Would a dog ear revision correct my mommy makeover results? (photo)

Hello, and thank you for your questions regarding a "dog ear revision" to correct the result of your mommy makeover. Thank you for your history and your pictures. Regarding your pictures, it appears that you had an extended tummy tuck. During an extended tummy, an incision is made from hip to hip. Abdominal skin and fat are directly resected. The pubic region is lifted and raised, rectus abdominis muscles are plicated, and the belly button is repositioned. It appears all these were performed correctly. During the initial procedure, instead of an extended tummy tuck, you should've undergone a 270 or 360 circumferential lower body lift. This would've eliminated the excess skin and fat of the lateral hips. Therefore, most plastic surgeons would agree that your extended abdominoplasty was performed correctly. The "problem" is that you did not need just an extended tummy tuck. You needed a lower body. However, now you have excess skin and fat on your hips. The hips are not part of the tummy tuck. Therefore, the removal of excess skin and fat is a separate procedure. To correct for this, your tummy tuck incision would also have to be carried out more posteriorly, towards your buttocks. That means an incision would start at the front of your iliac crest or hip bone and then extend posteriorly, at least to the tattoo on your left side. Some plastic surgeons refer to this procedure as a 270. That means it goes 270° around your body. In some patients, the incision has carried to the top of the butt crack, resulting in a butt lift. When the incision connects at the top of the buttock, the procedure is called a 360 circumferential lower body lift.
I hope this information helps you in your search for answers regarding the 360 circumferential lower body lift. If you have any more questions regarding the lower body lift, 360 circumferential lower body lift, belt lipectomy, belt abdominoplasty, or belt dermolipectomy, please contact an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon. Since the body lift is a major procedure, please seek an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon with significant experience performing lower body lifts. Do your research. Ensure they have performed at least 150 circumferential lower body lift surgeries and have the before-and-after pictures to prove it. Carefully examine their before-and-after pictures and check their reviews on RealSelf. If you cannot find an experienced lower body lift surgeon in your neighborhood, consider traveling out of state if you must. Sincerely, Dr. Katzen, MD, MBA (Aesthetic, Cosmetic, and Reconstructive 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, and International College of Surgery and member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and RealSelf Hall of Fame.)

Thank you for your inquiry! By your photos, it looks like you would be a great candidate for a revision to get rid of bilateral dog ears at the end of your incisions. I recommend scheduling a consult appointment with a board certified plastic surgeon like myself or your previous surgeon so we can create a surgical plan that is best for you and your goals!

I’m definitely a dog lover but not in my operating room!!! Dog ears are a NO for me! “Standing cones” also known as dog ears, are differences in the amount of skin above and below the incsion. When performing a tummy tuck, there is almost universally more skin on the upper side of the incision vs the lower side. If the surgeon does not meticulously work the excess upper skin from the sides into the the more central part of the lower incision a dog ear will inevitably develop. Seeing your pictures, you have fairly large dog ears that appear to be a combination of the skin difference I mentioned earlier as well as some residual fat. I would recommend a combination of liposuction with scar revision to fix it and leave your silhouette smooth.

It looks like your provider did a nice job on your abdomen. What you have is untreated hips and waist. It is very common to perform liposuction (either at the same time or delayed) of the sides to complete your mid-section as a cosmetic unit. Liposuction of your hips and waist will maximize the rejuvenation of your mid-section and help with the protuberance where your TT incisions end. Perhaps a little more skin with extension of the incision may be needed, but likely not. This is done with a light oral cocktail and local tumescent anesthesia with minimal risk and downtime. I hope this helps. Thank you.

From the pictures, it seems that you have a fat bulges over the hip area that are now more visible once the excess front skin is gone. You need to talk to your plastic surgeon to probably to some liposuction on the hips and take a bit more skin on the sides. Hips are not part of the tummy tuck but you would benefit from adding it.

Dear Dazzling837251,
it is hard to tell for sure without an examination. Based on your photos, it looks like you would benefit from dog ears resection. If you are considering surgery, I would suggest you consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination, you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MDCertified, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Hello, thank you for the photos and your question. Yes a dog ear excision will help but you will still have fullness that could leave you with that step off. i would suggest some liposuction and the dog ear revision. Best of luck!

From your photographs, it seems that a significant revision is needed to give you the best results. You would need a full examination, but you probably need liposuction and skin excision to get the best result. You might very well need to return to the operating room for your correction.

You have excess flank fat and skin that was not addressed in the original surgery. Liposuction and removal of skin will correct the issue. This will result in a longer scar - extending onto the beck. The payoff is a good contour. You also have a fat and skin roll lateral to the breast that could benefit from additional body contouring. Find a board certified plastic surgeon, ask lots of questions, and good luck with your surgical journey. I see a strong chance that you will do very well.

Thanks for your question. The areas of fullness at either end of your abdominal scar can be referred to as 'dog ears' or 'standing cones'. This fullness will be pre-existing, but has not been addressed by your surgery to date. It could be improved with liposuction and additional skin incision, but this will leave you with a longer abdominal scar.