Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Blog | Dr. Linderman

Incisions will vary depending upon the type of tummy tuck being performed i.e. mini tummy or full tummy tuck. These differences will be addressed at another time. My personal philosophy is that the location of the scar should be optimized for all patients. The idea is to hide the scar and keep it as low as possible so it does not show in a small two piece bathing suits. Ideally the final scar should be located no more than a little over two inches above the top of the vagina. The initial incision is marked pre operatively to take into account the tension on the final closure and allow for the final scar to rise higher. Occasionally a small vertical component may be added to the transverse scar in order to maintain the longer scar in the bikini line. Pre operative surgical marking can be done in the desired bathing suit to determine the final location of the scar. Although the scar will extend from hip to hip in a full tummy tuck, this part usually heals quite well and can be covered by the lateral band of most swimsuits. It is a geometric fact that the more skin taken out, the longer the scar. However scar extension can remove additional skin and fat. In some cases a circumferential or belt lipectomy can achieve a dramatic result. More on body lifts at another time.

Labels: tummy tuck