Stretch marks and tummy tucks
A tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) is not designed to remove stretch marks. I tell my Santa Rosa tummy tuck patients that the removal of stretch marks is incidental and only those stretch marks that happen to be within the removed tissue will be gone.
Trying to pull more skin than is advisable can only lead to a very tight closure which can then lead to thickened scars, non-healing wounds, etc.
If your plastic surgeon is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and he/she feels that they have removed everything they can, then you have to trust that judgment. (Francisco Canales, MD, Santa Rosa Plastic Surgeon)
Stretch marks and Tummy Tucks
If you have enough skin, most qualified plastic surgeons are able to pull everything down from the level of the belly button down to your pubic area. This should eliminate any stretch marks between these two regions. If you have stretch marks above your belly button, they will be pulled down to your lower abdomen. Unfortunately, these higher stretch marks are much more difficult to remove and there isn’t any good solution for them. (Adam Hamawy, MD, Princeton Plastic Surgeon)
The more skin is removed, the better the result will be! I try and remove as much as possible to get the best result for the patient. (Edward J. Domanskis, MD, Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon)
Optimizing tummy tuck results
The tummy tuck procedure is not “cookie cutter” surgery. Every patient requires a unique approach. If your anatomy allows for removal of all the skin from the naval down, than a well trained and experienced plastic surgeon should be able to achieve that. Being “conservative” has very little to do with it. I would advise getting at least 2 other opinions from surgeons with lots of experience with performing abdominoplasty. (Boris M. Ackerman, MD, Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon)
Removal of Stretch Marks with a TT
If the stretch marks are above the umbilicus to start with, those stretch marks are difficult to get rid of unless you have a significant amount of excess skin removed. It should be possible to remove all stretch marks that are below the level of the umbilicus. If you started with stretch marks above the umbilicus, I can understand why those may still be present after surgery. (Robert Heck, MD, Columbus Plastic Surgeon)
Will A Conservative Plastic Surgeon Get Rid Of My Stretch Marks w/ tummy tuck?
Sure you can ALWAYS ask your chosen surgeon to be more aggressive but make sure you understand the risks/benefits of your request. (Darryl J. Blinski, MD, Miami Plastic Surgeon)