40s, 5'4, 127lbs, are there other repair options beside full tummy tuck? (Photo)

Hi ccagle21, I suspect your best result would be with a full tummy tuck with liposuction, which would likely achieve the best overall contour, provide the best skin tightening, and allow improvement of the umbilical area. Because of your high belly button, and the fact that your upper abdominal skin does not have severe laxity, there is a chance that you may require a small vertical scar or 'T' scar of your lower abdomen, but I would typically prioritize a lower transverse abdominoplasty scar and accept a small vertical component if needed (which is majority of times still below the bikini line) versus raising the transverse scar. Hope this helps, Thanks, Brian

Yes, there is a handy alternative to a full tummy tuck, however, your photos show a bulge above your umbilicus that is likely due to diastasis, or stretching of the tendon between your six-pack muscles. Alternatively, it could be a lipoma (or a benign fat tumor) which would change things, but unlikely. An in-person consultation with an experienced plastic surgeon will be helpful in decision making. Thank you, I hope this helps.

Dear ccagle21,
based on your photos, you look like a good candidate for a TT. Full tummy tuck should tighten your abdominal muscles and remove the excess skin. Flanks liposuction would give you a better shape. I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon because only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MDCertified, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Hello @ccagle21, thank you for your question. Ideally, a patient should undergo a personalized consultation with a surgeon. During this consultation, a surgical plan tailored to the patient's expectations will be presented. The picture seems to be lying down and does not show the extent of what can be happening. Without seeing your specific condition it will be very difficult to determine the best repair option. For more information and recommendations, consult with one or several board certified plastic surgeons. Best wishes! Alan Gonzalez MD, FACS. Best wishes! Alan Gonzalez MD. American Society of Plastic Surgery Member (ASPS), International Federation for Adipose Therapeutics and Science” Member (IFATS), Colombian Society of Plastic Surgery member (SCCP).

Your surgeon told you that because, like many of his peers, he thinks that the the hole in the skin (where it was attached to the belly button) needs to be removed with the excess skin. Find a surgeon that cares not about leaving the hole behind and placing your long scar in the best place possible: at the border between the aesthetic units of your thigh and abdomen laterally, and low in the pubis medially. Just because you don't have a lot of skin excess or that your belly button is high, that you have to have a high transverse scar.

It would be very difficult without in person evaluation to give you correct answer. Your skin tone and laxity rather than redundancy may be in favour of small skin excision by means of mini abdominoplasty (short scar). For this surgery belly botton does not have to be reconstructed; a floating BB technique can be used to drop BB slightly lower without creating new scar around it; aggressive liposuction should be a part of this procedure. However, the other option would be aggressive liposuction with assistance of skin thightening with radio frequency or J-plasma. In person consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon, expert in all of these techniques, would help. Good luck.

Get a mini tummy tuck if you like but you are likely to be disappointed with your result. I’ve seen this scenario many times. You need a full tummy tuck

You might be an excellent candidate for liposuction and minimaly invasive radiofrequency skin tightening with Renuvion or ThermiTight.

I get what your consulting surgeon was saying. You clearly couldn't get the skin down to to do a traditional abdominoplasty while a mini is going to leave a lot of the attenuated akin at your belly button. You otherwise do kind of look like a mini abdominoplasty candidate (with muscle plication, in my hands)

The compromise would be to have some type of lower abdomen vertical scar component. I'm guessing it would be about 2-3" . That can look good contour wise if you will accept the scar. OTOH sometimes people are much stretchier then they appear and you get all the skin down when it's been released.

An in person evaluation is best but from the limited photo it appears you will have the best result from a standard tummy tuck. This will address loose skin, excess fat, and correct abdominal wall laxity. The belly button can usually be repaired at the same time. If the skin has lost elasticity then other options for skin tightening will not likely yield good results.