Who it suits
After major weight loss, when loose skin hangs down and the waist is also wide with skin from side to side. A standard tummy tuck only pulls skin downwards, so it can't narrow the waist in the same way.
A tummy tuck isn't for you yet if:
- your weight is still going down or up
- you plan more pregnancies: a pregnancy can undo the result
- you smoke and won't stop well before surgery (some surgeons won't operate on smokers at all)
- the problem is fat with firm skin, when liposuction may be enough
The trade-off
A better waist shape in exchange for a second, vertical scar from below the breastbone to the low scar. For many people after major weight loss it's worth it; for others it isn't. A surgeon can show you both options on your own body.
Recovery
Expect about four to six weeks off work and exercise, and several weeks before you can drive. The point where the two scars meet is the slowest to heal, so dressings and check-ups matter.
Risks
The common and the less common:
- wound breakdown where the vertical and horizontal scars meet
- a long scar across the lower tummy (and around the belly button after a full tummy tuck), red at first and fading over 12 to 18 months
- numbness of the lower tummy skin for months, sometimes years
- a pocket of fluid above the scar (a seroma), which may need draining
- a collection of blood under the skin (a haematoma)
- wounds that are slow to heal, more likely if you smoke
- thick or obvious scars, or 'dog ears' of extra skin at the ends of the scar
- a blood clot in a leg vein, which can travel to the lungs
- infection, or a reaction to the anaesthetic
Your surgeon should tell you how likely each one is for you, and what they'd do about it.
Cost
Quoted after an examination, above a full tummy tuck (€8,000 to €12,000).
Every doctor practising in Ireland must be registered with the Medical Council, and only a doctor with specialist registration can practise independently as a specialist. For a tummy tuck, check that the surgeon is on the Specialist Division in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, using the Medical Council's online register.
Questions people ask
Will the vertical scar fade?
Like the low scar, it fades over 12 to 18 months but never disappears.
FDL or extended?
Extended removes skin at the sides through a longer low scar. FDL removes skin across the waist through a vertical scar. Some people need both elements.