Abs after tummy tummy on bodybuilder age 39 - will my skin readhere & show them? (Photos)

Question

I am a 39 year old bodybuilder who had a tummy tuck due to loose skin after weight loss & 4 cesareans & 2 hernias. My stomach looked good prior to surgery aside from skin, I had decent ab definition, I am concerned I may not see good ab definition like I had before so I asked my PS, he said removing the skin from the muscle layer to tighten will prevent the skin from being tight to the muscle again & I won’t see that good of definition again, will my skin readhere & show them?

Camille Cash, MD · Answer

After your surgery the skin should readhere to the underlying tissue once swelling has subsided and healing is complete.  The degree of loose skin and subcutaneous fat will impact the definition as was true before surgery.

Connie Hiers, MD, FACS · Answer

You will probably be able to see definition once the swelling is settled and all has healed. It could take up to one year for this process.

Gabriel Mecott, MD · Answer

Hi! As you surely know, muscle definition is about the volume of the muscle and the thickness of the fat over it. So, in order to have muscle definition in a patient with good muscle volume, we just need to remove the fat (most of it) over the desired muscles. No need to try to shape the fat trying to resemble muscle hypertrophia. So, in patients like you, we only do VASER liposuction. This allows us to remove fat and contract skin. Then, the level of muscular volume (and thus, definition) will depend on in your work out. Just removing more skin (as in a Tummy tuck) won't help with definition since the fat layer is not decreased. In special cases, during a tummy tuck, we can inject some fat in order to make the muscles bigger (just a few milliliters of fat) in that way the muscles “grow” and they are more noticeable through the skin. But all that depend on the characteristics of the patient and the desired results.

Douglas Taranow, DO, FACOS · Answer

First, you do not appear to be a candidate for a full abdominoplasty, but a physical exam is required to confirm this theory.  The skin does scar back down to the muscle following an abdominoplasty (otherwise there would be a cavity [like in a seroma] which rarely happens). 
Dr. Taranow

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

The skin and fat layer is separated from the muscle fascia in a process called undermining during a full tummy tuck. As the tissues heal the skin and fat layer read here to the abdominal wall but in a slightly different position since the exes loose skin has been cut off the abdominal skin has been pulled down. The new incision is created for the belly button and the belly button can get a slightly unnatural appearance. I’m assuming you are referring to a full tummy tuck. There is also a mini tummy tuck which only addresses skin laxicity of the lower abdomen. Typically women who’ve had previous pregnancies develop muscle separation and this is typically addressed during a tummy tuck with muscle tightening. Individuals who have not had term pregnancies typically don’t need muscle tightening and can have a skin only tummy tuck. Avoiding muscle tightening makes the recovery a whole lot easier for this procedure.
I suggest all patients considering cosmetic surgery have multiple in person consultations with local board-certified plastic surgeons in their community. Judge plastic surgeons competence in regards to quality work for tummy tucks by looking at who gets the most natural looking belly buttons on a consistent basis. During each consultation ask each provider to show their entire collection of before and after pictures for this current procedure. Simply being shown a handful of preselected pictures which most likely represent the best results of the providers career is insufficient to get a clear understanding of an average results look like in the hands of each provider. You may also want to ask the provider to show as many pictures as possible of patients with similar body characteristics. Another option is to ask the provider to show examples of excellent outcomes, average outcomes and less than outcomes. The goal for the patient is to see the consistency of the work and what average results look like especially in patients who have similar body characteristics to your own.
Judge the results based on who gets the most natural looking belly button. That tends to be the hardest part of the procedure and surgeons who can consistently get good looking belly buttons are typically detail oriented and know how to do all other aspects of tummy tuck surgery well. Other characteristics of quality work include a very low set scar that follows anatomic contour naturally. Likewise the torso should look good from all angles. Some individuals may need a more extensive tummy tuck and a talented plastic surgeon will adjust the procedure to accommodate so that the torso looks good from all angles including from behind. 
Continue having consultations until you feel quite certain you found a provider who can deliver the type of results you’re looking for and one that you feel comfortable with.
 Finally I recommend reading all reviews on various physician review websites avoiding providers for any significant number of justified negative reviews. The absence of justified negative reviews is more important and more telling than having an abundance of positive reviews.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD

Abs after tummy tummy on bodybuilder age 39 - will my skin readhere & show them? (Photos)

Answers (5)

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