Can a Tummy Tuck Fix Botched Lipo in the Tummy Area?

Irregularities from very aggressive liposuction are difficult to treat. One of the most gratifying solutions is a tummy tuck, or modified tummy tuck (short incision or low incision variants a possibility).

Thank you for your question regarding whether a tummy tuck can address skin ripples after liposuction. Based on your history and picture, yes, an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) can often correct skin irregularities and ripples left from overly aggressive liposuction. During a tummy tuck, an incision is made low on the abdomen, and tissue dissection extends up to the rib cage. By detaching the skin from underlying tissues, this allows for a smoother pull and realignment, minimizing or ideally erasing ripples.

This maneuver of extending the dissection up to (and occasionally above) the rib cage enables the skin to be stretched more evenly. When this approach is combined with muscle repair, if necessary, the final result typically smooths out prior irregularities. Most experienced plastic surgeons would agree that a tummy tuck is an effective solution to achieve a flatter, more uniform abdominal area in cases like yours.

I hope this information provides clarity on how a tummy tuck can address your concerns. Best of luck, and always consult a board-certified plastic surgeon to ensure an optimal outcome.

Sincerely,
Dr. J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FASMBS, FICS

HI Samantha6566 - It appears as though the rippling in the skin may be fixed with fat grafting. This involves liposuction from the hips or back and then re-injecting the fat into the areas of rippling. As far as tummy tuck goes, it's difficult to asses whether or not you're a candidate from the photo. A tummy tuck can be the standard one with a full incision and muscle tightening or a mini-tuck with a small incision, but still with muscle tightening.

1. What is the defect?
The defect here seems to be mainly rippled skin.
There does not appear to be a lot of loose skin. There does not appear to be a big abdominal wall defect.
2. What do the proposed operations accomplish?
Lipo will take away more fat, but not redrape the skin.
Tummy tuck will redrape the skin, but will give you a large scar, you have a high placed belly button, so you will probably have a vertical scar as others have noted. It is also a longer operation with a longer recovery.
3. Is there another operation that can redrape the skin without the disadvantages of a tummy tuck?
Yes. You can do a "Suctionless" lipo by using a small cannula to run through the entire area and break up the adhesions. Then through a small incision using an endoscope you can free up the abdominal skin and redrape it.

Yes it can be helped by having a tummy tuck to an extent though. Your skin will be tighter and you will have less rippling but some of the irregularities will remain at the expense of an incision. Also sinch you dont have that much loose skin you will be left with a small vertical incision somewhere between the new belly button opening and the inferior incision mark. Another approach would be to do a tummy tuck but "float" the belly button where you dont cut around the belly button but simply release it to allow the skin and belly button to move downwards.
So you just have to be realistc and then it would not be perfect but better.
Good luck.