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

4 weeks is very early. You need to wait for about 6 months for the swelling to really diminish back to normal. At that time, you can more reliably make a decision to either resect some more skin, liposuction the pubic area, or have hair removal to keep the pubic area hidden under your underwear.

Unfortunately, you have to be patient during that time and then make a good choice after discussing this with your surgeon. (Sirish Maddali, MD, Portland Plastic Surgeon)

Many clients are also concerned about the public area and may have not noticed this area for awhile if they have fatty rolls of skin covering this area.

This could be why it seems larger or it may be swollen for a few weeks after tummy tuck surgery from trauma of skin from the tummy tuck.

Many clients have loose or fatty pubic areas and when I perform the tummy tuck I usually liposuction this area for a better look and pull the pubic area up so it all looks good after surgery. We discuss this area if it is an issue prior to the tummy tuck and advise clients that this can be a part of the tummy procedure. (John Ward, MD, Phoenix Plastic Surgeon)

If the pubic region appears higher versus swollen / larger is an important distinction. The pubic region is often tightened / lifted after an abdominoplasty, and this is frequently desired as the area is often sagging before surgery. However, if it is lifted too much, the resulting scar position may be high and visible in some types of undergarments / bathing suits.

A discussion of the postoperative scar position is very important between the plastic surgeon and patient so there are no surprises. Also, there are several technical things that can be done in the preoperative staging and surgically that can place the scar in the desired position.

If there is tummy tuck swelling of this area in the early postoperative period, this can be normal as the fluid generally goes to the most depndent area which is the pubic region. If there is persistence, then a seroma (retained fluid collection) or excess fat in this area may need to be addressed. These issues are best dealt with by the operating surgeon. (Sean A. Simon, MD, Miami Plastic Surgeon)

Changes to the pubic area after a tummy tuck are common. There is always some elevation of the area due to the tension placed on the tummy tuck incision from removal of excess skin to make your abdomen tighter. The scar has to be placed in a way to account for that elevation to minimize visibility of your pubic hairline after the surgery. If that can’t be done, then discussing that preoperatively is helpful.

It also depends on the type of underwear you are wearing. Different styles may cover the scar and hairline better. Some patients like the elevation of the pubic area as before surgery they have sagging in that area that they would like corrected. Discuss this with your surgeon and the explanation of the scar placement will reassure you.

As for the tummy tuck swelling after 4 weeks of the area – this may take longer to resolve and should happen with time.

Review your before photos with your surgeon and discuss whether liposuction of the area is an option if it is not tummy tuck swelling after 4 weeks and just localized fatty deposit as some patients have – and it has just become more noticeable due to the elevation your are seeing. The best thing to do is discuss your concerns with your surgeon. (Bahram Ghaderi, MD, Chicago Plastic Surgeon)

This is a combination of upward migration of the abdominoplasty scar as well as tummy tuck swelling after 4 weeks from lymphatic interruption.

The main lines of treatment:

• Wait for at least 3-6 month for the tummy tuck swelling after 4 weeks to come down.
• Revision of the abdominoplasty incision to a lower level. Liposuction could be helpful at this stage.
• In rare cases (mainly following massive weight loss) there is a need to perform excision of the pubic margins.

(Hisham Seify, MD, PhD, FACS, Orange County Plastic Surgeon)

I agree with my colleagues that this will most likely settle out over time, as your scars mature and the tissues settle.

Once a few months have gone by, if you still fell the area looks more prominent than you would like, talk to your surgeon about liposuction of the mons pubis. This will often improve the problem. (Armando Soto, MD, FACS,
Orlando Plastic Surgeon)

Some of this change is related to your early post-operative condition and another part is related to the choices your surgeon made at surgery in managing how things were back then. Lower incisions are nice, but can be pulled up by tighter closures.

How things sort out depends to a great extent on how your surgeon decided to deal with the “tighter versus lower” compromise and how you looked beforehand. Give it some time to sort out before you do anything about it. (John P. Di Saia, MD, Orange Plastic Surgeon)

While not so common to be considered routine it’s also not unusual on occasion for a patient to have to undergo a secondary revisional procedure after tummy tuck surgery. The sides of the incision near the flanks and the pubic area are particular areas that sometimes require revision to maximize the cosmetic result after this operation. Patients who had alot of excess skin or who are still a bit above their ideal body weight at the time of the abdominoplasty probably are at greater risk for needing a ‘touch-up’ down the road.

Most often the revision can be done under local anesthesia in an office setting, but check with your surgeon to be sure. Nonetheless I would advise giving the area a bit more time to ‘mature’ before considering any revision. 6 weeks is still early post-op. It can sometimes take months before the body’s healing processes have completed their work. Waiting can lead to a better assessment as to what can or needs to be accomplished with a revision. (Robert T. Grant, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)

With time, the problem may dissipate. If not, you may consider liposuction or a pubic lift.

The appropriate procedure is determined by how much of the excess tissue is fat and how much of the excess tissue is skin. If you have not had major weight loss, it is most likely fat and this can be easily treated with liposuction.

Most plastic surgeons prefer not to agressively liposuction the pubic area at the same time as a tummy tuck because this may compromise the healing of the incision. For patients that have excess fat in the pubic area prior to tummy tuck, we try to improve the look as much as we can, but it is not uncommon for this to be corrected as second procedure at a later date to be safest. (Thomas T. Nguyen, MD, Orange County Plastic Surgeon)

Wait 3 months and the pubic area may drop back to a better position. If after time the area still appears dispropotionally fatter, liposuction may help.

This phenomenon occurs frequently after tummy tucks it is because the pubic area is elevated by the tummy tuck and many times the tissues from the pubic area were always prominent but now are more visible that the redundant skin from the tummy tuck is no longer there. (Mel T. Ortega, MD, Miami Plastic Surgeon)