What to Do for Little Dog Ears That Appear at the End of Incisions Both Sides from Recent Tummy Tuck?

Question

Also any creams good for redness around incision. Thank u

William Franckle, MD, FACS · Answer

Those little dog ears typically do not occur in a tummy tuck unless the scar length is too short for the amount of skin that was removed. If they are small enough, waiting several months for scar maturation may alleviate the problem. Redness around an early incision is normal due to the inflammation that occurs at the wound edges. This is a necessary side effect of healing. On the other hand, redness can also be a sign of infection although it typically is not unless the redness has spread further from the incision. Always check with you doctor if you are not sure. Finally, scar appearance can be helped by the use of local massage and sometimes silicone sheeting. Many of the so called “scar creams” have little science to back up their claims so I really don’t recommend them. When a scar is really out of hand, treatments such as steroid injection, lasers, or even excision and re-closure can be used.

Jeffrey J. Roth, MD, FACS · Answer

This happens on occasion with abdominoplasty. There are options. A completely non invasive option would be CoolSculpting. This can freeze the fat and deliver an improved contour. More traditional options are some liposuction, or resection of skin/soft tissue. This is a much smaller procedure than the original surgery and is usually well tolerated. The cost will depend on the extent of the surgery, the method used, the cost of the surgery center, and if the original surgeon is doing it. Please speak with your Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. Together, you will figure out a plan.

Ronald Schuster, MD · Answer

I can't tell how long ago your surgery was. Dog ears can be easily removed from the ends of your tummy tuck scar. If they are small it can be done under just a local anesthetic. If your incision is red, you need to contact your surgeon to make sure that there is not an infection.

Shahriar Mabourakh, MD, FACS · Answer

Small dog ears after tummy tuck are not unusual. They tend to resolve in time. If the dog ears persist the can be easily treated with liposuction or excision under local anesthesia. there are many option for treating the scars from tummy tuck, These include, Silicon sheething, silicone gel, Mederma, Kelocoat. Also laser can be used to reduce the redness in the scar.

Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS · Answer

Depending on how close you are to your surgery, there may still be swelling that makes these pesky "dog ears" protrude more than they ultimately will when all healing is complete. This takes months, but if there are still fairly visible dog ears at 6 weeks to 3 months post-op, surgical revision under local anesthesia may be advised. If they're small, time may be all you need to get them to flatten as they heal and swelling resolves.

	Each surgeon strives to make his or her incisions the flattest and thinnest, so dog ears are not something we don't care about. Unfortunately we also strive to keep our abdominoplasty and other operation incisions as short as possible to reduce visible scarring, and dog ears of various sizes and protrusions can result from this. We are always balancing the two opposing choices--dog ear and short(er) incision or long(er) incision and less chance of dog ears!

	If you are early in your recovery after tummy tuck, then relax and let these dog ears settle--they may require nothing at all but time! If you are further down the road in your recovery and these still are visible enough to bother you, then by all means see your surgeon. He or she will likely be more than happy to revise this under local anesthesia for minimal costs. This is one revision that should not be "free" but I never charge a surgeon's fee for this, and try to keep my OR costs to a bare minimum as well--I want my patient to be able to "show off" a better result for the lowest cost possible!

	Talk to your surgeon! Best wishes! Dr. Tholen

Tom J. Pousti, MD · Answer

With very careful planning and execution, “dog ear" occurrence can be minimized. Occasionally (despite best efforts), after tummy tuck surgery surgery, patients will have excess skin or adipose tissue at the very end of their incision lines. These may be referred to as “dog ears”. "Dog ears"  refer to a bunching up of tissue at the end of a incision line/scar. Generally they occur  because a surgeon,  in his/her attempt to keep the scar as short as possible,  has a discrepancy between the lengths  of the upper and lower tummy tuck incision lines. They can be avoided by extending the incisions and removing additional skin and subcutaneous tissue. Most patients will much prefer a longer incision line than  the bunching up of tissue and contour elevation, which is visible and palpable with and without clothing.  Often, excision of the dog ear, if it's still a concern roughly one year postoperatively can be corrected easily under local anesthesia. The procedure is relatively minor, and associate with minimal discomfort/recovery time. Your plastic surgeon will be your best resource when it comes to returning to specific activity/exercise. Best wishes.

Curtis Wong, MD · Answer

is a simple procedure done under local in the office. It is best to wait as long as you are able to as these do diminish with time to where you may not need a revision. There are different techniques and my preferred one is a teardrop excision with a purse-string closure. As for redness, it will fade with time. If you wish to attempt to accelerate this process, there are many over-the-counter products that you can choose from. I personally do not recommend it unless poor scarring is appreciated.

Robert L. Kraft, MD, FACS · Answer

Dogears can be treated surgically by revision which can be performed in the doctor's office under local anesthesia. If you have undergone the tummy tuck recently, then give things a chance to settle down as there may be residual swelling. In terms of a red scar, it takes a full year for the scarring to reach its final state. Discuss various options for scar treatment with your plastic surgeon as there is a wide range of potential modalities.

Scott E. Kasden, MD, FACS · Answer

Dog ears may smooth out over time in some cases. Redness will also fade with time if it is due to normal healing. Since I have no other information, I recommend seeing your doctor for guidance. He may be able to recommend a good scar cream to you at that time too.

George Lefkovits, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

Dog ears along the outer sides of a TT incision is not uncommon. The treamnet is fairly simple and can be performed under local anesthesia. You geenrally do not have to lose any time off from non-strenuous work. As regarding redness of the scar, this is quite common in the early stages of the healing process.Your plastic surgeon should exmaine this and see whether any treamnet, such as creams is warranted.

What to Do for Little Dog Ears That Appear at the End of Incisions Both Sides from Recent Tummy Tuck?

Answers (10)

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