What Type of Tummy Tuck Surgery Necessitates a Vertical Scar As Well As a Horizonal One?

Thank you for your question.  For most people, the standard tummy tuck scars iinclude a horizontal scar at the lower portion of the abdomen and a circular scar around the belly button.  However, when a person does not have a significant amount of excess skin of the abdomen and/or has a very short torso, the surgeon is not always able to remove the whole cut in the skin around the original position of the belly button.  That hole is pulled down and moved to the lower portion of the belly and is ultimately closed as a small vertical scar.  Whenever patients consult with me to discuss a tummy tuck, I always mentioned the possibility of a small vertical scar even if I think they will likely not have one following surgery.  It is always best to discuss all possibilities so that our patients are not surprised following surgery.  I hope this information has been helpful.  As always, consult with board certified plastic surgeons to discuss your options.  Best wishes!

There are several indications for the use of a vertical scar in a tummy tuck. There are useful after large amounts of weight loss usually after baristric surgery, when there is a pre-existing vertical scar from a prior ob-gyn procedure and in some forms of a mini-abdomioplasty when the desire it to keep the scar very low or avoid a horizontal scar altogether. It is not common after most forms of a tummy tuck but has a role to play when the benefit of extra skin removal provided by the vertical dimension is more valued than the vertical scar.