Will a tummy tuck also help with saggy under breasts area? (photos)

Thank you for your question regarding what to do about sagging skin underneath the breast area after significant weight loss. Congratulations on your weight loss. During a tummy tuck, an incision is made in the lower abdomen. Dissection is carried up to the rib cage. This allows the tissue to be freed up and also allows the skin to be pulled up and thus tucked. The extent of the dissection over the ribs is either up to the bottom of the ribs or about two centimeters above the edge of the ribs. The areas that you are grabbing on the side of the breasts will not be affected by a tummy tuck. A further dissection is carried upon the abdomen to address these areas. The blood supply to the abdominal flap is compromised and the abdominal skin could die during a tummy tuck. Therefore, the area that you are concerned about may not be addressed during a tummy tuck. If you want the area on the side of the breast to be taken care of, you have two options. I would either suggest liposuction of the upper torso or a torsoplasty. A torsoplasty includes an incision from the armpit down the side of the chest or an incision across the back. Either of these procedures will take care of this area you are pinching. Another alternative may be a reverse tummy tuck where an incision is made underneath your breast. The problem with this on you is that it will not really address your main target, the lower abdomen. Nonetheless, discuss these options with your plastic surgeon. I hope this helps to answer your question regarding what to do with loose hanging skin under the bottom of the breast after significant weight loss and whether this area would be addressed during a traditional tummy tuck.


I specialize in reconstructive plastic surgery after weight loss. 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.)

Thanks for the question.

In this regard, I recommend you a Tummy Tuck to get a flat abdomen and waist and back Liposculpture, getting better curves especially in the waist, improving your body contour.


Kind regards,
Dr. Emmanuel Mallol Cotes.-

Unfortunately, your photographs do not show your breasts. You may need a breast lift and the technique I recommend is The Bellesoma Method. This will reshape your breast tissue creating upper pole fullness without implants, elevate them higher on the chest wall and more medial to increase your cleavage. Vertical scars are avoided, nipple sensation (in 95%) and the ability to breast feed are maintained. This technique lifts the saggy skin of the upper abdomen effectively.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

You are a wonderful candidate for Full Tummy Tuck and muscle repair, mons lift and a little liposuction to waist. The skin undermining during the Tummy tuck is limited and internally is a triangle with the vertex right under the xiphoid bone under the ribs. No undermining over the ribs and either towards the lateral chest. So the skin tightening will NOT impact the areas of your concern (lateral superior abdomen and either lateral torso). If you have significan saggy skin you will need skin tightening procedure. Liposuction will only make skin saggier. Be encouraged!! Will look wonderful after the Tummy tuck. Dr. Cárdenas

Dear Good5567,
based on your photos, you look like a good candidate for a TT. Full tummy tuck should tighten your abdominal muscles and remove the excess skin. Flanks liposuction would give you a better shape. I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon because only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Hello, thank you for your question and pictures. After evaluating your case you seem to be a great candidate for a full tummy tuck with liposuction and BBL as optional. Combining these procedures we can remove the skin excess on your abdomen together with the stretch marks, the scar is hidden on the bikini line and placed low and with liposuction remove the localized fat of the back and waist. Make sure to approach to a certified surgeon to help you clear all your doubts. Good luck!

Yes, a full tummy tuck will also help tighten skin in that area as excess is pulled down and removed. A mini tuck will not change anything in that area.

Congratulations on your weight loss! Yes, in most cases the tummy tuck will address excess fat from the upper abdomen to the lower abdomen. I encourage you to meet with a board certified plastic surgeon near you for a consultation. During this important meeting you can discuss your goals for surgery and learn more about what you can expect in terms of results.

During a full tummy tuck procedure the skin and fat layer is separated from the underlying muscle fascia from the groin all the way up to the rib cage. For patients who have skin laxity that continues up on the rib cage this tissue separation needs to extend and go further all the way to the inframammary fold(The bottom of the breast). If the dissection or just the separation is cut short and does not include these areas then patients will be left with skin folds and skin laxity on the upper part of their abdomen or lower part of their chest in the areas you have pointed out. Different plastic surgeons have different approaches to how Highup they do this surgical undermining. Likewise there is a limit to how far out to the sides the skin and fat layer is separated from the underlying muscle wall.

It is not typical to incorporate skin laxity in the under arm area with a tummy tuck and patients who have a loose skin in this area should still expect to have skin laxity in that area after the procedure. It is not safe to continue undermining because doing so will compromise the blood supply and blood flow to the skin and fat tissues and can cause wound healing complications including tissue necrosis.

I recommend scheduling multiple in person consultations with local board-certified plastic surgeons. During the consultation I would encourage you to specifically ask each provider exactly at what point they typically stop undermining and if they ever adjust the procedure to incorporate skin laxity below the breast and how far to go out to the sides.

It’s not uncommon for patients to post on real self wanting revisions after a tummy tuck because of remaining skin laxity or a skin fold often thought to be an issue of fat a couple of inches below their breast.

It’s always a little unfortunate having to tell people that the procedure was done insufficiently and the only way to correct us is to redo the entire tummy tuck.

These are excellent questions and they should be brought up point-blank during in person consultations at which point it should be made very clear the extent and what will be included with the procedure.

Congratulations on your weight loss. Good luck on your upcoming procedure.

Best,

Mats Hagstrom MD