For a variety of reasons, a tummy tuck may need to be revised to optimize the outcome. The revision is generally less invasive and requires less recovery time.
Weight changes after a tummy tuck can result in excess skin and fat which may need to be removed with a revision.
- Weight gain after a tummy tuck can negatively affect the abdominal and waist contour and possibly weaken the abdominal muscle repair/plication.
- Weight loss after a tummy tuck can result in loose or redundant skin which may need to be removed to tighten the abdomen.
- Pregnancy will restretch the skin, distort the belly button, add fat to the lower abdomen and flanks, and undo the abdominal muscle repair/plication.
One of the telltale signs of a tummy tuck is the shape of the belly button and the scar around the belly button. A revision can be used to
- Improve the scar
- Reshape or resize the belly button
- Move the belly button up, down, or back to the center
A tummy tuck cannot be done without a lower abdominal scar. Revising the tummy tuck scar may be required for the following reasons:
- Lower the scar below the bikini line. A scar may have been placed too high on the abdomen making it impossible to cover with a bikini. These high scars and be lowered to better conceal them.
- Improve the scar quality and appearance. Scar can be thick, raised, wide, or discolored. These scars can be improved by removing them and resewing the skin to give a fine white line linear scar.
- Other techniques which can be utilized to improve scars are skin recovery gel, silicone sheeting, Embrace Scar Therapy, resurfacing laser/Fraxel Re:Pair, Microneedling with PRP
During a tummy tuck, the abdominal wall muscles are sewn together and tightened to narrow the waist and flatten the abdomen. For a variety of reasons, this repair can weaken or fail and have to be revised. This is evident with budges or laxity in the abdomen.
- Pregnancy. A pregnancy after a tummy tuck will disrupt the muscle repair.
- Weight Gain. An increase in weight after a tummy tuck an put undue pressure on the abdominal muscles repair causing it to weaken or fail.
- Trauma. Placing extreme pressure on the muscle repair can disrupt the repair cause recurrence of the diastasis.
Lateral fullness after a tummy tuck can be due to redundant skin at the lateral aspect of the incision, dogear deformity, or excess fat in the flank areas.
- A dog-ear deformity can be revised by removing the excess skin and extending the incision slightly
- Excess fat in the flank area can be treated with liposuction to sculpt the waist and eliminate fat in the flank or love handle areas.
Example Case
Revision Tummy Tuck/Abdominoplasty: Lower abdominal scar, remove excess tissue from the lower abdomen, liposuction to the flanks/love handles, revise belly button
*All patients are unique and results may vary
About Dr. Burns
As one of the nation's leading body contouring Board Certified Plastic Surgeons, Dr. John L. Burns Jr. MD is the best choice for a tummy tuck surgery in Dallas.
Dr. Burns is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and President of the Dallas Plastic Surgery Institute, one of the largest plastic surgery group practices in the United States. Dr. Burns dedicates his practice to aesthetic or cosmetic plastic surgery in Dallas.
As a long-term resident of Dallas, Dr. Burns is a proud member of the community and has been honored with many awards in the DFW metroplex. In 2018 alone, he was named on the Best Doctor List by D Magazine, was presented a Dallas Award, named as one of America’s Top Breast Surgeons and became a distinguished inductee and top doctor for RealSelf Hall of Fame.
Schedule a consultation today to see if a tummy tuck or tummy tuck revision is the right choice for you!