What Can be Done To Get Rid Of My Muffin Tops After A Tummy Tuck?

Q:  Dr. Eppley, what can be done to fix my muffin tops after a tummy tuck? Six months ago I had a full tummy tuck and and a new belly button made. Right after surgery I noticed  these bulges above my hips. My surgeon say it was swelling and it would go away but that has not been the case. They look terrible with my now flatter tummy. When I asked what he could do about them at my last check up, he told me to exercise and do abdominal twists and they would go down. I feel like he is just avoiding my concerns and doesn’t want to deal with me anymore now that she has my money. What are your thoughts on my dilemma?

A:  Abdominal contouring for many patients is not just a 180 degree proposition. The excess fat can wrap around the whole way to the back. Thus abdominal and waistline contouring should be thought of as at least a 270 degree or greater approach. A tummy tuck, even a full one, however only affects the front of the trunk and its benefits stop at the front of the hip bones. This is why flank liposuction is a part of many tummy tucks in my Indianapolis practice. If not noted before surgery and left out of the operation, one could be left with very visible muffin tops after a tummy tuck. The goods news is that it is an easily solveable problem with liposuction and those bulgy muffin tops can be turned into a very pleasing inward curve to the waistline. The bad news is that it does require further surgery but it is a much smaller operation with a very quick recovery.  

Dr.  Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana