I’m 6 months post op from a tummy tuck with 8.5cm muscle repair and umbilical hernia fix with 360 lipo. Since 2 months post op my belly’s been getting bigger, and I had a private scan at 4 months where they confirmed both repairs are still intact and there’s some fluid but all good. I followed post op advise to the tee too. In all honestly it’s like I didn’t have the tummy tuck in the first place as this is what my belly was like before. I’m 10st5 and weigh less than day of surgery and I’m 5ft6”
September 5, 2023
Answer: Bulging abdomen after tummy tuck The most common reason people have a bulging abdomen after a full tummy tuck is excess visceral fat. Individuals who have access, visceral or intra-abdominal fat, should have this assessed during a consultation because access visceral fat will limit the potential improvement from a tummy tuck, including muscle tightening. There are four tissue variables that determine what the abdomen looks like. These four tissue variables are abdominal, skin laxity, excess subcutaneous fat, muscle separation from previous pregnancy and excess visceral intra-abdominal fat.. To make an assessment regarding the outcome of a plastic surgery procedure we need to see proper before and after pictures. If you don’t have before, and after pictures and ask your surgeon to forward the pictures they took. Your before pictures will most likely indicate that you had excess visceral fat, causing abdominal bulging Preoperatively. Differentiating between muscle, separation and excess Visceral fat is not all that difficult, and most plastic surgeons should be able to tell the difference and instruct patients including the need for weight loss, or when results are inherently going to be limited because of this condition. The only way to reduce visceral fat is through weight loss. One way to differentiate visceral fat from muscle separation instantly on your back and see if your abdomen goes completely flat. If it does not, then you must likely have a visceral fat issue and weight loss is the only way to reduce it. I suggest having a few second opinion consultations with other providers in your community. Best, Mats Hagstrom, MD
Helpful
September 5, 2023
Answer: Bulging abdomen after tummy tuck The most common reason people have a bulging abdomen after a full tummy tuck is excess visceral fat. Individuals who have access, visceral or intra-abdominal fat, should have this assessed during a consultation because access visceral fat will limit the potential improvement from a tummy tuck, including muscle tightening. There are four tissue variables that determine what the abdomen looks like. These four tissue variables are abdominal, skin laxity, excess subcutaneous fat, muscle separation from previous pregnancy and excess visceral intra-abdominal fat.. To make an assessment regarding the outcome of a plastic surgery procedure we need to see proper before and after pictures. If you don’t have before, and after pictures and ask your surgeon to forward the pictures they took. Your before pictures will most likely indicate that you had excess visceral fat, causing abdominal bulging Preoperatively. Differentiating between muscle, separation and excess Visceral fat is not all that difficult, and most plastic surgeons should be able to tell the difference and instruct patients including the need for weight loss, or when results are inherently going to be limited because of this condition. The only way to reduce visceral fat is through weight loss. One way to differentiate visceral fat from muscle separation instantly on your back and see if your abdomen goes completely flat. If it does not, then you must likely have a visceral fat issue and weight loss is the only way to reduce it. I suggest having a few second opinion consultations with other providers in your community. Best, Mats Hagstrom, MD
Helpful