I had twins 2.5 years ago and my stomach is not the same. Am I a tummy tuck candidate? (Photo)

Based on your pictures you may be an excellent candidate for a Tummy Tuck with muscle plication in order to tighten your muscles and give the appearance of a flatter abdomen. Additionally, a tummy tuck comprehensively removes excess skin and fat helping mitigate any bulging or dimpling from excess skin that you may have on your abdomen. If you have notable bulging around your flanks, bra rolls, and upper back combining this procedure with strategic liposuction will provide you with optimal body contouring results. A virtual or in person consultation with a Tummy Tuck specialist will provide you with accurate recommendation and pricing.
Respectfully, Brandon Richland, MD

Based on your pictures, you will benefit from the repair of the separation of your abdominal muscles caused by pregnancy. This will be accomplished through a horizontal tummy tuck incision as well as a short vertical incision for the old belly button scar.

Great questions.
With any pregnancy, especially twins, there will be some abdominal wall changes. My consultations begin with a detailed physical examination to determine which part(s) of the abdominal wall and abdominal contents are responsible for the appearance. To be sure, based on your photos, the challenge is to address the abdominal wall but with no real need to address abdominal skin. How that is done depends on the findings on exam and possibly even a CT scan of the abdomen to assess the abdominal wall. Once the anatomy is clear, there are likely options including liposuction, mini-abdominoplasty, abdominoplasty with umbilical transposition, endoscopic approaches and any combination of those. You will find different approaches from various surgeons and additional consultations are in order. Hope this helps.

Thank you for your questions and photos. You are not wrong. A tummy tuck will address excess skin & repair of the abdominal muscle. From your photos, tough you do not appear to have a lot of extra skin, you would benefit greatly from muscle repair. Which then would allows the surgeon to address extra skin. The abdominal wall can be weakened after pregnancy and (or) significant weight gain & loss. By repairing the muscle, not only does the appearance of your abdominal area improve, but your core strength as well. The repair of the muscle will cinch your waist like an inner corset, which will accentuate your curves. Liposuction will remove excess fat from unwanted areas with some skin retraction. Your expectations and health will dictate the best procedure(s) for you. I suggest a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon to go over the options that best address your goals. Best of luck!

Dhaval Patel MD
Double Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Chicago
South Barrington
Oakbrook
Orland Park

Thank you for your question regarding if you are a tummy tuck candidate. I'm sorry that you were told that you aren't a good candidate for a tummy tuck because of your lack of loose skin. I disagree. You would definitely benefit from muscle repair (you're right)! I would combine the tummy tuck with liposuction of the flanks to give you ultimate results. I'm sorry to hear that people have been asking when you are due. Muscle repair will help with your distended abdomen and also get rid of any loose skin that is remaining after that.

I hope this helped to answer your question. Please take a look at my tummy tuck before and after gallery to see other patients who don't have much excess skin and still opt for a tummy tuck. I'll link it below.

If you have any more questions regarding a tummy tuck, lower body lift, 360 circumferential lower body lift, belt lipectomy, belt abdominoplasty, or belt dermolipectomy please contact my office. Since the body lift is a big procedure, please seek an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon with significant experience performing the lower body lift. Do your research. Make sure they have performed at least 100 tummy tuck or circumferential lower body lift surgeries and 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 or lower body lift surgeon in your neighborhood, consider traveling out of state if you must. Sincerely, Dr. Katzen. (“Verified” Plastic Surgeon, President of the American Society of Bariatric Plastic 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 and RealSelf Hall of Fame.)

Hello @b2k701 thank you for your question. Yes you are a candidate. A tummy tuck has several variations and 4 factors that need to be taken into account when it comes to the abdomen shape: Lax skin, diastasis recti, fat under the skin and intra abdominal fat. The first two are treated with a tummy tuck and the latter with lipolysis made with liposuction. From there a surgical plan is created according to patient characteristics, needs and expectations. It is important that you have a consultation with a board certified specialist to determine a surgical plan according to your needs. Best wishes! Alan Gonzalez MD. American Society of Plastic Surgery Member (ASPS), International Federation for Adipose Therapeutics and Science” Member (IFATS), Colombian Society of Plastic Surgery member (SCCP).

Dear b2k701, thanks for sharing your concern and picture. I rather suggest Vaser Liposuction it provides high skin retraction and high definition plus tummy tuck with muscle repair and BBL. Make sure you go on consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon. Hope this helps and best of lucks! Dr. Luis Mejia.

You are a candidate for either muscle repair (typically cosmetic by a board certified plastic surgeon) or laparoscopic mesh reinforcement of your internal abdominal wall (typically insurance by a board certified general surgeon with laparoscopic expertise).
Not all insurance companies will cover the second option. A physical exam and CT scan are often helpful to identify the extent of rectus diastasis. Symptoms like abdominal wall pain or discomfort should be documented by your PCP. Most insurance companies will require you to have failed physical therapy prior to considering coverage of laparoscopic mesh reinforcement.
Muscle tightening by a plastic surgeon can be achieved even if you do not have extra skin. For me, I always have a least two potential strategies for muscle tightening depending on the quality of the patient's fascia.

The best candidates for abdominoplasty (known as “tummy tuck”) are men or women who are in relatively good shape but are bothered by a large fat deposit or loose abdominal skin that won’t respond to diet or exercise. The surgery is particularly helpful to women who, through multiple pregnancies, have stretched their abdominal muscles and skin beyond the point where they can return to normal. Loss of skin elasticity in older patients, which frequently occurs with slight obesity, can also be improved. Patients who intend to lose a lot of weight should postpone the surgery. Also, women who plan future pregnancies should wait, as vertical muscles in the abdomen that are tightened during surgery can separate again during pregnancy.

Regardless of which issue you have with your torso, Dr. Haworth, an expert in the field, is able to reshape and improve your problem areas.

Since 1995, Dr. Haworth has performed successful and well-recognized surgeries for body-contouring, gynecomastia (male breast reduction), tummy tucks, SmartLipo, butt implants, cellulite treatment, tumescent liposuction and mastopexy.

From your side view, you can see your abdominal wall is bulging anteriorly. If you are not planning future pregnancies, I recommend abdominoplasty with mesh reinforcement. The mesh creates a more hourglass figure by compressing the abdominal wall resulting in early satiety and helps maintain a reduced weight.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M,D,