How to fix my dog ear and dents/dips after a tummy tuck? (photos)

It is too soon to tell what your final results will be. It will take 6 to 12 months to see the final outcome. However, even at this stage, it's clear that you will likely will need a revision procedure -- this is simply not right.

I recommend following up with your physician about their suggested after care protocol. I have my patients wear compression for 3 to 6 weeks straight and then overnight for 3 to 6 months after their procedure. I suggest adding hyperbaric oxygen and lymphatic massage along with your compression to help decrease swelling. To improve your final results, I also recommend adding Vanquish for further fat removal; truSculpt iD, Exilis, Forma, and Venus Legacy for additional skin tightening; and Cellutone / ZWave to make the skin smooth, remove scar tissue, and improve the skin’s appearance.

Ultimately, if you are unhappy with your results, please speak to your physician and ensure that he/she was a full body VASER Hi-Definition liposuction physician with extensive experience in contouring and body shaping -- and not just traditional fat reduction. You can always get a revision procedure by an expert if needed. Best, Dr. Emer

Thank you for your question. You will need a dog ear correction and I will suggest you also, belly, waist and back Liposculpture, getting better curves especially in the waist, improving your body contour.


Kind regards

I would recommend a posterior extension of your tummy tuck to create the 360 lift. This should take care of the contour irregularities of your thighs better than anything else.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Dear shenad,
I understand your concern and it is quite normal to be concerned about the outcome following a surgery. However, you are still in the very early stages of the healing process.You will need to be patient at this moment and follow what your surgeon has instructed you to do post operatively.At the early stage of the healing process, the tissues are still swollen. Once the swelling subsides you will be able to see the final result of your surgery.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Sorry this has happened to you!! This is what is most commonly known as a dogear. What this means is that the tummy tuck scar needed to be longer to remove the extra skin. Liposuction unfortunately will not fix this problem. You would need a revision to this! This is best performed by a plastic surgeon. Good luck!

You will need more time to heal from your tummy tuck before considering other interventions. Typically dog ears can be addressed with either liposuction and/or a small amount of skin excision. You will want to wait until 6-9 months from surgery to allow time for your incisions to heal and swelling to subside before considering addressing your concerns.

When removing skin laxity it’s important that the transition from treated to untreated area is done gradually or a skinfold is created called a dog ear. It is a skinfold and not related to fat distribution. sometimes Liposuction can improve the contour but it is inherently related to not extending the scar far enough. The correct treatment for a dog ear is to extend the scar further to the backside. A body lift is simply an extended tummy tuck that wraps around to the backside of the body. deciding how far to take the scar on a tummy tuck should be dependent on the degree of skin laxity on the backside compared to the front. some patients need skin tightening to go all the way around to the backside and this is sometimes referred to as a body lift or wraparound tummy tuck.

Extending the procedure gives a longer scar but continuous the contour improvements from the front to the side and eventually the backside.

Typically the recovery I’m doing the procedure on the back or the sides is far easier than the primary tummy tuck because it doesn’t entail any muscle tightening.

What makes the recovery difficult from a tummy tuck is the muscle tightening aspect and that is what makes the primary tummy tuck such a difficult procedure to recover from.

Revising your procedure by taking add more skin on the sides is sometimes done as an office-based procedure and typically is easy compared to the primary procedure.

Follow up with your provider preferably with an in person visit at which time you should have all of your questions properly answered.

For a more accurate assessment through a second opinion schedule in person consultations with local board-certified plastic surgeons.

Best,

Mats Hagstrom MD

I agree with Dr. Cash. I would wait another month or until the tissues feel like the surrounding ones and then see another plastic surgeon to either revise the area or liposuction it. There is no need for further major surgery. Because of the slight other irregularities, liposuction may be your best option. Make sure whoever you see has significant experience in liposuction and body modification.