What is an Extended Tummy Tuck?

For those that have read the Basics or have read about those online who may have had "So-So" results with a full tummy tuck, questions tend to arise. Tummy Tuck surgery varies between patients and surgeons. When you have a tummy tuck you are not buying a car from a lot. You are buying a service which is born from the experience and dedication of your surgeon. For patients following Gastric Bypass Surgery or large weight loss, a standard full tummy tuck tends to fall short of correcting the loose hanging tissue. "Short cuts" and short scar techniques do not work well when excess tissue is everywhere. There are many patients who have fat and skin excesses that don't stop on the front of the tummy. Loose skin and fat may trail toward the sides or even all the way around the lower body. They may also involve the thighs with bunching of tissue in the groin or along the "front" of the thighs. Extended tummy tuck surgery is designed to address these additional problems by extending the operation toward the thighs, the sides and into part of the buttocks. This basically takes the operation one step closer to a full lower body lift, but with a lower risk of wound healing problems.

Extended tummy tuck surgery allows for tightening along the front of the thighs that is particularly beneficial in the gastric bypass patient. The additional removal of some of the thigh skin (from the front) pulls the thigh into the closure. The patient gets a partial thigh lift as part of this tummy tuck. This does not replace inner thigh lift surgery, but can help mitigate excess tissue in the front of the thigh.

These extensions of the tummy tuck concept allow for correction over and above that usually seen with a more standard full tummy tuck. You can't get all you might want done in one operation, but your operation may very well get you farther than you had thought possible.
 

"Before and After" [Before's Shown]

Walkthrough of Dr D's Wife's Extended Tummmy Tuck

Dr D's Operation