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

Since you are only 6 weeks out of surgery some degree of swelling may explain the prominence of the pubic area.

You are correct however that for many patients undergoing tummy tuck surgery the pubic area may be an area of concern.

This area may be large ( prominent) , ptotic (low), or deflated. Therefore, I think it is important to address the pubic area when performing the tummy tuck surgery.

When planning the tummy tuck incision it is possible to keep the incision low enough that it serves to “raise” the pubic area to some degree. I like to plan this incision when patients are wearing the “cut” of swimming suit that they plan to wear after the surgery.

Swelling 3 months after tummy tuck image

During the tummy talk procedure the pubic area may then be “lifted” and/or defatted ( either directly or with liposuction) as the specific patient’s needs indicate. Care is taken to avoid over thinning the area since some coverage of the pubic area is important (for example for padding during intercourse).

Tummy tuck drains are often brought out through hair bearing areas.

You are also very correct in that if the pubic area is not treated during the tummy tuck procedure it may be a source of dissatisfaction afterwards. Revisionary surgery may be necessary to treat the area.
(Tom J. Pousti, MD, FACS, San Diego Plastic Surgeon)

Swelling 3 months after tummy tuck operation

You certainly may still have some swelling 3 months after tummy tuck in the area or the area may have been repositioned with the procedure. I often liposuction the area if it appears too full after being lifted up. Also, it is common to excise part of the mons to avoid elevating it abnormally. I usually wait a good 3 months to perform a revision if any would be needed. (David Nicholas Csikai, MD, Jacksonville Plastic Surgeon)

The in cision placement is one of the most important pre operative planning decisions. This is critical. The incision needs to be placed lower than where you want it to end up because it will ride upward from the tension and streching of the pubic area. The placement will not change much a six weeks. (Miguel Delgado, Jr., MD, San Francisco Plastic Surgeon)

Swelling 3 months after tummy tuck photo

This is why the lower incision on a tummy tuck should be marked under tension before surgery. This will predict where the hair will migrate to. Often, I cut out a large amount of hair-bearing mons, so that excessive hairline elevation does not occur. Your mons should not be friends with your belly button!

The longer this aesthetic distance, the better- 12-13 cm is ideal. If the mons is puffy, then a liposuction of this area to restore a youthful posture, is appropriate. (Sam M. Sukkar, MD, Houston Plastic Surgeon)

Choosing the appropriate level of the pubic hairline is a decision that must be made BEFORE the tummy tuck is done.

Swelling 3 months after tummy tuck picture

The markings made right before surgery determine where everything (including the pubis) will end up. I have had patients who were shy give me a strange look when I start to pull and push on their lower tummy, but this is just part of good preoperative planning.

The surgeon needs to decide along WITH the patient where we want things to settle. This means standing nude in front of the surgeon while he or she gets the magic marker out and draws along the pubis. The lower incision typically goes right through the pubic hair and is usually below the level of any previous C-section. Doing so ensures that when the pubis gets lifted, it won’t be elevated passed the level of panties or a bathing suit bottom. (Thomas P. Sterry, MD,
New York Plastic Surgeon)

Swelling 3 months after tummy tuck surgery

Swelling 3 months after tummy tuck is not an uncommon problem. In the early postoperative period (i.e. within 4 weeks of surgery) pubic swelling is usually the result of traumatized lymphatic channels. For this, initial treatment consists of compression (i.e. postoperative garment and direct pressue with foam dressings). Symptoms will usually resolve in a matter of weeks.

Pubic swelling lasting longer than 6 months is usually due to excess fatty tissue of the mons pubis which has been moved superiorly during the tummy tuck surgery. This can easily be treated with liposuction of the pubic area.

I routinely perform liposuction of the pubic area during a tummy tuck procedure to prevent this problem and deliver a very smooth, flat abdomen and mons pubis (which most patients desire). (Jaime Perez, MD, Tampa Plastic Surgeon)

The swelling 3 months after tummy tuck

Swelling 3 months after tummy tuck of the pubic area (“mons pubis”) after a tummy tuck can be the result of either post-operative swelling, or too much fat left behind. In all but the very thinnest of women, the fat in the mons pubis should be reduced at the time of a tummy tuck to avoid an overly masculine appearance in a bathing suit, etc. This is because when the abdomen is flattened, any fat in the pubic area becomes more noticeable, even though it has not actually increased in size. In most cases, I do liposuction to the mons at the time of the tummy tuck – it is just a routine part of the procedure for me.

During the first few weeks after the surgery, the mons pubis will be swollen just from the trauma of surgery and liposuction. If the swelling persists after three or four months, too much fat was left behind, and liposuction may be required. (Kevin F. Hagan, MD, Nashville Plastic Surgeon)

Some ladies notice that their pubic area seems more prominent after tummy tucks and this may be due to a variety of factors, which some of the other doctors have addressed. I’ve noted that pubic swelling was more common after liposuction of the pubis, so I’ve generally switched over to direct lipectomy, where the pubic flap is elevated, the fat excised directly off it and then the excess skin cut out.

I tend to bring the tummy tuck drains out through the pubic area and that also helps to off load the “edema” or swelling 3 months after tummy tuck, which tends to collect here because it’s an area, which is rich with lymphatics. Lymphatics are the thin walled vessels, which are distributed with blood vessels. I frequently recommend, ugh reactionary “panty girdles”, to compress the pubis, but it always resolve by 90 days, at the latest. (Lavinia Chong, MD, Orange County Plastic Surgeon)