Which is better for me? Fleur De Lis or Extended Tummy Tuck? (Photo)

After massive weight loss, it is very common to require staged surgeries to achieve the desired results. Attempting to fix everything with a single operation may lead to extended scars and healing problems.An exam and consultation with a plastic surgeon is recommended to discuss your options and expectations.

Hard to be certain withou physical exam, but it appears that traditional Tummytuck is all you need. Be sure to consult with a board certified plastic surgeon. Good luck!

Patients with significant excess of skin and adipose tissue in their tummy may require a Fleur De Lis Tummy Tuck rather that an extended tummy tuck. By making a vertical incision in the mid-line of the tummy that goes from the junctions of the ribs (typhoid) to the pubic bone, significant excess of skin can be removed to give a flat abdomen and improve the definition of the flanks (waist). Bulges on the hips could be addressed at the time of surgery with some liposuction of the area.An extended tummy tuck in a patient with significant excess of skin may not improve the definition of the flanks since the "redundant skin" may need to be redistributed along the tummy tuck incision that goes from one side of the flank to the other side of the flank.Patients interested in determine if a Fleur De Lis vs an Extended tummy tuck is the best options for reshaping their tummy should make a consultation with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

John Mesa MD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
New York City (#NYC) & New Jersey (#NJ)

The simple answer is: go with what your surgeon feels comfortable doing.  Both procedures are quite effective in body contouring after massive weight loss. Proponents of each procedure will push for one versus the other. The confidence of your surgeon should be the most important factor. Along that line, it is absolutely essential to work with a surgeon who has extensive and specific experience with massive weight loss patients.It is imperative that you seek the advice of a plastic
surgeon who is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and has
extensive experience in tummy tuck/abdominoplasty.



I wish you the best.



Dr. Gabbay.

In your situation an extended tummy tuck with lipo of the flanks and back may be the best option. See a board certified plastic surgeon who has done a ton of tummy tucks on patients who look like you and you'll be in good hands. Ask to speak to a patient who has a similar before and a great after. Don't be shy to ask, how many tummy tucks do you do a week on patients like me?

Fleur de Lis abdominoplasty will give you a more contoured waistline. The extended TT will not give you the best results with your current shape. Good luckDr. B

It is always difficult to give you a definitive answer by looking at pictures only. I would encourage you to visit a couple of plastic surgeons who are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and who have extensive experience with body contouring procedures for patients with a history of massive weight loss. Only then can an expert opinion be given to you. Having said that, it is uncommon to require a midline vertical incision with a tummy tuck. Very good results can be obtained with an extended abdominoplasty alone. Discuss these options in detail with your chosen surgeon to come up with the best individualized plan for you.

Hard to chose. Best to seek a few in person opinions from only boarded PSs in Philly................................

As we expand our bellies and the lose the fat we find that we have extra skin in two all directions. Whether to remove skin in the vertical and/ or the horizontal directions will depend upon the desired final results vs what would be needed to get to those results. In your case the final result would be a better figure with the FDL vs extended tummy tuck and the downside would be a scar running up and down the middle of the belly.An extended tummy tuck with aggressive waist liposuction would not give you as good a result from the figure point of view but would make a scar much easier to hide. Either procedure would make a big difference in the way you look and the clothes you could wear.

HiThanks for the question and photos.  This is a tough question to answer without examining you in person.  Both procedures can have a dramatic effect.  If you have a lot of redundancy of tissue in the midline than a fleur de lis may be a better option if you are ok with the vertical scar.  I think you should discuss with your plastic surgeon.  They know you and have examined you.  If they are experienced then they will have a pretty good idea of which technique will give you the best result.  They need to combine this with you desires as well.  Good Luck