Would I need a Fleur de Lis or could a regular tummy tuck take care of most of my loose skin? (Photos)

After losing 145 lbs., it is most likely that your breasts are drooping. The reason I mention the breasts is that there is a breast lift technique called The Bellesoma Method, which lifts the breasts and also the upper abdomen. By lifting the upper abdomen then there is less loose skin and you will not need a fleur de lis. I always do the breasts first because doing the abdomen first makes it harder to lift the breasts as high as possible. You will not need a fleur de lis as you do not have enough horizontal width. You will need a regular tummy tuck with a circumferential body lift. I would recommend doing the breast lift and tummy tuck at the same time and if needed then a posterior continuation for the circumferential body lift.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Hello and thank you for your question. Congratulations on your weight loss! It is difficult to tell what would be the best procedure for you without a physical examination. With that much weight loss there is typically skin excess in both the horizontal and vertical dimensions. A standard tummy tuck will correct some vertical excess of the abdomen. Depending on your physical findings, a lower body lift is also a good option that results in improvement in lower back/gluteal and lateral thigh skin excess. That procedure also tends to correct more of the vertical skin redundancy of the abdomen by pulling laterally. However, a fleur-de-lis may be the only option if the vertical skin redundancy of the abdomen is excessive. Importantly, you should pursue your procedure only after you've reached a stable weight. You should also consult a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery for best results. Good luck. I hope this helps.

Hi, I want to be clear about your question. In my experiences I can surely say that the fleur de lis looks like inevitable in your situation. You can think this like a trade, if you want to get flat abdomen, you should make your peace with the vertical scar. Otherwise you should know that you’ll leave with excess and bulging skin on your central abdomen.