How much skin is my surgeon going to be able to cut? Am I going to have new stretch marks?

It appears you are a good candidate for a tummy tuck. A lot of your stretch marks will be removed but not those above the belly button but those will moved much lower.  Also, it looks like your underlying abdominal muscle need tightening and this will go a long way to making your new tummy very flat! I'm excited for you.  Tummy tucks are big operations but they can produce dramatic results and fix post- pregnancy issues that you really have no control over. I hope this information helps! Thomas Taylor, MD, FACSPasadena, CA

Since most of your stretch marks are on the lower portion of your abdomen, the majority of the stretch marks will be cut out, but some will remain.  If you go on a consult your surgeon will be able to mark out which stretch marks will be gone after your tummy tuck.  You are an excellent candidate.

Without seeing you in person, it is impossible to say. This question would best be answered by your surgeon. My best,
Dr. Sheila Nazarian
@drsheilanazarian on Instagram

Hello,Contrary to many of my colleagues, you are not an ideal or even a good candidate for an abdominoplasty if your main goal is stretchmark removal. You need as much skin to be removed as possible to remove your stretchmarks.  However, you have very little skin excess in the upper abdomen to allow much skin removal. Your highest stretchmarks will move to the level of your belly button.  If that is ok with you, then you should move forward.Another benefit of a tummy tuck will be muscle wall plication, which will flatten your abdomen from your belly button downward. Best of luck!

If you're undergoing a full Tummy Tuck then most of your stretch marks will be removed. We typically don't see new stretch marks but the ones above your belly button will be repositioned down by your Pubic region. 

It is really hard to
give advice without examining patients with regards to abdominoplasties and the
many permutations and “versions” of them that get offered to patients. Briefly, if you have excess skin or laxity in
your skin and fat, removal of that tissue would be of benefit. If your muscle contour is not what it used to
be or it not optimal, a procedure to tighten your “core” may be necessary. This is especially important in the
post-pregnancy population as during your pregnancy, your muscles were forced to
adapt to a growing baby inside. Most
times, those muscles don’t go exactly
back to where they were before. Some
come back really darn close, but rarely to their exact pre-pregnancy
position. If you don’t have the
musculature issues addressed, and you only have the skin and subcutaneous
tissues removed, your contour will not be optimal and I believe you will be
dissatisfied with your results. It’s
paramount to fix the foundation (the musculature) before building the house.

The next question to
address is what to do with your belly button.
Depending on the amount of upper abdominal laxity, you may have your
belly button brought through a new place in your skin (belly button stays where
it is on your abdominal wall, but by stretching skin downwards, it needs to
come out in a new place or it would look tethered and not natural) or you may need to leave it where it is or potentially “float” it down
the abdominal wall an inch or two (it actually ends up being lower on your
torso than where it started). Decisions
about pre-surgery position of your belly button and tradeoffs between potential
scar placement vs. keeping your belly button in a naturally-appearing position
are used to determine that.

As you can see, there
are lots to consider when discussing abdominoplasties. You really need to discuss all of these
issues with a board certified plastic surgeon and see pictures of their
results. Who cares if someone does “drainless tummy tucks” if their results do
not look great. Likewise, tummy tucks
that are done overly tight do not look natural and defeat the purpose of having
your abdomen rejuvenated in the first place.
What good is getting a tummy tuck if you aren’t excited to show it
off? With regards to stretch marks- you won't have new stretch marks but be prepared your existing stretch marks that aren't cut out will look worse in the beginning- they swell up and look raised and scare people if they aren't told about it beforehand.  Hope this helps!

-JGH

are determine by how much laxity you have and what can be pinched together with your hips flexed/knees bent.  It doesn't appear you belly button will reach your pubic area an if true, you will have much of the stretch marks still present.  You should not get new ones though.  You will have belly button options from keeping your belly button with a high scar or a low scar with an additional vertical scar, or floating your belly button, or simply giving it it up and pulling down as snugly as possible and leaving your belly button lower than desired, only to have it removed later and a new one reconstructed.  The choice should be yours.

Hi, thanks for your question and posted photo. You are a good candidate for full tummy tuck, most of stretch marks will go away and unless you have another baby or you gain too much weight they won´t come back.Be sure to see a board certfied plastic surgeon.Best wishes.Dr. Milla

The lower stretch marks will be removed with a tummy tuck and
the upper ones brought to a lower position where they will be less obvious.
While there are many nonsurgical procedures that are claimed to get rid of
stretch marks, most ethical knowledgeable plastic surgeons will tell you that
they have limited if any benefit, are unreliable, and not a satisfactory option
in your particular situation.The surgery does not generally produce new stretch marks..

Keep in mind that
following advice from a surgeon on this or any other website who proposes to
tell you what to do based on two dimensional photos without examining you,
physically feeling your tissue, assessing your desired outcome, taking a full
medical history and discussing the pros and cons of each operative procedure
would not be in your best interest. I would suggest that you find a surgeon
certified by the American Board of American Plastic Surgery and one who is
ideally a member of The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS)
that you trust and are comfortable with. You should discuss your concerns with
that surgeon in person.

Robert Singer, M.D.,
FACSLa Jolla,California

Most patients who undergo tummy tuck surgery do not experience "new stretch marks".  Exactly how much, and what segment of skin, will be removed during your tummy tuck operation should be demonstrated to you by your plastic surgeon. It will be important for you to know where the incision line is planned to make sure that it is within the pattern of your swimming suit or undergarments you plan wear after the procedure is performed. Again, careful preoperative communication will be key. Best wishes.