Archive for the ‘Body’ Category

The Best Tummy Tuck Scar the Belly Button

Tuesday, October 30th, 2012

The best belly button.

I know it may seem silly, but to me perhaps the most important part of a tummy tuck is that little crease, no more than a centimeter, that is the belly button.  Why so important?  Well a tummy tuck by definition is a scar operation.  We pull down loose abdominal skin creating a scar in the lower abdomen. While every effort is made to minimize this scar, it is real and permanent, but fortunately well hidden. Good scar or not, the bikini or underwear will usually hide it.  The belly button is another story—it is an unhidden scar and in most cases the only visible sign of a tummy tuck.  In my opinion, it can make or break the result.

I pretend that all of my tummy tuck patients will want to wear a two piece bathing suit on the beach one day.  Because of this I feel compelled to create the best belly button I can.

Plastic surgeons have described heart shapes, “U” shapes and a variety of special belly button patterns that I do not use.  I find them cumbersome and unnatural looking.  My philosophy is about size.  I prefer a small belly button and here’s why:

Nothing is as natural as a G-d given belly button.  Therefore, keeping the surgical belly button unobtrusive is my first goal.  Smaller draws less attention; larger looks like a tummy tuck belly button.

I pretend that despite my best efforts the patient will make a thick scar and I would rather have a small thick scar than a big one.

Erring on the size of small is safer.  If a belly button is too small it is very easy to make it larger, but it is very difficult to make a large belly button smaller.

There are other subtleties as well. The opening can be vertical or horizontal. Vertical looks better but horizontal can allow me to lower the lower abdominal incision, removing more tummy skin.

The inside of the belly button can be pulled up or down as need be.  It is important to leave a reasonable distance between the belly button and the bathing suit line.  I will sometimes shorten the inside or even reshape it if it has been stretched or flattened by pregnancy.  I like to tether it inwards a bit, which can help keep more of the scar on the inside.

Paying attention to these details not only makes the best belly button, but the best tummy tucks as well.

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Wear your Bikini to the Mommy Makeover?

Monday, July 16th, 2012

When I plan my mommy makeovers I like my patients to bring in their favorite underwear or even bathing suit with them. No string bikinis please no lacy panties and no granny panties. Something about an inch or two wide around the hips for a tummy tuck or similar width for a bra under the arms, something not too valuable in case I get some marker on it.

I draw the outline of your garment on your body before plastic surgery and I use the outline as a target in which to hide scars. My incisions are individualized. For, example in tummy tuck I will raise the incision if you wear a high cut underwear or lower it if the opposite is true. If you’re not sure bring both with you and we’ll try to meet in the middle. I plan these incisions low within the bikini line because the pubic skin and scar rise after the tummy is tighter. If the skin under the arm is loose wearing the bra helps me to plan a bra strap skin excision and keep it hidden under the bra line.

My very unusual occupation involves leaving scars for a living, but it’s not only about trying to make the scars look good it’s about doing are best to hide them when we can. So when in doubt wear your favorite undergarment or swimsuit to the consult and on the day of surgery. Whether its tummy tuck, breast lift, or reduction or even bra strap excision the garments are a big help.

If you are interested in learning more about the mommy makeover procedure in Baltimore, Rockville, Annapolis or the D.C. area, contact my practice today for a consultation.

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What is posterior flank liposuction?

Monday, June 18th, 2012

Many of you know that I perform frontal flank liposuction on most of my tummy tucks. For those that need it this area of liposuction gives more curve and contour to the hips and in my opinion makes the tummy tuck look more streamlined and sexy. The frontal flank is the love handle or the area you can grab if you pinch the roll just above your hips. In some people this roll is mainly on the side of the body, but in some it extends all the way around above the buttocks. When it goes around the backside I call this the “posterior flank” and I handle this differently.

With a patient facing upright in preparation for tummy tuck it’s easy to get to the frontal flank for liposuction, but in this position you really can’t get well around the backside for people who want to contour the posterior flank. In patients who have posterior flank liposuction, before the tummy tuck even begins, we place them face down and liposuction from the backside first and then flip them face up to continue with the frontal flank. This positioning allows full contour all the way around the lower trunk.

Not everyone needs the posterior flank liposuction, but for those who have a bulge or fullness above the buttock area it is a powerful tool for contouring the waist and even a good location to harvest fat for grafting or Brazilian butt lift. It can sometimes make a dramatic difference in the size of the waist even beyond what the tummy tuck can do. Tummy tuck is not just about the tummy it’s about the hips and curves that surround it and in some cases liposuction posterior flank can make a huge improvement.

If you are interested in learning more about liposuction or another type of body contouring procedure in the Baltimore, Rockville, DC, Virginia area contact my practice to schedule a consultation.

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