Tummy Tuck Scar Revision
John F. Kennedy once said “The greater our knowledge increases the more our ignorance unfolds.”
You may be asking yourself how this applies to tummy tucks and you may be more confused about how this applies to tummy tuck scars – well, let me tell you.
As I passed my 1000th tummy tuck patient in the last few years I have become obsessed with the tummy tuck scar. Because of my obsession, which is getting to be more of a compulsion with removing the fear of getting a tummy tuck scar, I am being referred (mostly by plastic surgeons’ patients from all over the world with bad tummy tuck scars) for revision tummy tuck surgery.
If you know me (or watch my Instagram @drneinstein) you will see I work really hard at staying physically and mentally fit. And when it comes to surgery, I believe in hyper-focused approaches to gain mastery.
As my life has evolved to where I am now a father and husband, the mommy makeover and particularly the tummy tuck have captured my heart and mind as the single most transformative procedures in plastic surgery. The change in confidence in women from mommy makeover tummy tucks is astounding and overwhelming at times. Restore a woman’s ability to feel sexy and you have done a lot of good in this world.
So let’s talk about tummy tuck scars and how I plan them, make them, and fix them.
Dr. Neinstein’s Approach to Tummy Tuck Scars & Scar Revision
In general, I want tummy tuck scars to be as low and short as possible, but as long as needed to get the job done right.
Here is how I teach surgeons the nuances of marking the ideal tummy tuck scar location. Unfortunately, there is a blend of art and engineering in tummy tuck scar marking, drawing and location. As you do thousands of tummy tucks and create thousands of tummy tuck scars, you start to better understand creases, the subtle change from hair bearing pubic skin to abdominal skin in women who have lasered all the hair away, the amount of tension you should pull up on the pubic area so the mons or pubic area is flat and tight but not too tight so as to pull the vagina or change the shape of the vagina during a tummy tuck.
- Step 1: Patient pulls the tummy skin up to the sky as hard as possible to re-establish mons to abdominal tightness you are seeking.
- Step 2: Mark the midline and a straight line in the exact area where pubic skin changes into abdominal skin (about 6-8cm from where the vagina starts) extend the line horizontally each way until the pubic area changes in the hip/groin area. This should give a midline tummy tuck scar below most underwear and bikini’s
- Step 3: Have the patient sit on the bed so you can see where the skin folds or when the skin wants to fold. You gently lift the skin on either side and gently curve the incision to the end of the fold and keep it low so again most bikinis and underwear will cover the tummy tuck scar.
So why do surgeons from all over the world refer to me their patients with bad tummy tuck scars? I think there are two primary reasons:
- They did a tummy tuck on someone who did not need a tummy tuck; there was not enough skin to remove which means they raised the scar to a weird level.
- They had a good candidate but performed poor marking; they did not take into account how things would be after surgery and the balance between loose skin standing, sitting, lying and the blend of a tummy tuck scar with the pubic area.
Revision Tummy Tuck Scar Example
If you are interested in a tummy tuck or a tummy tuck scar revision call us at 212-249-0949 or contact us with your story straight through out website.