Muscle repair fail? I had my tummy tuck 7 months ago (Photo)

You've circled the area you believe is a failure in the rectus repair, but that cannot be confirmed by photography. I can see the more prominent abdominal fullness from top to bottom, but to me that looks like the abdominal wall wasn't activated in the more recent photo. What I can see with certainty is a belly button that was not trimmed and inset artfully, leading to a larger feature on the abdomen than normal. Also, there is residual skin and fat at the apices of your long scar, leaving you with shoulder like peaks at the hips instead of a confluent sweep from waist to lateral thigh. Your surgeon did a very nice job on your breast lift, but was thwarted with implant migration, a common problem with augmentation mastopexies. Many surgeons, including myself, have started to use an internal bra mesh to secure the implants for the primary procedure (as opposed to using it for just repairing implant dropout), and that is what you'll need to reposition your implants. Once that's done, you'll be able to appreciate the nice work your doc did on the lift.

These are good questions. In terms of the muscle repair coming undone, it is really hard to tell based on the pictures alone. With an in person exam, it will be much clearer to tell what exactly is going on. In terms of the breast implants bottoming out, this can be due to a variety of reasons. It can depend on a couple factors like: how big the implants are, the quality of your skin tissue. For example, if the size of the implants are very large and the tissues that hold up the implants are poor quality, over time the implants may descend and drop, lower than what is acceptable. In certain scenarios, using a mesh (internal bra can help support the breast implants to prevent it from dropping. Hope this helps!

Dear MNmommy90,
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

Unfortunately, I think you are correct on both counts. The photos definitely confirm inferior migration of our implants and strongly suggest failure of the rectus plication. Both will eventually need to be surgically corrected.

There are a few reasons that can lead to the contour that concerns you. One, as you mentioned, is that your muscle repair has failed which would require a revision for correction. Another is subcutaneous fat. If it is from this, liposuction should improve it. The other potential cause is visceral fat. This is the fat around your organs behind the muscle wall. This can only be addressed through weight loss as liposuction or a tummy tuck cannot lessen it. It does appear your implants are bottoming out which is unrelated to your abdominal contour. See your surgeon for an evaluation.