Tummy Tuck full or FDL? (Photo)

Congrats on the babies and your weight loss and healthy lifestyle. The most important thing is to have an in depth consultation with a ABPS board certified Plastic Surgeon that can help you understand all of your options AFTER a complete exam that will determine home much laxity you have and what body contouring surgery will best achieve your results. Often a lower abdominal scar tummy tuck with selective liposuction will provide you with a beautifully contoured abdomen, flank and hip area, a contoured umbilicus and well hidden scar. Often women do not need any muscle work especially if they have developed their core muscles. Remember this is a lifelong journey to maintain your health and body shape so take the time to find the Plastic Surgeon who will help you throughout. Good Luck!

Hello and thank you for your
question. Congratulations on your weight loss.  Based on your photograph, you are a great candidate for a tummy tuck
with liposuction.  I do not think you need a FDL.  This can be done
through a low incision, all completely below the bikini line.  The belly button can be designed to look
natural and have no scars on the exterior.  
Your muscles can also be plicated resulting in a flat abdomen.  Make sure you specifically look
at before and after pictures of real patients who have had this surgery
performed by your surgeon and evaluate their results.  The most important
aspect is to find a surgeon you are comfortable with. I recommend that you seek
consultation with a qualified board-certified plastic surgeon who can evaluate
you in person.
Best wishes and good luck.
Richard G. Reish, M.D. FACS
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

Congratulations on your weight loss. It is difficult to tell exactly what you will need since your pants hide some of the skin laxity. Based on your pictures, I think that you might also be a candidate for a circumferential body lift which will address more of the laxity on the hips, lateral thighs, and buttocks than you will get with just a tummy tuck. A fleur de lis incision can be done with the circumferential lift, but I often recommend that patients hold off on this initially because the vertical scar is much more visible and has more of a tendency to widen over time.

Sarah. Fabulous job losing that weight!. Your BMI is now below 30 and the combination of significant weight loss and recent pregnancy demonstrates that Tummytuck is by far your best option. Liposuction will not rid you of redundant skin from weight loss and pregnancy. You can have your surgery now and if need be, lose more weight after the operation.  Be certain to consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon. Best of luck.

Congratulations on your impressive weight loss! Once you have reached your goal weight and are able to maintain it you are ready for surgery. The main reason for an FDL tummy tuck to be recommended is if there is significant excess skin along the midline. A traditional tummy tuck may not be able to address the area fully if there is too much excess skin. Visit with a board certified plastic surgeon for a consultation. You will discuss your goals for surgery and learn more about the procedure. I've included a video I hope you find helpful.

Based on your pictures, a No-Drain Tummy Tuck may work for you, but an in person evaluation is the best way to find out if a FDL is needed. See link below for examples. 

Tummy tuck. 
You have most of your excess skin in the vertical direction which means you would best be treated with a horizontal incision. You only really need to have a fleur-de-lis of Abdominoplasty if you have a lot of horizontal excess and therefore you need to have a vertical incision to take care of some of that horizontal excess.

Congratulations on your weight loss!  It is not easy to achieve the degree of improvement that you have seen.  With respect to the type of tummy tuck that you would best suit your needs, I believe that a traditional tummy tuck with muscle repair will be more than adequate.  However, a FDL tummy tuck, extended tummy tuck or even a circumferential lower body lift should be discussed and considered.  Please make sure that your plastic surgeon frequently performs all of these procedures so that he or she can help you decide on which one is right for you.  Good luck and you're doing great!

Hi, thanks for sharing your concern and photos with us!

Looking at your photos I might say that you´ll be a great candidate to get an entire back, waist and flanks liposuction, with BBL, and tummy tuck, this is because all the extra skin located in this areas plus your abdominal muscle needs to be repaired.

Before all this, of course, you need to get a complete medical evaluation and laboratory exams to check everything is fine. Also please try to find a board certified plastic surgeon, remember that your safety, always, is going to be first.

Have a great day!

Dr. JPG

Well done on your weight loss journey! It is very difficult to know if full tummy tuck, extended tummy tuck, or a circumferential procedure is the right one for you. The FDL approach is less common though is a consideration for some depending on the skin elasticity and skin envelope. Each procedure has trade-offs which are important to cover in consultation.