How long before the linea alba is visible after a tummy tuck?

Question

I had a tummy tuck procedure 3 weeks ago, there's no vertical "indent" and the muscles feel quite tender and perhaps are still swollen. Does muscle swelling affect the look of the linea alba or am I looking at the likely final look with no vertical indent? My tummy looks a little flat but there appears to be a lack of "contouring."

George Marosan, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. The linea alba is present due to fibrous attachment of the skin to the underlying muscle fascia. With an abdominoplasty this is dissected and in some patients this tends to reattach, but not in all. I personally liposuction the upper midline to create a depression and during the abdominoplasty I use dissolvable sutures to suture the skin down in the midline to re-create the linea alba. At 3 weeks you might have enough swelling that this is not evident yet. Also, your surgeon (most do not) might not have reattached the skin to the midline fascia.

Vasdev Rai, MD · Answer

Abdominoplasty addresses extra tissue and stretch marks on abdomen.  It also restores muscle tone and tightens the abdomen.  However visbility of linea alba is not a goal of this operation.Visibility of linea alba depends on thickness of tissues that overlay it.  This thickness can be reduced with liposuction to make linea alba more visible.

How long before the linea alba is visible after a tummy tuck?

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How long before the linea alba is visible after a tummy tuck?

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Everything you need to know about Tummy Tuck

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