Your Questions

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had a tummy tuck last year but it did not fully correct my sagging mons. I would like now to have that fixed as well. Where are the incisions for a monsplasty placed? Can they be placed in the groin crease to avoid a visible scar? I don’t want any more scars than the long tummy tuck one that I have now. Is it better to have a monsplasty lift or monsplasty by liposuction?

A: With significant amounts of pubic sagging or fullness, a tummy tuck may not ideally reshape the mons area. If recognized before surgery, modifications can be made in the tummy tuck incisional design or through the combined use of liposuction to get a good mons correction as well. When done secondarily, a direct mons lift is done using the central part of the tummy tuck scar so no new incisional locations are needed. Ususlly liposuction is done with a mons lift in most cases as the combination approach produces the greatest amount pubic reshaping.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have had several children and am wanting to get my stomach back in shape. I am only 26 years old and I don’t want to live the rest of my life with this stomach. I am too young for that! My question is what will happen to my pubic area after a tummy tuck. I noticed that it got bigger after having children and I would like to see that area flatter as well. Will it be taken care of if I get a tummy tuck? Also I have love handles that I would like to get rid of as well. Will a tummy tuck get rid of those as well?

A: A tummy tuck will only solve the problems that lie within its zone of tissue excision. When looking at the markings of a tummy tuck, you will see that the love handles and the pubic area lies outside the excision zone. However, the addition of flank liposuction is a part of most tummy tucks with the recognition that the goal is an extended waistline reshaping that wraps around to the back. Pubic or mons reduction, if needed, can be incorporated as part of the tummy tuck procedure whether it is reduced with liposuction or it is lifted as part of the tummy tuck design. You can see in planning a tummy tuck that the entire area must be taken into consideration to get the best overall result.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana