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

Thank you for your questions.  The small vertical scar that I think you are referring to is the vertical scar that is closed where the skin used to be around the belly button. Depending on how long or short someone's torso is and the amount of extra skin, not all of the skin between the belly button and pubic region can be removed.  A short vertical scar is sometimes necessary to close this area.  This is not common but does happen at times.

The horizontal scars are more noticeable than the belly button scar because of scar length and location.

I hope this helps.

The tummy tuck with a vertical incision is a good method for treating patients and avoiding a hip to hip incision.

It allows the surgeon to lower the incision and make it shorter.  The tradeoff is a small vertical incision.

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!

Thank you for the question.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 wound healing problems and much wider scars.Sometimes these vertical scars can be revised/ removed ( usually one year or more after the tummy tuck surgery). I hope this, and the attached link, helps.

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.