Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery

Reverse Abdominoplasty: Is It Right for You?

We see many patients at The Lucas Center who hope to achieve slimmer, smoother, more toned abdominal areas. Unfortunately, factors like weight gain and weight loss, pregnancy and childbirth, and aging can cause excess or sagging skin and extra fat around the midsection. Sound familiar? 

The most common procedure used for shaping the abdomen is some form of liposuction, sometimes combined with abdominoplasty (aka tummy tuck). A lesser-known procedure in our repertoire that can also yield effective results is the “reverse abdominoplasty.”

To help you decide what’s best for your ab-contouring goals, let’s look at what a reverse abdominoplasty is, its benefits, and whether it may be a good option for you. 

What is a Reverse Abdominoplasty?

The reverse abdominoplasty procedure is all about tightening and contouring the upper abdominal region. (On the other hand, a tummy tuck, aka “regular” abdominoplasty, focuses on the lower ab area.)

How Does it Work?

  • Dr. Lucas begins with incisions that follow the lower breast folds and then cross the lower sternum to connect both sides of the abdomen.
  • The abdominal skin is elevated towards the chest, reducing excess skin and repositioning it higher up. It’s then either removed or recycled for additional breast volume or support.
  • Upper ab muscles can be tightened surgically. 
  • The procedure keeps the full thickness of your abdominal skin intact to preserve the vital blood supply on either side of the belly button. 
  • Excess fat can also be corrected with liposuction during the procedure.

Will There Be Visible Scars?

Reverse abdominoplasty scars generally hide well, even in two-piece bathing suits, because they are mostly hidden under a patient’s breast folds.

Benefits of a Reverse Abdominoplasty

There are some interesting benefits and options that come along with reverse abdominoplasty:

  1. It can be combined with breast augmentation without the need for or cost of implants.

If you’re a candidate for reverse abdominoplasty and you’d also like breast rejuvenation, the extra skin of your upper abdominal region can be used under your breasts to provide added fullness and shape. This is often done in conjunction with a breast lift (mastopexy) and can avoid the need and expense of implants.

  1. If you’ve had problems with previous breast implants shifting, the excess skin from this procedure may be used to help correct that.

If you already have implants, and one or both have drifted down or to the side for some reason (and you qualify for a reverse abdominoplasty), Dr. Lucas can use the excess tissue from your upper abs to help reposition and stabilize implants. This combination of procedures provides long-lasting results at a lower cost than some other options for correcting implants. 

  1. Reverse abdominoplasty can help when liposuction alone is not enough. 

Sometimes liposuction is all you need for the midsection you want. However, in cases with more excess skin that needs tightening above the belly button, this procedure makes a great complement to the benefits of liposuction for the midsection. 

Is Reverse Abdominoplasty a Good Fit for You?

This procedure might be a great fit for you if: 

  • You have loose excess skin in your upper abdomen
  • You do not have a full diastasis recti affecting your lower abdominal contour
  • You also have excess fatty tissue without extra skin in the lower abdomen 

Book Your Plastic Surgery Consultation

As one of Knoxville’s premier plastic surgeons, Dr. Lucas is passionate about using innovative methods to meet his patients’ unique needs and goals — while achieving sound results with the least amount of surgery and the lowest costs. The reverse abdominoplasty is a great example of such a procedure.If you think this or another procedure may be a fit for you, please reach out to our team at The Lucas Center today. When you schedule a consultation with Dr. Lucas, he will help you create a customized plan to achieve the confidence and satisfaction you deserve. We can’t wait to join you on your journey to feeling more confident!

(865) 217-0572
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