Tummy Tuck in Very Thin Fit Woman Mother of Three?

Dear Latina,

 

What you have described is a custom designed procedure to fit your skin and to optimize your results.

 

Without physical examination, it is hard to generate an opinion about the laxity of your skin. Thin and healthy candidate as yourself do not qualify for a full tummy tuck usually.

 

So I encourage you to seek consultations with board certified surgeons of ample experience to get an informed opinion and to have the better fit for your case.

 

Thank you for your inquiry.

Dr. Sajjadian

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for your question.

It sounds as though your plastic surgeon is tailoring or modifying a traditional tummy tuck to your needs.  It is common to make changes to a procedure depending on each patient's unique needs.

If you are unsure, see two or more board-certified plastic surgeons in your area for a full and complete evaluation to make sure you are a good candidate and that it is safe for you to have surgery. I hope this helps.

The vertical scar is the hole from the previous belly button position. If it remains as a vertical scar, then there was not enough laxity to remove all of the lower abdominal skin.

When in doubt, get a second opinion. Make sure you are going to a board certified plastic surgeon with experience in this operation. Even in thin women, I can usually get all of the skin out between the belly button and pubic region.

A small vertical scar is sometimes the result   of not being able to pull the skin down far enough to get rid of the incision around the umbilicus, especially in a thin fit patient.

Thin fit patients with extra skin present in their lower abdomen need to discuss options with their plastic surgeon. Since you are lean and in good health, you may lack the large amount of excess skin and fat (that can be removed with a full tummy tuck) found in fuller patients.

If your full abdominoplasty skin closure is potentially too tight, some surgeons may use a small vertical incision on the midline above your pubis. This extra skin comes from the area surrounding your belly button (in this case, the upper horizontal incision is planned below the belly button).

A mini-tummy tuck may not leave you tight enough or address the excess skin and laxity above your belly button.

Without examining and chatting with you, it is impossible to speculate which technique will best meet your objectives. My recommentation is for you to obtain additional consultation(s) with an experienced plastic surgeon until you are comfortable chosing among your surgery options.