Tummy Tuck Scar Made Too High?

The maximum amount of skin taken is between the top of the belly button and the midline of the pubis. Some surgeons make the inverted "V" at the pubis just in case the skin from above the belly button doesn't reach all the way to the pubis.
Final scar placement has a lot to do with the balance of tension between the skin above the belly button and the skin at the pubis. The good news is that after a few months the skin will relax, and if you still are unhappy with scar placement, the scar can be revised and brought down some more.
It is not unusual in the immediate postoperative period to go through a period of self doubt, and question if you made the right decision. A lot of patients go though the same emotions you are going through, but the important thing to remember is that all your concerns can be addressed in due course of time.

Best Scar Management is important to minimize or completely hide from view, the telltale signs of your surgery—namely, scars. Both you and your surgeon want you to have the most minimal scarring possible. There are many possible causes for scars that are enlarged or not healing well. Unsightly scars are most commonly due to genetics, underlying medical conditions, or improper scar/wound care. The last part is very important and patients can make a noticeable difference in their scars’ appearance by following best scar management practices. Here are some simple tips.
Scar Management tips:Minimize tension on the scar. Steri-Strips and/or surgical tape are often placed in non-hair bearing areas at the time of surgery to minimize tension and keep pressure over the scar.  This minimizes the  stress that  can pull the scar apart (dehiscence) creating a wound and  delaying healing time, and can make the scar wider, or more “ropy”. In the first few weeks after surgery, I recommend the use of Embrace Scar Therapy which is an adherent silicone sheeting pre-stretched when applied so as to offload tension on the scar.Keep your incision site/scar clean to prevent infection. Follow your surgeon’s wound care instructions to the letter with out modification. Never apply different products then recommended without first discussing them with your surgeon. This is especially important during the first few weeks. If there are any signs of infection, contact your surgeon’s office right away and/or see your doctor or his nurse immediately. Typical signs of infection may include redness outside the immediate incision site, asymmetric swelling, and drainage, of pus, fever, chills, and “feeling sick”.Protect your scars from the sun. Staying out of the sun is the best advice. Minimal exposure to sunlight is prevents hyperpigmentation (permanently turning brown) and other problems that can make the scar more noticeable. Sunscreen, at least 30 SPF and an overlying make camouflage make up additionally protects the scar from the suns harmful rays. This advice is especially important the first year following your surgery.Use specific scar maturation products recommended by your surgeon. Patients seem to have their own opinions on this touting everything from Pure Vit E, Coco butter, to Aloe Vera, etc but most have minimal benefit other than keeping the scar hydrated. Although hydration is important there are better, scientifically studied products with greater efficacy. Most of the scientific articles written about this subject indicate that topical silicone gel or silicone sheets work the best. The best product available in my opinion is the Embrace Scar Therapy System by Neodyne BioSciences, Inc. available in many surgeons’ offices. Essentially this is an adherent silicone sheeting pre-stretched when applied so as to offload tension on the scar. For areas that are not applicable for this product (e.g. smaller areas or on the face), I prefer BioCorneum or Kelo-Cote products There are a lot of products to choose from, but silicone should be one of the key ingredients. Although Mederma, an onion extract derivative active ingredient rather than mainly silicone based may help, primarily silicone based products are better and many also contain other ingredients that may be synergistic (hydrocortisone or other steroid, Vitamin E, Sunscreen, etc).. If the reader has problems obtaining these they can call my office. Patient compliance is also critical – use often and according to directions or it will not work optimally. NEVER apply products without first discussing them with your surgeon.Monitor to make sure your scar is progressing optimally. Keep your scheduled follow-up appointments with your surgeon to verify that your scars are maturing as expected.  Occasionally if indicated you may need a topical steroid preparation or even a series of  injections (5-FU and/or Steroids) or laser treatments  to treat or  prevent scar hypertrophy or keloid formation (red raised scars), or other topical medicines to treat post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (brown scars) with prescription creams and possible laser treatments.

most tummy tuck scars in southern california including los angeles are placed very low, just about where a c-section scar would be. I usually ask my patients to decide where they want their scars to be.

 It is hard to tell without pre and post operative pictures of you.  Everyone's anatomy is slightly different, which affects where the incision is placed.  However, generally, the incision has a slight curve just under where your underwear band would be.  

There are an infinite number of variations to tummy tuck scars with all sorts of names like V-M, U-M. high lateral tension, etc.
It sounds as if you have a modified w type scar. This is peformed when the umbilical incision cannot be completely transposed to the pubic hairline. In this instance the pubic hairline is brought up to the hole. This creates the upside down V you describe as well as the short distance between the scar and the new belly button.

 I am sorry to hear about your concerns after tummy tuck surgery. Unfortunately, only time will tell whether there will be enough tissue laxity above and below the scar line to allow for revisionary surgery to lower the scar significantly. This time frame may be somewhere between 1 to 2 years. 
Sometimes, especially for patients with a relatively short torso and/or minimal redundant abdominal wall skin, a short vertical scar is necessary ( in addition to the usual transverse tummy tuck scar). This vertical scar results from closure of the previous umbilical opening and prevents excessive tension upon closer in the midline of the tummy tuck incision line. If this vertical incision is not used, patients may end up with high scars, wound healing problems and/or wider scars.
Best wishes.

Thank you for your post. It is not common for surgeons to anchor the lower incision to the fascia or covering of the abdominal muscles to keep the scar low, however, I do use this technique and agree with it. All the tension on the incision is from above, not below, and thus the scar tends to move toward the area of maximal tension (towards the ribs/bellybutton). This moves the scar higher than desired. I like to keep my scars very low, and feel that anchoring the scar helps accomplish this. The following photo is an example of this.

The shape of a tummy tuck scar can vary. There are v shapes, curves or even something like a W. This all depends on the body and design of the surgery. A high scar may be able to be lowered after  the recovery is complete.

This is a hard one to answer without examining you. As already mentioned, there are many ways to do a tummy tuck. Each surgeon has a personal preference. In addition, there are many aspects that need to be considered regarding each individual patient. In most tummy tucks, the scar is a gentle curve starting higher on the sides and lower in the middle. We try to do our best to hide the scars within underwear.
If you did not have too much skin to resect, and you wanted to keep the scar as low as possible, then you might have ended up with a small vertical scar where the old belly-button was located. This is a really a conversation that hopefully you have already had before your surgery. Some patients are ok having that small vertical scar as well. Others would rather the whole tummy tuck scar be higher to avoid that. It sounds as though your surgeon made the scar a little higher for that reason. It is hard to say for sure without knowing the conversation between the two of you preoperatively.
If there is still some looseness, then the scar can be revised, but wait at least 6 months (or even a year) before planning a revision. Bottom line: talk to your surgeon about the location of your scar and see what he/she has to say. Good luck.

Every plastic suregeon has their own way of doing the incision for a tummy tuck. It sounds like the type of incision that you have was doen to remove the hole that is in the skin from the belly button.
There are many ways to do this and some surgeons will tell the patient that the belly button hole amy not come out with the piece of skin that is removed and may result in a small up and down scar in the lower belly.
These are things that are discussed during the consultationa and may come up during the observation of before and after pictures.
If you are unhappy with the scar placement talk to your surgeon and ask if something can be done for it.