Can a Tummy Tuck help even if I have stretch marks ABOVE my belly button?

Question

I am considering a tummy tuck. I weigh 148lbs and am 5'3". Pregnancy (2 yrs ago) and weight loss (70 lbs in 1 year) have caused loose, wrinkly & creased tummy skin, a "squashed" and wide looking bely button and a drooping tummy/pannus. I also have white stretch marks above and below my belly button. I know a tummy tuck will help my lower abdomen, but can it help the area above my belly button, too?

Jose Perez-Gurri, MD, FACS · Answer

i the tummy tuck will remove all stretch marks located below the belly button and the ones above will be transferred to thepubic region. There are many more advantages to the tummy tuck incluidng muscle repair to strengthen the abominal wall.I am certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and have been performing tummy tucks in the Miami area for the past 29 years. I encourage you to look up the surgeon you eventually select and make sure they have years of experience in performing tummy tucks and liposuctions. Furthermore request to see before and after photos of previous patients by that doctor....not a clinic or surgery center. Do your homework......research and verify the doctor's credentials. Have they had problems with the Board of Medicine, disciplinary or otherwise. Any law suits? How about the center, clinic or facility? Are they accredited by a national organization or do they just have State approval. Understand that at the current time, there are three nationally recognized organizations responsible for the highest levels of patient safety, AAAASF, AAACH and JCHO. You owe it to yourself to position yourself for the best possible results but under the most stringent safety regulations, If you have kids, even more so.How about anesthesia? Will you have a medical doctor certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology or a certified nurse anesthetist (CRNA)? Understand that there is no substitute for research. Cosmetic surgery, no matter how simple it may be to the patients, are invasive procedures and as such carry certain risks and complicationsIn our office we use TouchMD which is a web based program in which patients have the ability to load their picture unto the program. I then evaluate them and can actually draw on the picture to show a potential patient where the incisions would be located and how the procedure is to be realized. It's all done to comply with HIPPA which is the federal law that protects the patient's medical information. Look them up. I would encourage you to contact our office. Submit your photos and I'll work on them and give you an opinion to what is best in your case. I hope this information has been beneficial.Good luck Dr PG

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

Tummy tuck may not remove all of your stretchmarks but it should result in a smooth flat appearance.  I
would search for the board certified plastic surgeon who you feel is
most likely to give you the best results and who performs hundreds of
these procedures each year. I would look at patient reviews as well as
before and after photos on that surgeon's website.Kenneth Hughes, MDLos Angeles, CA

David L. Mobley, MD, FACS · Answer

While the lower stretch marks will definitely be removed, the upper abdominal stretch marks may not be.If you have a large amount of loose skin some of the skin above the umbilicus may be removed and therefor even the stretch marks above the belly button can be removed or at least partially removed.   The upper abdominal stretch marks are often moved down much lower making them less noticeable.Performing IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) treatments on the remaining stretch marks will make them thinner and less noticeable in patients with light skin.

John Nguyen, MD, FACS · Answer

The stretch marks above the belly button will be moved further down on the belly.  If you have a significant amount of loose skin above the belly button, more of the stretch marks above the belly button could be removed.  Good luck and be safe.John T. Nguyen, MD, FACS, FICSDouble Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Gary Lawton, MD, FACS · Answer

The stretch marks above your belly button will end up at the pubic hairline.  They will nt go away, but they will be moved lower and the remainder of your abdomen will be improved as well.

Thomas Trevisani, MD · Answer

Generally speaking abdominoplasty removes excess skin from your abdomen region along with excess fat, and tightens your muscles. All of the stretch marks from your belly button down will be gone. If there are any above the belly button- they will be much less noticeable . Seek an experienced Board Certified PS for in person examination/ consultation

Mark A. Deuber, MD · Answer

A tummy tuck will get rid of excess skin and fat below the belly button. It will also correct the diastasis (stretched separated abdominal muscles) from pregnancy. To the extent there are stretch marks located in the area below the belly button they will be removed (and gone forever). Stretch marks around or above the belly button will remain and probably be relocated lower on the abdominal wall. As the skin will be much tighter, the belly will look better ever if the stretch marks aren't completely removed.

Mark Schwartz, MD · Answer

Congratulations on losing 70 pounds in one year!  During a tummy tuck the skin and stretch marks are removed from the lower abdomen.  If there are upper abdominal stretch marks they will be moved down to the lower abdomen.  While they generally do not disappear, they may look less noticeable since the skin is on stretch.  Good luck.

Ramon Navarro, MD · Answer

yes undoubtly the  TT  will improve the whole belly and  upper  belly, because it  will be thighted the skin to improve it, besides  the concomitant lypo  will improve more so do it

Robert Singer, MD · Answer

The lower
stretch marks will be removed with a tummy tuck and the upper ones brought to a
lower position where they will be less obvious. While there are many
nonsurgical procedures that are claimed to get rid of stretch marks, most
ethical knowledgeable plastic surgeons will tell you that they have limited if
any benefit, are unreliable, and not a satisfactory option.

Keep in
mind that following advice from a surgeon on this or any other website who
proposes to tell you what to do without examining you, physically feeling your
tissue, assessing your desired outcome, taking a full medical history and
discussing the pros and cons of each operative procedure would not be in your
best surgery. I would suggest that you find a surgeon certified by the American
Board of American Plastic Surgery and one who is ideally a member of The
American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) that you trust and are
comfortable with. You should discuss your concerns with that surgeon in person.

Robert
Singer, M.D., FACS

La Jolla,California

Can a Tummy Tuck help even if I have stretch marks ABOVE my belly button?

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