WHAT IS AN EXTENDED TUMMY TUCK ?

There are different types of tummy tuck depending on the amount of excessive skin and degree of muscle weakness you have. During an hourglass tummy tuck, the abdominal wall is tightened and the excess skin is removed; liposuction is also performed and fat transfer is done on the hips. Every single patient who comes to my practice wants to have a tummy tuck with a 2 cm incision. This is absolutely not possible. The amount of excess skin you have will determine how long your scar is going to be. Patients have this perception that anybody can have a mini tummy tuck or a modified tummy tuck to improve their abdomen, but this is not true. For most patients the scar goes from hip to hip, but in certain situations, like patients who have lost a lot of skin or patients who have gained too much weight and have stretch marks all the way to the flank and beyond, the scar needs to be extended toward the back and sometimes toward the midline on the back. For the most part, it just goes posteriorly for about 8 to 10 cm. This is what is called an extended tummy tuck: where the scar goes past the hips and toward the back. This is necessary because if you do not excise the excess skin, you are going to develop bunching and puckering of the skin on the sides, leaving you with an unsatisfactory outcome. You need to be realistic about what a tummy tuck can do for you.

In the event that you need to have an extended tummy tuck, you need to let the surgeon do his job, because if you try to minimize the scar, your results are not going to be as good and you are going to have excessive skin in these areas. During your consultation, I will assess the amount of excess skin that you are going to have, and based on experience, I can tell you before surgery where to expect the location of the scar and how long the scar is going to be. If you are not willing to accept the necessary steps to recreate your hourglass shape, including a longer scar, I prefer not to do your surgery.