The “dog ear” can be corrected at any time. I like to wait one year after tummy tuck surgery also giving the body the chance to remodel the areas much as possible.
I think this allows the surgeon to keep the resulting scar line as short as possible. (Tom J. Pousti, MD, FACS, San Diego Plastic Surgeon)
The desire for re-operative surgery always presents a timing issue. At a minimum, 4-6 months should be sufficient.
If there is significant swelling or other evolution in the wound, further delay is best.
Also, non operative management should be considered. (H. Michael Roark, MD, San Diego Plastic Surgeon)
Six months to a year is the usual. I think anytime in that window works for most patients and surgeons. I usually do this type of revision in the office and under local anesthesia and at no charge but remember to pick a time when you are not going snowboarding or jet skiing 5 days later! (John J. Corey, MD, Phoenix Plastic Surgeon)
Dog ears after tummy tuck
Your surgeon is giving your body the maimum amont of time to heal and the tissues to assume their final shape. Scars will take at least a year to mature. Persoanlly I don’t like to do revisions before 6 months, but I prefer more time. The scar may be slightly longer if you do it sooner rather than later.
I would recommend you discuss it with your surgeon and tell him how much it’s bothering you. I am sure you can reach a reasonable solution that suits you both. (Lori H. Saltz, MD, San Diego Plastic Surgeon)
How long before dog ear revision?
I will sometimes revise a dog ear earlier than a year if they look like they are obviously not going to settle, but I don’t think that waiting a year is unreasonable. (Jonathan J. Staiano, FRCS (Plast), Birmingham Plastic Surgeon)
Timing of “Dog ear” revisions after tummy tuck has no set rules
There are no set rules and standards for undertaking dog ear revisions. It depends on surgeon and the patient. Most of the times you don’t rush into revisions till all the swelling has subsided thus giving the problem a chance to resolve itself. Usually six months of wait is sufficient. However no body can be faulted for waiting longer or not so long. (Vasdev Rai, MD, Dallas Plastic Surgeon)
I usually will revise at 6 months when all has softened and the final result is apparent. Within reason, the longer the better and a year is certainly reasonable. (Brian Klink, MD, Vacaville Plastic Surgeon)
Dog ear revision
I prefer to wait until a year has elapsed before revising digests. This allows the scar to maximally heal down and reduces the length of the scar revision. However, discuss this with your plastic surgeon. Perhaps you can schedule the surgery now to plan for March or April. It’s not all that far away. (Robert L. Kraft, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)