What’s a Reverse Tummy Tuck?

Tummy tucks are one of the most popular procedures among mothers who are looking to achieve the body contour they had before having children. This procedure can also help address skin laxity in people who have experienced significant weight loss and want to remove excess abdominal skin. Recently, the “reverse tummy tuck” has surfaced on cosmetic surgery websites and many people may wonder how it differs from a traditional tummy tuck.

While a traditional tummy tuck will address skin laxity in both the upper and lower abdomen, the reverse tummy tuck addresses skin laxity of the upper abdomen only. This procedure is ideal for women who are only concerned with tightening the skin between their naval and breasts which is sometimes reported as an area of concern after pregnancy.

Compared to the traditional tummy tuck which has a lower abdominal incision, the reverse tummy tuck is accomplished with an incision placed in the inframammary fold, the crease underneath the breast where it meets the chest. The strategic placement of the reverse tummy tuck incision, which can be easily hidden by a bra or two-piece bikini, affords many benefits to the patient. One important benefit of this surgery is that it can be combined with a breast revision or augmentation with no additional scarring. This combined procedure makes use of a single incision for both the reverse tummy tuck and breast augmentation.

Combining breast surgery with the reverse tummy tuck offers the benefit that the patient will only have to endure one recovery period rather than two. This is an efficient way for mothers of young children to achieve the upper abdominal contour that they had before children while not having extensive downtime after surgery. Most patients find that they are able to get back to work and are comfortable resuming normal activities about one to two weeks after surgery.

If you are interested in undergoing a reverse tummy tuck to improve your upper abdominal contour, it is important to have a consultation with a highly-trained plastic surgeon to see if you are a good candidate for the surgery. Every woman is unique, and the Quatela Center for Plastic Surgery prides itself in helping you achieve your desired cosmetic goals by tailoring each procedure to the individual patient. Dr. Koenigis a highly-trained plastic surgeon at the Quatela Center and has had many years of experience specializing in breast and body procedures. To schedule your personal consultation appointment, call our office at (585) 244-1000 to speak to a Patient Consultant. To view our gallery of before and after photos, please visit Quatela.com.