I was left with "dog ears" after a tummy tuck that was performed with no lipo. How do I correct this? It bothers me daily

Abdominoplasty scars can be quite complex, ranging from the simple hypertrophic scar to a multiplane inflamed keloid. Pigmentation, discoloration, chronic inflammation, scar visibility can all occur in the short term. We begin each treatment with combination therapy using Yellow broadband BBL, Vbeam, fractional erbium, intralesional IIT, and scar modulation. Start with a combination of Plato's Scar Serum massaged twice daily after one week of epithelialization followed by Luminase/Exfolase. Scar consultation and revision may be recommended.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Hello and thank you for your question.
Contact your surgeon to be evaluated. Dog ears can be taken care of under local anesthetic. You can also have a revision on your scar. Best wishes!

Liposuction, tummy tuck, and BBL can all be done safely together to provide the best contour and results. It is hard to imagine the exact problem that you were having without seeing photos. Dog ears are treated by extending the incision and cutting out the excess skin and fatty tissue. From your explanation, it seems that you have a contour deformity which could best be treated with liposuction and fat transfer (BBL).

#Staybeautiful #RealDrWorldWide

Dear clucero,
it is hard to tell for sure without an examination. Generally speaking, dog ears can be corrected under local anesthesia. If you are considering a surgery, I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. 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

The dog ears can easily be trimmed in the office under local anesthesia. The length of your incision was dependent upon the amount of your loose skin. Please discuss the trimming with your surgeon.

Dog ears after a tummy tuck are most likely due to excess skin extending towards the back. The standard tummy tuck incision ends around the hip area. If you have excess fat and skin past that, then you may have a dog ear form as there is a distinct cut-off from your tighter abdominal area to the bulkier hip and back tissue. The only way to address the dog ear is to perform liposuction to debulk the puffy area and cut out the extra skin which will make your scar longer. Hope this helps!

Johnson C. Lee, MD
Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon

Dog ears form with not enough skin has been removed. Removing them typically involves extending the scar.

I suggest you follow up with the surgeon who did the procedure and ask if they can do a revision for you.

Sometimes dog ears can be reduced to some degree with Liposuction but it is an inherent skin problem.

Best,

Mats Hagstrom MD