Question:
Have a question about above belly button and below belly botton tummy tuck
— sarah C. (posted on June 4, 2004)
June 4, 2004
My surgeon and I were both firm believers that I only needed the vertical
incision as that was where all the skin was hanging (below my belly
button). I actually had a LBL, so it went all the way around. Anyway, I
now sometimes wish I had had the anchor incision because my waist has ended
up a 1/2 size larger than my hips which can make buying clothes difficult.
It's not something anyone else would notice, but it bugs me trying to get
clothes that fit. If it fits my waist confortably, it bags on my
hips/butt. If it fits my butt nicely, it's tight around my waist. Thank
God for low rise stretch jeans. Don't know what I'll do when they go out
of style :) It is nice to be able to show my tummy without a vertical scar
(not that I do outside of a bathing suit), but I think I would rather have
a thinner waist.
— mom2jtx3
June 4, 2004
Sarah, Without seeing a picture in your underwear, with all the rolls
exposed, it is impossible to guess what you need. I not only needed the
anchor incision but I need two surgeries to accomplish what most can get
done in 1. I've already had a LBL and so I am cut 360 degrees horizontally
and also from pubic bone to just above the bra line. However, this still
left me with significant skin above the belly button (BB). We knew this
was going to happen going in, so it wasn't a surprise. I had a 2nd panni
above the BB that goes around onto the back, so I have large blobs of skin
hanging from the bra line to the waist. Normally a surgeon is able to lift
the skin up and pull everything down but in my case my waist never
stretched about and was very anchored. All 3 plastic surgeons I saw said
the same thing - 2 surgeries to accomplish the end result. Even insurance
agreed and approved 2 surgeries right away. They did not agree to pay for
the lateral thigh lift portion of the LBL of which I paid junt inder
$6000.
<p>In my case to get rid of all the skin I will need another
horizontal cut either at the waist or at the bra line and it will likely go
most of the way around if not all the way. He needs to directly excise the
skin. I look very weird right now as everything is tight and flat from the
BB on down to the thighs. From the BB on up I have small rolls in the
front and large ones in the back. So everything hangs over my belt/waist.
I also have problems with fitting clothes because right now the waist is
about 1/2-1 size bigger than the gut. I am having surgery Monday to remove
this skin and he plans to do some lipo in the waist to shape things better
and put it more in proportion to the gut.
<p>My surgeon said the large roll above the waist isn't very common,
at least how mine is. He's only done a few people with it. He said in the
past year there has been more talk about this condition and the best way to
deal with it in the PS circles. He has some video's from some conferences
he wasn't able to attend that address this condition and he plans to be
watching them before Monday morning. He'd ideally like to make the
incision up high and hide it in the bra coverage. However, he is concerned
that over time the skin will start to sag some and I will end up with small
rolls, especially in the back. That's why he's thinking that cutting the
skin out where the roll is, right above the waist, may give me the best
long term result. He's not thrilled about having another horizontal scar
right above the LBL scar though. My feeling is no matter what I am going
to have lots of scars by the time everythings done that I would prefer he
cut wherever I will get the best long term results. Also I am likely to
wear 1 piece swimming suits but they tend to scoop down in the back and if
the incision was just above the waist it would potentially not show,
whereas at the bra line it would. I will live with whatever he decides as
I know he has my best interest at heart and wants the best possible
results. He a perfectionist, so I know he will think long and hard about
it. He's going to revise my belly button and make it smaller and resect an
area of skin right above the public bone because he's not happy with how
either area is. I agree I would like them worked on some more, but I do
not see that he did anything wrong in the first surgery. He had so much
skin to remove and things to work out that some things not quite as tight
or small as they should be was inevitable. He isn't charging me for the
small revision work either.
<p>I had 1 surgeon who felt he could do it all from just a horizontal
incision. I just did not see how that was possible. I needed the
circumference of my skin reduced significantly, especially in the middle.
I wasn't normal width with a hanging roll. My surgeon took a large wedge
of skin out of the front in order to bring in the sides and provide some
contour. Plus then he cut off the roll. I just know I would not have the
same tight result I have with just a horizontal incision. But for many
that works great. Ask your surgeon to show you before and after pics of
patients with similar skin situations as yours. If she doesn't have any
with as much skin then I would go for the guy who wants to do the anchor
incision. You know you won't end up with excess skin that way. Trust me
it would be worth the $4000 if you feel you need skin circumference
removed. Many people have just a panni done with good results. It really
comes down to your particular anatomy!
— zoedogcbr
June 4, 2004
I had a full TT a month ago. I interviewed 3 different plastic surgeons
and they all recommended the anchor cut. I was told that the key is
whether or not you have significant fat or excess skin above the belly
button....if you do, it can be drastically reduced with the anchor. Yes,
the scar is significant but for me, it was worth it. I get a kick out of
looking at a particular freckle that was once on the right side of my back
--- now it's just under my breast! haha Think about it - look at your own
body, take each surgeon's suggestions into consideration and make the best
decision for you. Just from my own experience - I'm glad I went with the
anchor. Best of luck to you!
