Will a full tummy tuck remove this vertical abdominal scar? (Photo)

With a tummy tuck, the vertical scar cannot be removed, but you can get a scar revision at the same time, to improve it, and to make it less wide and less noticeable.

Well done tummy tuck will flatten scar, eliminate dark shadow created by indentation, and hopefully narrow the scar.  If it still bothers you, consider camouflage cosmetics or tattoo.  Several tummy tucks for scar shown in our gallery, link below.

With a full tummy tuck, you would maintain the entire scar. It would likely be mostly below your bellybutton, starting at the pubic area,But it will not be cut out. I think a reasonable approach would be to have your tummy tuck, and then after about six months, excise the scar and maintain the vertical closure. I cannot predict your healing, but I would suspect you might have only a thin vertical line after healing. I would think this would be much more acceptable to you. Even in a bathing suit.

Thank you for reaching out and posting photos. I am sorry about your accident, but so glad you are ok. Unfortunately the entire scar could not be removed, the portion above the belly button would be pulled down. It is difficult to say what the end outcome would be without seeing you in person to see how much skin laxity you have. Be sure to visit a few experienced board certified surgeons. Best of luck! Dr. Kim

If you have a tummy tuck with a vertical scar, all the scar below the belly button will be removed, but the part above will be just shifted downward. How much is left depends on stretchy you are and how high it goes. Part of the problem is that it's badly dented in, which no cream or laser will fix. You either need a scar revision or a tummy tuck to fix it, depending on the laxity and length. Congratulations on surviving the accident, intestinal tears can be deadly. Trauma surgeons aren't know for their elegant skin closures, and likely you just had superficial staples which often heal this way. See a PS, we fix other surgeons' scars all the time.

Thank you for your photo. A tummy tuck cannot remove the entire scar, particularly the scar above the belly button. At most, it will help bring the vertical scar down, but a significant portion of it will still be present. You can have a scar revision instead or at the same time to reduce the indentation and make the scar more smooth and thin so it is less noticeable. There are also several after care techniques including creams and microneedling to help maximize the appearance of the scar after surgery. Hope this helps!Johnson C. Lee, MD Plastic Surgery

The short answer is that no plastic surgeon can completely remove a full-length midline scar, but we can often improve their contour/shape. One reason that we don't use staples for our skin closures in plastic surgery, is to avoid the 'railroad track' marks that they leave behind. These could be excised in a scar revision as part of an abdominoplasty procedure. A tummy tuck could also remove skin/soft tissue excess and stretch marks from the lower abdomen, and the umbilical scar could be improved as well. We routinely use buried absorbable sutures to enhance scar healing. Topical scar creams and/or laser treatments can be an important part of your post-operative scar management. I recommend that you discuss your options with a board-certified plastic surgeon in your area. Good luck to you.

Thanks for posting your question and picture. Most of the time, a full tummy tuck can take care of a vertical scar below the belly button, but not the portion above. This depends on how much extra skin you have. The upper portion will get pulled down, so it probably will get lower on your abdomen, but it won't be gone. You can still improve the appearance of your abdomen with tummy tuck and scar revision of the upper part of your scar, that is, removing and restitching that area to hopefully make a more fine scar with less irregularity. 

I am sorry to hear about the car accident you were involved in.  Unfortunately, the tummy tuck operation will not serve to remove the entire vertical scar;  generally, the area of skin removed with tummy tuck surgery is from the pubic area up to the  umbilicus.  You would still be left with the area of scar above the umbilicus;  the remaining scar can be revised to a finer line scar (which will also be lower on your abdominal wall, after the tummy tuck operation).

 You may find the attached link helpful to you as you learn more. Best wishes.

Thank you for the question and photo and while the scar will not be removed it can be used to give you a more sculpted appearance by removing skin in both a vertical and horizontal directionD Corbin