Tummy Tuck - enough skin for a low incision?

Dear Beach571,
based on your photos, you look like a good candidate for a TT. Full tummy tuck should tighten your abdominal muscles and remove the excess skin. Flanks liposuction would give you a better shape. I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon because only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Thank you for your question and photos! From the photos, you appear to be a good candidate for a tummy tuck. A tummy tuck will address excess skin & repair of the abdominal muscle. The abdominal wall can be weakened after pregnancy and (or) significant weight gain & loss. By repairing the muscle, not only does the appearance of your abdominal area improve, but your core strength as well. The repair of the muscle will cinch your waist like an inner corset, which will accentuate your curves. Liposuction will remove excess fat from unwanted areas with some skin retraction. Your expectations and health will dictate the best procedure(s) for you. I suggest a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon to go over the options that best address your goals. Best of luck!

Dhaval Patel MD
Double Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Chicago
South Barrington
Oakbrook
Orland Park

You appear to have a fairly high belly button which can make a lower incision a bit more difficult. Your best bet is to raise this concern at your consult to see what the surgeon thinks. Make sure to also review before/after photos to help you choose someone you are comfortable with performing your surgery.

Thank you for your question regarding whether you can have a low incision tummy tuck after having several large babies. Thank you for enclosing your pictures. In my opinion, you can have a low incision tummy tuck. The placement of the incision is really up to you and your plastic surgeon. If you want the incision to be placed low, in my opinion, that can certainly be done. The key thing will be the dissection up to your belly button and up to your rib cage. During this dissection, the dissection needs to be aggressive to release all of the connective tissue. In my opinion, you should be able to get all of the skin from the incision to just above the belly button. That means at the conclusion of the tummy tuck, you have a low incision and accurate placement of your belly button. However, if during the dissection, one is not able to completely excise the hole where the bellybutton originated, then there will be a slight vertical line in your lower tummy tuck scar. This would be a remnant of where the belly button used to live. However, this 2 cm vertical scar is well worth the significantly improved appearance of your belly button. In my opinion, I would definitely go for it. Go ahead and have a low tummy tuck incision. Ideally, all of that skin is removed and you look fantastic. If we are not able to completely remove the skin from the scar to the top of the belly button and you have a slight scar where the belly button used to be, you will still have a significantly improved belly. I hope this helps to answer your question. Good luck with your tummy tuck.


Sincerely, Dr. Katzen. (“Verified” Plastic Surgeon, President of the American Society of Bariatric Plastic Surgeons, certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Fellow of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American College of Surgery, and International College of Surgery and ​member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and RealSelf Hall of Fame.)

You have very little excess skin above the umbilicus. You have some wrinkling around the umbilicus and most of your excess skin in below the umbilicus. It may not be possible to pull your umbilicus down and give you a low scar. Another alternative to consider is an umbilicoplasty to take care of this.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Hi, thank you for sharing your question. You seem to be a good candidate for a mini tummy tuck. This can be done through a very low incision and can remove all the excess skin. I hope this helps.

Thank you for sharing your question and photographs. It does appear that you have sufficient skin excess that a low incision without a vertical component could be accomplished. Hope this helps.

Hello, thank you for your question and pictures.

In your case the best indication is a tummy tuck and it can be done with a low scar due to the skin type, all the stretch marks underneath the belly button can be removed.

Make sure to approach to a certified surgeon to help you clear all your doubts.

Best wishes!

From your photos it appears you are a good candidate for the tummy tuck. An in person exam is the best way to determine if you have enough loose skin for a low incision, but it appears that you would. Other alternatives can be discussed during a consultation if it is determined that you do not. See a board certified plastic surgeon near you to learn more.

Maybe but only in person or virtual consultations allow a determination if the low incision TT w or w/o small vertical central scar is possible. Best to seek boarded PS.