctors should have a time frame of what we should expect. So going in to it I knew I would have a discolored scar from hip to hip. I really was excited the day came for my surgery and I went in he seemed rushed and was drawing all over me and taking pictures. See doctors dont understand we put trust in them to do a good job and to see what we don't to create the best possible out come. I wore a bikini that I wanted the lines to be placed in. He made the marker line right along the high bathing suit line and "I HAD ASKED THIS MAN IS IT TO HIGH AND WILL I BE ABLE TO CONCEAL THIS IN MY UNDERWEAR" the answer simply was yes. He said it will look different when I get done and it will fit right into my bathing suit. So I thought everything was good and we had the plan I was confident. I wake up just feeling uncomfortable more than anything once you start moving around. As soon as I got back to my hotel room and looked at my covered incision. I knew right then and there that it was wrong. Placed way too high and uneven. Its like he didnt even take tension into consideration for how tight he made it. He also went a inch higher up on both of my hips that originally planned. Im 2 month after now. Feeling sad mostly. I have trouble fitting into my clothes and I'm always worry about it showing. I look better in clothes but without im a nightmare. I think surgeons do what they want mostly and not what the patient wants. I just wished it went down into my underwear so I can hide it. It hurts, the scars are raised and painful. My pants rub on it and I see it everytime I turn around. My surgeon knows he messed up and has offered me all this free stuff. He doesn't understand this doesn't change anything I am disfigured because of him not doing a few small things that could ensure that I cosmetically would have been fine. I am only 23 and I have to live with this forever. He doesn't. There was this girl in his office and I sent her running the other way when she saw what he had did to me. She was considering the same procedure. So I really thought I knew what I was getting myself into and made the choice of choosing a reputable doctor who is a member of the plastic surgeons ass. That made no difference. I would say if I can go back. A: I wish I found realself.com beforehand :) and B: Picked a doctor who seemed more genuine and caring toward the patient. Maybe even a woman surgeon so she could possibly understand what we women go through everyday. Whoever is considering plastic surgery review your options first and remember chose your doctor wisely. Know what your getting into. You can be that statistic even though they assure you that you wont and problems are limited. That's just fancy talk for I want your money ;).

Ladies, I do not mean to over stay my welcome in your discussion group. But - I would like to state my agreements and disagreements to septembersu's comments. 1. Each one of you is important. Each one of you has unique cosmetic needs and goals which should be respected and addressed. Do NOT allow yourselves to be bullied by and fall for the "I'm too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my shirt So sexy it hurts", red rope, "I'm too busy for you" BS attitude exhibited by some of my colleagues. If a surgeons is not friendly to you during the consultation, pre-operative period - Do NOT proceed and have him/her operate on you. (Would you marry a boyfriend who was disinterested and rude???) 2. I disagree with ..pick "...a woman surgeon so she could possibly understand what we women go through everyday". Neither men nor women have exclusivity over being insensitive and rude. Just as men can be distant, unfeeling even calculating - so can women. Choose a surgeon with whom you can relate before surgery - you may well need it afterwards. 3. Lastly, this one may ruffle a few feathers. Just having a 90210 Beverly Hills zip code on your address does NOT magically confer surgical judgement, integrity and surgical skills. Years of training in top hospitals and a moral, ethical background must be there before. Many people fly to surgeons in 90210 mistakenly equating ridiculous fees and 90210 for quality. While they have some great surgeons there, they also have some average and poor surgeons there as well - no names need be mentioned. Pick your surgeon carefully and listen to your heart. Peter Aldea, MD Memphis, Tennessee

As someone who is having this procedure done in Tampa, I would really like to know who your plastic surgeon was so I can see if it is the same as mine.

Hi there, My scare looked just like yours. I'm 4 months post op now and I feel much better about it. The shape above the bellybutton is how it should be and the scar is where it is because you didn't have enough skin to pull. That's what I was told about myself and now I beleive it. Be positive. I've had some tuff times with feeling like a monster, trust me! However I sware to you, I feel pretty darn good now. :-) You will too.