I recently got a laparotomy in Nov of 2024. Am I a candidate for a tummy tuck? Would the scar be taken away? (photo)

Hi watermelon6319, assuming you have healed fully from your laparotomy, and that you have obtained a form of clearance from the surgeon who performed your procedure, you may be a candidate for abdominoplasty surgery. It’s important that the original condition has been fully treated or is stabilized, and that you are back to your baseline health before putting your body through another demanding surgery. Skin removal with abdominoplasty can remove a significant portion of the scar in the photographs, but you may still be left with a short vertical scar right above the pubic area.

Hello, and thank you for your question regarding whether a tummy tuck can remove your laparotomy scar. First, thank you for your history and your pictures. Based on your photos, you have keloid scars above your belly button and a laparotomy scar below the belly button. While it’s difficult to tell from the images, it does not appear that your lower scar exhibits the same hypertrophic or keloid characteristics as the upper scar. However, given your history, you are at high risk for keloid formation, meaning your tummy tuck incision could also develop keloid scarring.

A standard tummy tuck removes excess skin and fat from the mons pubis (pubic region) to just above the belly button. This typically removes about a quarter of an inch of skin above the belly button, which would not be enough to fully eliminate your laparotomy scar. If your goal is to completely remove the laparotomy scar, a modified approach may be necessary.

One alternative is a low reverse tummy tuck, where instead of making the incision very low in the pubic region, the incision is placed just above your laparotomy scar. This allows the entire area containing the laparotomy scar to be excised, and the remaining skin is pulled down to the lower abdomen. The downside of this approach is that your tummy tuck scar will sit higher than a traditional tummy tuck scar, possibly above your beltline.

If you proceed with any type of tummy tuck, it's important to be aware that you are at high risk for keloid development, which could affect the final scar appearance. To help minimize scarring, consider using silicone sheets or silicone-based creams after surgery, and if keloids develop, steroid injections (Kenalog or 5-FU) can help flatten and lighten them.

I hope this helps answer your question regarding whether a tummy tuck can remove your laparotomy scar. I recommend consulting with an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in post-surgical scar revisions and body contouring. If you have any further questions, please reach out to a qualified plastic surgeon for a detailed evaluation and discussion of the best surgical plan for your goals.

Sincerely, Dr. Katzen, MD, MBA, FACS, FICS.