Tummy Tuck: Prices, Photos, Reviews, Info, Q&A

When we do a tummy tuck, the more skin we need to remove the longer we need the scar.

In most patients, if you draw a line down from the middle of the arm pit, that is approximately the end of the scar on that side.

However, for patients with major weight loss and loose skin of the back the scar will aften go completely around the trunk.

Although I have seen patients come into the office with high scars, most of us will keep the scar well down below the pubic hair line so it can be covered with panties or a swim suit.

Of course there is also a small scar around the belly button. Many of us use internal sutures to help pull the skin down (progressive tension sutures) and keep the scar low.

The healed tummy tuck scar

Check with your surgeon to make sure he uses that technique. (Ronald V. DeMars, MD, Portland Plastic Surgeon)

Questions about tummy tuck scars

With more laxity and excess of skin, the incision will typically be longer, not shorter. The length is influenced by a few other factors as well.

The incision should be placed low enough so that it won’t be visible with most types of low riding/cut clothes. This is something that you would need to discuss with your plastic surgeon in consultation. So go lose your weight and see one or more reputable board certified plastic surgeons. (Steven Turkeltaub, MD)

Healed tummy tuck scar position and length

Healed tummy tuck scar photo

Position of the healed tummy tuck scar is critical. It should be at the pubic hairline concealed in an undergarment or bathing suit of your choosing. The incision is as long as it needs to be to get all the excess skin out. If there is a large amount of skin to be removed the incision must extend further to allow the skin to lie down smoothly.

When there is signficant skin excess a circumferential procedure may need to be done to correct this. Weight loss prior to body contouring surgery is a good idea to achieve your ideal aesthetic. Seek out a board certified plastic surgeon for consultation to help explain how to best achieve your goals. (Robert W. Kessler, MD, FACS, Corona Del Mar Plastic Surgeon)

I place the abdominoplasty scar in the fold above the pubis. The length of the scar varies depending on the extent of the surgery. The placement of the ends of the scar can be tailored to the patient’s needs (ie, so that it will not be evident in hi-cut panties or a bathing suit).

Healed tummy tuck scar image

The scar will not wrap around your back or extend up to the umbilicus so you can lay those worries to rest. (Robert L. Kraft, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)

Tummy tuck scars (incisions) can be placed in varying locations depending upon ones physical characteristics. For example someone with only a little extra skin below the belly button whom has not had children may need or want just a shorter incision ( a mini abdominoplasty). Someone whom has experienced a large weight loss, had children or both, often has loose skin above the belly button and usually a better result can be obtained with a tummy tuck incision from hip to hip. Usually plastic surgeons like to keep the incision located in a position that is hidden when wearing clothes. It’s a great idea to get into optimal shape prior to a consultation as the examination will provide more meaningful answers to ones specific questions. (Charles Perry, MD, Sacramento Plastic Surgeon)

Placement of healed tummy tuck scar

Healed tummy tuck scar photo

Actually, the more skin that is removed, the longer the scar. If you have a major weight loss (over 50 lbs) then the scarl will likely go pretty far in back. For patients with even greater weight loss it may go all the way around as part of a lower body lift. It is wise to loose your weight before having a tummy tuck. You will have a lower risk of complications and get better results. (Braden Stridde, MD, Federal Way Plastic Surgeon)

I, and most plastic surgeons, place the incision for a tummy tuck in the fold above the pubic area (incorporating an old C-section scar, if present). The incision gently curves to the anterior area of the hip where the bone can be felt. If there is a great deal of excess skin, the incision (and scar) will likely be a bit longer rather than shorter. (John Whitt, MD, Louisville Plastic Surgeon)

Healed abdominoplasty scar

The length and location of the tummy tuck scar is determined by the amount and width of abdominal skin and presence of other abdominal scars. In the women with minimal skin, a slightly longer than a C-section scar is often used while as the amount of skin increases the tummy tuck scar length will necessarily have to increase to avoid leaving tissue prominences along the edges (aka “tummy tuck dog ears“). In the very large weight loff stints, those whose tummies were round and ball-like in their obese days, even a low transverse scar is not sufficient to remove the skin excess and in them a vertical, down the midline scar is needed to achieve flatness of the tummy. (Peter A. Aldea, MD, Memphis Plastic Surgeon)

Healed tummy tuck patient’s scar

Yes, most patients with more skin can have low scars. I think you are doing the best thing by losing weight prior to going in for the consultation because that is the best way to get the most precise advice. Check the credentials of the surgeon you choose and make sure that they have experience in this type of surgery. Sometimes it is also helpful to talk to other patients who have undergone a similar procedure to get their point of view. (Tom J. Pousti, MD, FACS, San Diego Plastic Surgeon)

How long is the healed tummy tuck scar

You are right. The more skin which needs to be removed the lower the scar can be. The looser the skin around your side the longer the scar can be as long as you allow it. The more skin that is able to be removed, and the tighter or more shapely you want the results, the longer the scar needs to be. There’s no such thing as a “no-cut” tummy tuck. (Ronald Schuster, MD, Baltimore Plastic Surgeon)