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

Tummy tuck will probably not remove stretch marks above the belly button

Tummy tuck removes stretched out skin but usually only those stretch marks below the belly button.

As a wedge of skin is removed, the rest of the abdominal wall skin will be stretched to reach down to the level of the pubic bone.

If you have stretch marks above the belly button, these will move down to below the umbilicus but will not be removed completely. (Elizabeth Slass Lee, MD, Bay Area Plastic Surgeon)

Stretch marks and tummy tuck

Will tummy tuck surgery remove stretch marks

Only the stretch marks below your belly button will be removed with an abdominoplasty. The ones above that level are stretched and pulled down to the lower abdomen. Sometimes this will make them appear less noticeable, but there is no guarantee of this. (Nina S. Naidu, MD, FACS, New York Plastic Surgeon)

I generally tell my patients that all the strectch marks below the belly button will be gone and what ever stretch marks are left over above the belly button will be pulled down lower on the abdomen. (Farbod Esmailian, MD, Orange County Plastic Surgeon)

Fortunately, most stretch marks occur between the pubis and navel. This is fortunate because this is the tissue that is removed with tummy tuck.

Will tummy tuck remove stretch marks photo

The remaining stretch marks are pulled down, and tend to look better under tension. Not all of your stretch marks will be improved or eliminated. I would recommend that you wait unti after child bearig to consider this procedure.  (Scott E. Kasden, MD, Dallas Plastic Surgeon)

As the majority of expert posters have stated the upper or above the umbilicus marks will be lowered but still there.

Unfortunately, even a full tummy tuck will not remove all the stretch marks with a horizontal incision. In rare instances a vertical incision may remove the striae but these are generally unconsidered undesireable. There are no lasers or treatments that can consistently remove striae. (Otto Joseph Placik, MD, Chicago Plastic Surgeon)

Tummy stretch marks

Since the only stretch marks that a tummy tuck can eliminate are the ones in the lower abdomen, unfortunately your upper abdomen won’t benefit at all. (Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS, Seattle Plastic Surgeon)

Tummy tuck is most effective for removing lower abdominal stretch marks

A standard tummy tuck is generally effective in removing stretch marks located between the belly button and pubic region. If you have a lot of extra skin, in some cases, your surgeon can remove skin extending 1 or 2 inches higher than the belly button. Much higher than this, the stretch marks will remain.  (Sam Jejurikar, MD, Dallas Plastic Surgeon)

Stretch marks above belly button

You can only remove the stretch marks that are in the skin that is removed. If all of your belly skin has stretch marks the you would have to remopve all of the skin and that is not what is done. There may be some other options and these can be discussed with a plastic surgeon who is experienced in Tummy tucks. (John P. Stratis, MD, Harrisburg Plastic Surgeon)

It is hard to give you specific advice. In most cases Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) can remove all the skin between your pubic bone and your belly button. If you have very loose skin, we can sometime extend the skin excision a few centimeters above your belly button. There is no way to remove the stretch marks all the way up to your breasts.  (David Shafer, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)

Will tummy tuck remove stretch marks question

Stretch marks above the belly button typically cannot be removed through a typical abdominoplasty. The stretch marks will be moved down below your belly button however. If you have stretch marks covering all the skin from the breasts down to below your belly button there is no way to remove all of them since all the skin of your abdomen is affected. Be aware though that just the tightening of the skin from the tummy tuck is usually able to improve the appearance of remaining stretch marks significantly. (Robert B. Pollack, MD, La Jolla Plastic Surgeon)

A standard tummy tuck (incision hidden in panties will NOT be able to remove stretch cracks in the upper abdomen – ONLY from the lower abdomen in the central area between the belly button and the pubis. I rare cases, a REVERSE Abdominoplasty (Tummy tuck) is done by placing the incision / scar across the rib cage just under the breasts. Such a scar would allow removal of the skin / stretch marks of the upper tummy BUT the trade-offs is a much more visible scar. (Peter A. Aldea, MD, Memphis Plastic Surgeon)