Tummy Tuck without muscle tightening?

One Dr. suggested TT w/o muscle tightening, he said I did not need it. He said there would be no benefit to it, that he would do the skin removal and lipo. Another Dr. said TT with muscle tightening. I have excess skin from weight loss (not extreme) and my waistline is not proportional to my body size. I'm not sure who to believe. Anyone had TT w/o muscle tightening?

Patty, I believe a TT w/o muscle tightening is the same thing as a pannectomy but I'm not 100% sure. As for which procedure to choose, I would go with the TT w/muscle tightening. Our abdominal muscles are stetched and separated from weight gain as well as pregnancies if you've ever had children. For me, removing the skin made my tummy look much better but tightening the muscles really helped define my shape - I have a waist for the first time in my life (I had no lipo). Good luck! Vickie J.

I haven't had a waist since 1st pregnancy. This Dr. said that w/o lipo I would still be thick around waist. I even called him back and asked if there would be any benefit for me for muscle repair and he said no. I am having trouble with that also. It really makes sense to me about the lipo though, which the other Dr. made no mention of.

Patty, I had muscle tightening with a TT in 1998. I subsequently regained and then lost a lot of weight with WLS. I just had a LBL on 10/18. The muscles did not need to be tightened this time around. In spite of the number of years and the weight gain and loss, the muscles were still tight. I think it depends on several factors, including those that Vickie mentions. For some of us, it is just not obvious until the time of surgery. I asked my surgeon during my pre-op if he needed to tighten the muscles because I wanted to know what to expect. His response was to anticipate some muscle tightening, but he did not know how much. He would not know for sure until he saw the muscles during surgery. It turned out that they did not need to be tightened, but we did not know that for certain until he was able to get in there and look around. Is your waistline not proportional because of the excess skin? Does your tummy feel pretty supported by the muscles today? I can say that, in spite of the weight gain and loss, I felt that I still had good muscle control in the stomach area - I just had a lot of flab on top of it. I have been taking belly dancing classes for almost 2 years and was able to do most of the moves - you just could not see them because of the excess flab on top! When I was initially going for consultations I did have another doctor tell me that I would need to have muscle tightening. Perhaps another consultation would help? Best wishes, Sharon

My waistline still carries most of my weight. One Dr. said the lipo would take care of the contouring. This weight is definately fat, I have some excess skin, I believe he mentioned 3-4 lbs of skin removal. I hate spending another $100 for consult, but maybe I should.

If you want your waistline to be pulled tight, go with a Traditional TT. What your talking about is a pannilectomy (Skin removal only). Go with the TT, you'll be happier with the results and the muscle work will last a long time. It will hurt for awhile, but it's worth it. MY doc just gave me a 25 inch waist. Holy Crap! That's tiny and I'm pleased a*****h. MY Plastic pics are on my profile if you want to look. Jane

I am at work and can not pull up pictures here, but I will at home. He called mine abdominoplasty with lipo. He had me push my stomach out against his hand and said the muscles were in good shape. The other Dr. would not do BL and TT at the same time, nor did he mention lipo.

I have seen a couple of mentions on this thread as well as other places on the forum about panniculectomy vs abdominoplasty or TT and keep wondering about the terms. It is my understanding that -a panniculectomy is removal of a pannus, which is defined as an apron of skin that hangs down from the abdomen. A pannus can usually be graded by severity. - An abdominoplasty or TT involves removal of excess skin and usually, but may not, involve muscle repair. I had an abdominoplasty with my LBL, but it did not involve muscle repair and I did not have a pannus. It would be nice to have a medical professional clarify this. Dr. LoMonoco, if you are out there, it would be great to have your input! Thanks, Sharon

That is the same understanding that I have of the definitions. Yes it would be nice to hear from Dr. LoMonoco. Thanks for the info!

Hi Patty, Just wondering what State you live in? I know of a wonderful plastic surgeon who is a perfectionist. If you are near him, he is definitely worth your time. Take care, Carey