Being a smart “consumer” one must be aware of the limitations of, not just an individual plastic surgeon, but also of the human body. Many plastic surgeons tend to place only their best photos.
That may not be realistic for you, but it only implies what can be if all of the issues for a patient is just right. Have good communication with a surgeon before going for a procedure. (Shahin Javaheri, MD, San Francisco Plastic Surgeon)
Photos and results of full tummy tuck
Often times surgeons post their best photo results. Do not assume that you will get the same or better results. (Steven Wallach, MD, Manhattan Plastic Surgeon)
Photos are not going to show you your results.
Before and after photos are not going to show you what final results you are going to have. The website you might look at might not be representative of a particular Doctors’ results. Every patients’ situation is different. Rather than look at photos, I prefer to discuss a patient and his or her problem and what to expect based on that. I find that one predictor of a good result is the ratio of the width of the rib cage (chest) compared to the hips.
If the chest is as wide as the hips then the result is usually not as good. If the chest is narrower than the hips then the result looks better. Other factors (this is not an all inclusive list) are the age of the patient, thickness of the fat, the degree of weight loss, the number and severity of stretch marks, the severity of the pre-op bulge, posture of the spine, and the elasticity of the skin. (Victor Au, MD, Chapel Hill Plastic Surgeon)
Full tummy tuck photos too good to be true
Certainly there is a large spectrum in body shape, skin excess, muscle laxity, height, and bone structure. With tummy tuck, good results abound, however it is best to judge the effectiveness of a procedure based on a composite of results rather than a small collection of ‘too-good-to-be-true’ pictures.
We all recognize them as something to wish for only, for such wishes infrequently come true. A bit deceptive, yes. It is, however, a good idea to review pictures and experiences of someone built like yourself. (Peter E. Johnson, MD, Chicago Plastic Surgeon)
Pre and post-op photos of full tummy tuck
I think that by themselves pre and post-op photos are not very helpful to individual patients. You cannot tell who is anatomically similar to you, you do not know exactly what surgical maneuvers were performed, and you especially do not know if there were complications or the patients were or weren’t happy.
I think there can be a disconnect between what photos may or may not show and what a patient is looking for them to show. A better test is to have in-depth consultations were informative and honest surgeons and to speak to former patients about there experience. (Robin T.W. Yuan, MD, Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon)
Usefulness of Full tummy tuck before and after photos for me
As I understand it, you are asking hoe representative and therefore useful to you are Before and After Tummy Tuck pictures. The mistake that most women make in my opinion is they look for a set of before pictures that represent them (first mistake) and they assume that the After pictures would be representative of how they would look after the procedure.
In truth, Before and After photographs are NOT meant to represent what you would look like but what you may look like all other things being equal. The reason Before and After photographs are not more representative of the final outcome are:
– when we look at ourselves, we see ourselves differently then our friends see us (we see ourselves in worse light, or less critically)
– cameras DO lie. Lighting, flash location, position of the lens (center, high, low, to the side) and different types of focal length lenses distort the subject’s appearance (Photographers have known for decades that certain lenses are “slimming” etc).
– Some surgeons lie. Although my colleagues on The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (www.plasticsurgery.org) are expressly forbidden from using Photoshopped or digitally “enhanced” Before and After photographs, not everyone may comply. The problem is much worse when dealing with non
– Plastic surgeons practicing “Plastic Surgery”. (Years ago I saw a patient in my office who was used as an amazing Before and After Liposuction on the Yellow Pages ad by such a physician. The ad promised removal of a large amount of fat and going to work the next day. The result was impressive. The problem was that when I saw her she was unhappy because she was unhappy with the waviness and irregularities left by this gentleman WITHOUT other changes. BUT his photo-shopped AFTER picture of her on his Yellow pages was impressive.)
– Plastic surgeons do NOT perform the exact same Tummy tuck. Not only do Plastic surgeons perform mildly different to very different versions of Tummy Tucks but they vary the tummy tuck they do mildly on each patient on occasion. As a result, if your surgeon does not tighten the tummy muscles as much as I do and orients the orients and closes the scar differently than I do – your final results would look different than my patients’ results.
– People are VERY different in their anatomy (different quality and thickness of skin and of fat) as a result even IF the same (Tummy Tuck) operation was done on 2 similar appearing women, the results would not be identical (even if shot with the same camera on the same settings in the same studio). In summary, Before and After photographs should not be viewed as a Burger King or McDonald’s glossy menu. They should not be viewed as necessarily promising you YOUR particular outcome but should be viewed as a range of outcomes you should consider as acceptable or not acceptable. (Peter A. Aldea, MD, Memphis Plastic Surgeon)