— Mary W.
June 4, 2004
I also received some conflicting opinions in PS consults. I chose to have
the vertical *and* horizontal incisions because I didn't want to be left
with a roll in the area over the belly button, and I've seen too many folks
report they wound up with exactly that after opting for just the horizontal
incision below the belly button.
— Suzy C.
June 4, 2004
I chose the anchor cut when I had my TT...doc told me that doing it that
way would "cinch" my waist...and give me the best results in the
area of my hips too. The vertical scar I could live without...but I love
the look in clothes...I'm now 35 yrs old and don't dress like Britney
Spears, so the scar stays covered anyway. My only problem with it at all
is the top of the incision is between my breasts and by its nature looks
like I have a 3rd boob there. As soon as I can afford it, I will get a
breast lift and scar revision done to take care of it. Good luck and
congrats.
— Mustang
June 4, 2004
Hi. I have never performed the anchor type incision and in my opinion
never will. I feel it is not necessary to make that incision to get a nice
waistline, and of course it adds excessive scar. I have had many patients
with LOTS of excess skin that smoothes out jsut fine with a low
"bikini" type incision. There are for sure some advanced
techniques needed to accomplish this, but any plastic surgeon with a
dedicated interest in body contouring should be able to accomplish this.
Please see a few examples of my tummy work at
http://www.drlomonaco.com/tummy.htm.
— DrL
June 4, 2004
Dr. LoMonaco, I have looked at your website before, and now again, and the
pictures you have there do not even come close to the amount of skin I had
removed in my LBL then add in what I have left to remove in the 2nd stage
of my abdominoplasty. I'd kill to have legs that look like those women's.
Yes they are larger but no hanging skin. Nothing that just a lift would
not cure. In my case it will take a lift and massive skin removal. In
other words, an incision from groin to knee. I can see that with the people
pictured, that just the low horizontal cut would provide decent results,
but add in much larger rolls and multiple ones and all kinds of weird
conditions and I believe you would end up agreeing that in some cases an
anchor cut and even more is needed. At least for the kind of tightness
that I have, which is more extensive than it seems in those pictures. But
then again I had the LBL and not just the abdominoplasty or
panniculectomy.
<p>I do not mean to be disrespectful, so please do not take it that
way. But I would bet that not a one of those people were SMO and lost well
over 200 lbs. The plastics needed by the former SMO are quite different
than what can be done with someone who lost like 100 lbs or less. My
surgeon specializes in doing PS on WLS patients and has done many people
who were SMO in the past. Even he has said that he'd love to start all
over when he is done with me because then he would have all the excess skin
gone and he could fine tune and tighten everything how it should be. He
had my lateral thigh lift as tight as he could possibly get it, trust me.
Yet now 3-1/2 months later he can grab and pull up quite a bit more skin
because there is still so much weight in my legs. He's not happy about it
because he's a perfectionist, but he realizes he did all he could at the
time. Any tighter and I would still be on pain pills to deal with the pain
from the tight skin. Even now, if I get the tinyest swelling I feel it and
it isn't comfortable. I am realizing that if I want the best long term
result that I will likely need to redo a portion of my lower body lift,
without abdominal work, to clean everything up once the legs are done.
Once that massive weight is gone in the legs then the skin would be able to
be pulled tight once and for all and it would stay that way, until mother
nature factored in. We will see how everything looks about 6 months after
my leg surgery, because maybe just by getting the weight off, the remaining
skin might tighten up some. I can hope!
— zoedogcbr
June 4, 2004
I had a tt last yr. I was a pretty big girl pre op after the weightloss i
had ALOT of excess skin above and bellow my bb. When i had my tt i had a I
(capital eye) incision. It removed all the excess from above and below my
bb. I also had a breast lift at the same time. You can see my ps pics pre
and post at picturetrial.com/kbatten278....they are graphic so sit down
lol. It has been over a yr now since my ps and you can see the difference
in the recovery thru my pics
I would say pay the extra money and get done what you want. You only want
ot have it done once.
Kristi Ky @ goal
302 to 118
— tinalivesay
June 6, 2004
I saw 2 different plastic surgeons and I opted for the hip to hip incision.
I'm THRILLED that I did. I didn't need the anchor cut. My PS was able to
do the hip to hip incision and tighten my abdominal muscles without leaving
me with scars that I didn't need. He removed 5 pounds of skin also. Ask
the doctor who wants to do the hip to hip incision what your belly ABOVE
the belly button will look like. With it be flat with no excess skin about
it? If so, I would opt for the hip to hip incision. There's no need to do
the anchor cut when it's not needed.
— Patty H.
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