Tummy Tuck + 13 years post op. Has something gone wrong? (Photo)

Thank you, laurat06, for your question and the limited photos provided. Since your tummy tuck with muscle repair was performed 13 years ago, followed by liposuction and then surgery for an intra-abdominal abscess, there could be a variety of factors contributing to your current concerns.

Unfortunately, without having your before photos and only seeing the limited view of your current photos, it’s difficult to determine exactly what’s going on. Given how long ago your surgery for the abscess was, it could have played a role in altering your results, but there are other factors to consider as well. Weight gain over time can significantly affect the appearance of a tummy tuck, causing the muscles and skin to stretch. Even with muscle repair, weight fluctuations can lead to a bulging or less defined abdominal contour.

It’s important to have a thorough consultation with your plastic surgeon to review your full medical and surgical history, including any changes in weight or complications since your original surgery. This will help determine whether the abscess surgery or other factors may have contributed to your current appearance. It may be possible to revise the results if you're dissatisfied with how your abdomen looks now.

Sincerely,
Dr. Katzen

Dear laurat06,
I understand your concern. However, without a proper assessment, it would be difficult to determine what is wrong. It is best that you visit your plastic surgeon for further assessment or ask for a second opinion. Only after a thorough examination, you can get proper recommendations and advice.
Daniel Barrett, MDCertified, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Hello laurat06, it's been very long since your tummy tuck procedure, and time can definitely affect the results of any surgery. Whenever after a surgery patients regain abdominal roundness, we need to consider many things: Weight gain, intraabdominal volume changes, pregnancies, etc. If the abdominal wall is stretched by anything (also the surgeries you've had), it can lose that flatness it had from your surgery. An in person assessment, or also a study like a CT scan can shed some light as to what is actually going on in your case. Having said that, 13 year is a very long time to expect the results to stay the same, since on your normal daily life there can be many changes, especially weight fluctuations.

Hi Laura,
It is a little unclear as to what caused the intra-abdominal abscess. But if you had surgery related to an intrabdominal abscess, chanes are your abdominal wall was cut and repaired as part of that surgery. If this is new bulge/fullness after the intrabdominal surgery and cannot be explained by weight gain, you should consider having it evaluated by a surgeon. There may be new abdominal wall weakness.

Your photos are very limited, so I suggest find a plastic surgeon and being examined. Your tuck may be fine, but you may have internal fullness or may just have weight gain.

Further evaluation is needed to determine what may be causing the contour that concerns you. From the submitted photos it appears you have internal/visceral fat contributing to the roundness of your abdomen. This is fat that is behind the muscle wall and cannot be addressed by liposuction or a tummy tuck but will improve with weight loss.

My best guess is that you’re outcome has changed because of increased intra-abdominal fat, most likely with weight gain.
Compare your current weight to your weight when you had your procedure.
Try losing weight and take pictures at different weight intervals to understand the impact weight gain or weight loss will have on the appearance of your abdomen.
We typically assess the abdomen with patients in a standing position.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD