Tummy Tuck Surgery and Hip-to-hip Scar my Only Option?

It sounds like you have kept yourself in good shape, but your abdominal skin has lost it's elasticity after having 5 kids, which is very common.  An Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck) is the best procedure to remove the excess skin.  Typically the scar does goes from hip to hip but upon exam, your surgeon can give you a better idea of how far he/she may have to go and can also determine if you will benefit from muscle wall repair.  Every office varies in pricing, but it is best to keep in mind that omitting muscle wall repair for cost is generally not in your best interest as there may be additional costs involved later if you don't do it right the first time.  Best of luck!

With a tummy tuck, you accomplish two goals - tightening up the stomach muscles and removing excess skin. You said that you already have good muscle tone so you may not need that part of the equation.  You did not provide a photo so it is difficult to tell you for sure what would be the best option for you.  If the amount of skin is VERY minimal, there are some non-invasive skin tightening things that you can do.  If you have stretch marks and more loose skin then a tummy tuck is probably the best option.  A mini-tummy tuck might be an option of the excess skin is  located below the belly button but the longer the incision, the more skin can be removed.  Basically, that is the decision you must make.  Would you rather have the loose skin or a scar across the lower part of your stomach?

A tummy tuck can absolutely be performed without muscle repair!  Some patients just don't need it. Unfortunately, it does not create a significant cost savings but you would be surprised at how affordable a tummy tuck can be, especially with the financing options that are available.

 

A hip to hip incision is part of a full tummy tuck.  For the luck patient that just has a small amount of extra skin in the lower central par of the abdomen, a mini tummy tuck with a shorter scar is an option.  Good luck.

There are 3 things that a tummy tuck does that you cannot accomplish on your own with diet and exercise alone: tighten skin, repair muscle separation, and remove localized fat if needed. If you do not have a muscle separation(diastasis) then your recovery will be much quicker. There are no short-cuts for skin tightening however, and from what you describe it seems unlikely that anything short of a full tummy tuck will do. You should see a plsatic surgeon for a personal consultation about whether the muscle repair is needed and whether it affects cost.

In general, the more skin removed, the longer the scar.  Quality and placement of scar more important than length.  Yes, less expensive without muscle plication, but after five term pregnancies, if you're flat now, plication will supercharge you.  Anyone who is opening you up for tummy tuck should want to make you as sexy, youthful, curvaceous, and beautiful as possible, and thus should not want to do tummy tuck without plication.