Tummy Tuck
Tummy tuck before & after photos
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“ Beware! Small Person= High Scar”

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Comments (8)
Updated 5 Dec 2008
Posted 4 Dec 2008
Update
Not Worth It
Spent: $12,500 in Toledo, OH

I had Ftt and lipo of inner thighs and hip roll on November 11, 2008. I am 35 years old. Stay at home mom of two-year old twins and 5 1/2 year old. I am 5 ft. 2 in. tall and weigh 115 lbs.

I had a lot of extra skin from the twins. The surgeon explained to me that he couldn't make the scar as low as I wanted because I didn't have enough skin to pull down. I was dissapointed but decided that at least the scar would be covered by my bikini bottoms and jeans that I took with me the day of surgery. He drew the line and reasured me that the scar would be below it. It is way higher than he said it would be.

I have a ton of swelling from the lipo and now wear my pants one size bigger than before the surgery. I am very depressed.

I know I am only 3 wks p.o. but wising I would have done a mini tuck and no lipo. I would still have some extra skin but the scar would be lower and hidden and I wouldn't be so swollen. People tell me that the scar may lower when the swelling goes down but I still think it will be above my underwear and pants Ick. I hope I can help someone who is trying to decide between a mini and full tuck.

This review is the subjective opinion of a RealSelf member and not of RealSelf, Inc.

scar is way above my hips scar is way above my hips
before photo and where the scar was supposed to be before photo and where the scar was supposed to be
Vote: 21 members found this review helpful

Comments (8)

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Brent Moelleken, MD (1,330 posts) 5 Dec 2008
Since you are about 3 weeks postop, it is likely that your incision will continue to improve and be less apparent. It is very common that patients shortly after surgery have doubts over whether they should have done the surgery, and second guess their decision. Ultimately, by far most patients are quite happy. It appears in your case that a great deal of extra tissue was removed, so hopefully you will appreciate your new figure once all the healing is done. A mini tuck and lipo would have removed only a fraction of what was removed with your surgery, and would not tighten the deep fascia at all around and above the belly button. Therefore your waist would have been roughly the same size as it was before surgery. It is importnat to communicate with your surgeon to understand the location of the eventual incisions, the likely results, and the alternatives before any surgery.
View answers from Brent Moelleken, MD
gwen mancuso (2 posts) 7 Dec 2008
I have a Post Op Recovery Place in San Francisco and I have cared for over a thousand patients. Three weeks post op can't give you any indication as to what you will look like in six months. I feel that as Dr. Moelleken said your scar will fade and actually the scar can be hidden with a bathing suit that has high leg cut and this will make your legs and you look taller. From what I know and have seen you will look your best from 6 months to a year if you watch your diet not getting depressed and eating. I think you will be thrilled with your decision .....three weeks you cannot judge or have any idea what the end result is.
Ariela (14 posts) 8 Dec 2008
Hi, I have the same problem, before the operation the doctor drew a line right above my pubic hair, showing me where he is going to cut. He did cut there, but what I didn't know was that in a TT operation when they pull the skin, the proportion doesn't stay the same, and what happened was the all that area below the cut was as if pulled up and now my pubic hair looks 3-4 centemeters higher then it was pre operation. Had I known that before the operation I would have asked the doctor to cut even lower to keep the proportions, but now it's too late...
Brent Moelleken, MD (1,330 posts) 11 Dec 2008
The final incision will be somewhere between where the lower cut and the upper cut are. The lower the incision, the more skin must be removed, so there is a limit to how low that incision can go without deforming pubic structures, getting bad wound healing, or ending up with a vertical incision. Best regards, Dr. Moelleken
View answers from Brent Moelleken, MD
d sargent (1 post) 31 Dec 2008
i had a mini tt just over a week ago and not sure myself if i had done the right thing, altho my scar line is low, around the hip area looks horrific, and badly puckered. i have had two c-sectins in the past and wasnt this worried about the scar.i have been told that some people have to go back and have thie ends corrected. i hope this isnt true.
gwen mancuso (2 posts) 3 Jan 2009
I cared for a patient who had the same puckering on both sides of the incision. I saw her around eight months after the surgery and her incision was almost invisible and the ends were smooth and lying flat. Now not every human is the same however after the sutures are removed and your body has time to relax and heal you should be just terrific.
isaler (1 post) 19 Apr 2011
hello i have the same problem, when i say my dr.he sais no problem i have enought skin to bring down the scar in my bikini... or underwears.. but it is higher then my jeans!! and they are normal cut.. i mean i would have to wair my (big grany underwear)to hide it. i am only 2 weeks post-op and the scar is faiding and my abs are good (full tummy tuck) but the problem is that the scar is about 2 inch from my belly button and 3 inch from pubic area. my skin i find that the skin si already starting to get a little less tight.. so i am wondering if it is possible to have a revision for a small tummy tuck at my 6 month post-op and do i have to pay.. since he told me it was sopposed to be hidden(he even made a drawing) in my file..
Here I am (636 posts) 2 Oct 2011
isaler I had the Exact same problem is your Dr. in CA ~ I want my reiseved? I can't even wear grannie panties my scar's show in the back~ it makes my sick~

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