Upper abdominal loose skin
The skin at the upper portion of the abdomen or lower chest can be helped with the effects of a tummy tuck but may not be completely corrected. Liposuction may also be required to fully address your area of concern. Consult with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your concerns and determine the procedure(s) necessary to accomplish your goals. (Nicholas Tarola, MD, Nashville Plastic Surgeon)
Addressing loose skin during tummy tuck
You have demonstrated your concerns well. It can be addressed during a tummy tuck. Express this as an objective during your in person consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon. (Kris M. Reddy, MD, FACS, West Palm Beach)
At the Mommy Makeover Institute of Hawaii, we have dealt with this area on multiple occasions. We refer to this region as the 7th & 8th pack as it is above the usual “6 pack”. I have loosened this tissue by dissecting over the ribs and find that it does not drape very well. Also, this area is not routinely part of what a full tummy tuck deals with. I feel this area is best dealt with by aggressively liposuctioning and post surgical ultrasound. I routinely make an incision in the midline between the 7th & 8th pack and suction in two different directions from one incision. Kudos for recognizing this is not part of a routine tummy tuck. (S. Larry Schlesinger, MD, FACS, Honolulu Plastic Surgeon)
Loose skin after tummy tuck
The area you are pinching is probably the lower chest and unless you have liposuction or a reverse tummy tuck may not be helped much.
On the other hand it appears your abdomen could be helped considerly with an abdominoplasty (Robert Savage, MD, Wellesley Plastic Surgeon)
the areas that you demonstrate can be addressed during tummy tuck surgery. Important will be:
1. Choose your plastic surgeon carefully and
2. Communicate/demonstrate the areas of concern in front of a full-length mirror.Is likely, that your plastic surgeon will be able to undermine the tissues higher than what you are demonstrating along your abdominal wall; then, when the tissues are “redraped” (are brought down) during tummy tuck surgery, the area will be smoothened out.
Sometimes, depending on the patient and the specific area of concern, judicious liposuction surgery can be utilized to improve contour. You will see lots of examples of similar situations on this website, and on the attached link as well. (Tom J. Pousti, MD, FACS, San Diego Plastic Surgeon)
Loose Skin After Excessive Weight Loss
I’m guessing you had some impressive weight loss recently. Cases like these deserve special attention and the answer, I believe, to your question is ‘no”. A standard tummy tuck will remove skin from the mons pubis inferiorly to the Xiphoid process superiorly and extending along the rib cage.
The skin you are pulling on is more from the upper torso and is likely to require some other kind of procedure like an Upper Body Lift or a reverse tummy tuck. I generally advise my patients to contend with the tummy and flank region first, then concern themselves with these regions. (Thomas P. Sterry, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)