(More than two years post op) Is this a burn or could it have been caused by my faja? Can it be improved? (Photos)

Thank you for your question about whether your burn may have been caused by your faja ha and if your scar can be improved. Thank you for your history in your picture. I’m sorry for your misfortune of abdominal scarring after your tummy tuck. Your abdominal scar does not look like a burn. Your abdominal scar looks more like pressure necrosis. That means the skin and underlying fat died due to excessive pressure from the faja. Unfortunately, it appears that your scar was probably due to the faja. During your seated, bent position after your tummy tuck, there was probably a fold in the fall, which created excessive pressure in this area. This excessive pressure strangulated the skin, causing the skin to die and leave you with a scar. Therefore, it is important during the healing after a tummy tuck to check your faja to ensure there are no wrinkles, folds, or indentations. Fortunately, plastic surgeons are experts in scar treatment and revisions. If the scar still concerns you, I would suggest you seek a consultation with a plastic surgeon regarding how to revise or improve your scar. Good luck. I hope I’ve answered your question regarding a scar caused by your faja after your tummy tuck. Good luck. If you have any more questions regarding tummy tucks, abdominoplasties, or abdominal liposuction, contact an experienced plastic surgeon. Since the tummy tuck surgery is a big procedure, please seek an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon with significant experience in performing tummy tucks. Do your research. Make sure your chosen plastic surgeon has performed at least 100 tummy tucks. Make sure they have the before and after pictures to prove it. Carefully examine their before and after pictures and check their reviews on RealSelf. If you cannot find an experienced tummy tuck plastic surgeon in your neighborhood, consider traveling out of state. Sincerely, Dr. Katzen, MD, MBA, FACS, FICS. ( Plastic Surgeon, President of the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons, certified by the American Board of Plastic surgery, Fellow of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic surgery, American College of surgery, and International College of surgery and member of the American Society of Plastic surgery, American Academy of Cosmetic surgery, RealSelf Hall of Fame, and RealSelf Doctor Advisory Board for Medical Review and Consumer Panel.)

The mark you describe and show is much more consistent with pressure from a tight faja rather than a burn. When a garment presses on one area for too long, it can reduce circulation and leave a line of skin damage. This can heal into a darker or indented scar, which is why the mark has stayed visible even after two years.
At this stage it is unlikely to disappear on its own, but there are solutions that can improve how it looks
Laser treatments such as fractional CO2 or Q switched lasers can lighten the color and smooth the texture
Microneedling or radiofrequency microneedling can stimulate healing and soften the scar tissue
Injections such as steroid or PRP may help if the tissue is raised or firm
Surgical scar revision is an option if the mark is deep and persistent, allowing it to be removed and closed more cleanly
While it may not be possible to erase the mark completely, these approaches can make it much less noticeable.
I have also shared a detailed video where I explain different types of scarring after tummy tuck and show examples of how they can be improved.
— Güray Yesiladali, MD

This looks like a classic tissue injury from compression. The feeling in your abdomen can be decreased immediately after the operation because of swelling, and your garment can be the equivalent of having a rubber band in that area pressing on the skin. The skin may have no blood flow, or decreased blood flow, and may be injured. This is probably what happened here.

This does not appear to be a burn. A compressive garment could have done this being too tight at that point. You have healed very well. You would benefit from excision of the hyperpigmented area that will leave a scar but will be more attractive then what you have now.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Thank you for your question. The immediate postop photos appear to have been cause by pressure, possibly from a tight faja. You have healed well from it, and improvement can performed with a number of a different ways. A consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon will be able to offer these options, Good luck on your journey!

Good morning. If after 2 years that brand persists, it is very likely that it is a chronic post -inflammatory hyperpigmentation caused by the prolonged pressure or friction of the girdle. This is not a thermal burn, but a reaction from the skin to repeated or constant trauma, as your surgeon explained. Although this type of brand can be attenuated over time, after two years it is possible that it is already a permanent or very slow stain of disappearing without treatment.

It's impossible to say definitively but if that wound was present immediately after surgery then it is unlikely to be from compression as you hadn't had compression on. Though your photos appear that you have healed well from this situation, you can consider scar revision if you are wanting further improvement.

Thank you for your inquiry and photos. Although it is not possible to say definitively, your appearance shortly after the procedure certainly is compatible w a burn eschar as I have seen and treated in the past as a result of medical tourism by the patient.

Perhaps a scar revision could improve on the appearance at this point- something to consider.
Good luck.

The injury looks like a thermal injury, but this could be caused by other things as well.
This type of injury could come from ischemia if there’s too much pressure on the skin after surgery.
I do not think it would be from your compression garment or standing in the wrong position.
I wonder if your surgeon Used some type of internal energy device?
Did they do Liposuction in conjunction with your tummy tuck?
If so, was an energy device like VASER, or laser or J-plasma aka Renuvion used?
My best guess is the surgeon try to do high definition, liposuction or etching in conjunction with your tummy attack.
I’m guessing they tried to give you six pack lines.
The device used for this created ischemia (a loss of blood supply to the skin) or it could’ve been a thermal injury, causing a burn.
In the end you ended up with a fairly significant second-degree burn which is left you with a permanent scar.
I recommend you contact a surgeon who did your procedure and ask them to forward a complete copy of your medical records, especially the operative report.
The operative report and the postoperative notes will most likely reveal what was done and can help you decipher what happened.
Surgeons blaming the patients is the oldest trick in the book. It upsets me when I see this happen.
A surgeon should be adult enough to take ownership of their own work.
I’ve had one patient develop some skin discoloration from a compression garment.
The patient had very sensitive skin for discoloring and the discoloring was temporarily and went away in about six weeks.
There was no dermal injury like blisters or an open wound.
I’m sorry this happened to you.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD