If you’ve ever met someone who’s had a San Francisco tummy tuck before, you may have been surprised at first.

That’s because normally, people don’t talk much about their plastic surgery with others. But also, it’s extremely hard to notice when someone’s had a tummy tuck because the results are inevitably natural-looking, and any scarring is difficult to detect.

While this is great for tummy tuck patients, it also leads many people to assume that tummy tucks are rare and to believe the numerous tummy tuck myths that often circulate.

We’d like to debunk some of these myths and provide a more accurate representation of this truly life-changing surgery. So, below, we’ve exposed some of the top tummy tuck myths you may have heard.

Like most myths associated with medical procedures, these falsehoods often originate with people who have never had a tummy tuck and who certainly don’t know anything about the procedure.

Ready to begin? Let’s set the tummy tuck record straight once and for all!

6 COMMON HYBRID TUMMY TUCK MYTHS

Myth #1 – There’s just one type of tummy tuck.

There are actually several different types of tummy tucks. Dr. Sieber will go over each of these with you and recommend the one that will be best for your physique and the unique challenges you’re facing.

With that said, most patients end up opting for smaller procedure than a full Tummy Tuck procedure. This means that one lateral hip to hip incision is made along the pubic bone from one hip to the other. The stomach muscles are then tightened, the excess skin is cut off, and the incision is stitched up.

Other types of traditional tummy tuck include mini tummy tuck, mini abdominoplasty,, partial abdominoplasty procedures and extended abdominoplasty procedures.

Partial Tummy Tuck involves a smaller initial incision, so it’s often called a “mini tummy tuck.” Extended abdominoplasty involves an even smaller incision being made around the entire circumference of the abdomen. This more involved procedure essentially lifts up the entire musculature around the lower abdomen as well as the buttocks and thighs. It is often used for individuals who have recently gone through an extensive weight-loss journey and lost a significant amount of fat.

Myth #2 – Hybrid Tummy tuck will make you lose weight.

Tummy tuck don’t actually have anything to do with weight loss. They can certainly be combined with liposuction (and often are) to remove stubborn unwanted fat. But alone, the body, a tummy tuck is really focusing on excess skin and abdominal muscle suturing (tightening).

Dr. Sieber will essentially pull down the sagging skin on your lower abdomen like a window shade, cut off the excess at the bottom, and stitch the small incision up for an ultimately flatter, slimmer tummy.

Myth #3 – Everyone will be able to see your scars and know you had a Hybrid tummy tuck.

In fact, most people will never see your tummy tuck scars or know that you’ve had a tummy tuck unless you tell them.

That’s because expert plastic surgeons know exactly where to place the surgical incisions for the most discrete visibility. In both men and women, many scars will be below the underwear line. This means that even if you’re wearing a Speedo or very small bikini bottoms, the main incision shouldn’t be visible at all.

Furthermore, even in situations where the scar would be visible, it’s generally not very noticeable. Most people describe it as a faded white line that gets harder and harder to see over time. Especially if you follow essential scar care instructions post-surgery, your scar will likely lose its color gradually and slowly flatten out so that you’ll hardly know it’s there.

Myth #4 – Pregnancy is a no-go after a hybrid tummy tuck.

While most San Franicsco plastic surgeons recommend you wait to have a full tummy tuck done until you’re done having kids, there are no actual medical risks associated with getting pregnant after this procedure.

The main reason that this has become a myth is that the results from your tummy tuck may not last through a pregnancy. The skin on your abdominal muscles will naturally be stretched out with the growth of the baby, and you may end up with stretch marks and/or more loose skin after birth.

Myth #5 – Only young people can get Hybrid tummy tuck.

Certainly, the majority of tummy tuck patients are in their 30s and 40s (56.3% of Tummy Tuck patients in 2018 were between 35 and 50). However, this doesn’t mean that the procedure is only for those under 50.

In fact, many patients in their 50s and beyond have successfully undergone tummy tuck surgery and profit daily from the wonderful benefits. Generally speaking, you need only be a nonsmoker and in good overall physical health (at a healthy stable weight) in order to qualify for tummy tuck surgery.

Myth #6 – Hybrid Tummy tuck are for people who can’t lose weight on their own.

Again, tummy tucks are not for individuals who are looking for a weight-loss solution.

On its own, the tummy tuck procedure does not remove a considerable amount of abdominal fat. Instead, its primary role is to remove excess hanging skin and tighten separated ab muscles. Of course, both of these goals are nearly impossible to achieve on your own, even with the strictest diet and most vigorous exercise routine.

Schedule a consultation

Are you interested in gaining confidence and self-esteem with a tummy tuck? A tummy tuck can get rid of bothersome by removing excess skin, abdominal skin, muscle tightening, fix belly button issues and leave you feeling slim and svelte.

The procedure is ideal for those who have recently lost a significant amount of weight and mothers who are done having children. It’s also best if you’ve retained good muscle tone and skin elasticity in your upper abdomen.

You can discuss all of these factors with Dr. Sieber a board certified plastic surgeon at your initial consultation appointment.

To book yours today, give our San Francisco office a call at 415-915-9000.

SOURCES

• • https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/blog/tackling-common-tummy-tuck-myths

Many women like the idea of having larger breasts while others are happy with modestly sized breasts or even small breasts. But it’s nearly unheard of for any woman to be happy with asymmetrical breasts.

Not only can this issue be embarrassing and uncomfortable, but it can also be disconcerting. What are the causes of breast asymmetry? you wonder. Could it be a problem with my implants? A hormonal imbalance? Breast cancer?

Below, we’ll go over the top breast asymmetry reasons, then discuss some of the best ways we treat asymmetrical breasts if this issue has been bothering you.

Top Reasons for Uneven Breasts

#1 – Pregnancy

As a woman’s body goes through the stages of pregnancy, her breasts may change drastically — usually becoming larger. This is the body preparing itself for breast milk production with the secretion of prolactin and the growth of breast duct cells.

#2 – Breastfeeding

If a woman is breastfeeding her baby after childbirth, the size and shape of her breasts will vary significantly from week to week, day to day, and hour to hour — depending on how much milk she is carrying and needs to produce at any given time.

#3 – Puberty

Certain young women may develop breast asymmetries during puberty. These changes usually resolve quickly, and the breasts become evenly shaped and sized as the puberty stage ends.

#4 – Menstruation

During menstruation, changes in hormones may cause the size or shape of one or both breasts to change. Like puberty-related changes, these are usually short-lived, and the breasts will regulate in volume after a few days or weeks.

#5 – Injury or Trauma

Injury to a single breast is one of the main reasons for sudden asymmetry in breast growth in adult female individuals. Some injuries can cause cysts or swelling, for example. This may be after a car accident, a fall, or even during or after a significant illness.

#6 – Normal Changes Due to Aging

Certain women simply experience varied breast shape as they age. Gravity, posture, sleeping position, exercise routines, and other common daily activities can slowly alter the way the breasts sit on the chest wall.

#7 – Implant Issues

Finally, if a woman has breast implants, she may experience uneven breasts due to capsular contracture in one breast or a leaking or ruptured implant. This is more common with saline implants, as when a saline implant ruptures, the fluid may leak entirely out, leaving a noticeable difference in breast size.

Breast Asymmetry on Mammogram Reasons

Occasionally, women will go for their annual mammogram and receive results that indicate asymmetrical breasts. This is a cause of concern for many women, who obviously worry that a  mammogram results with breast asymmetry could mean breast cancer or another serious medical problem.

Often, mammogram results will indicate that asymmetries are related to density, breast tissue volume, or structure. In fact, any of these asymmetries are fairly normal and not a sign of developing breast cancer. Nearly all of the time, asymmetries in mammogram results are benign.

In fact, what an asymmetrical result is indicating is that a specific area on one breast is different in some way from the same area on the other breast. The difference may be calculated with a number indicating the relative breast volume asymmetry value. In these cases, radiologists will often order additional tests (a breast biopsy or breast ultrasound, for example) or follow-up mammograms to be sure that any asymmetries are benign.

Usually, the differences have to do with a change in size, volume, or form over time. More rarely, mammogram machinery and technology may be faulty. Again, it is uncommon for breast asymmetry to be a sign of breast cancer. Usually, other symptoms such as flaky red skin around the nipple, dimpling irritated breast skin, swollen breasts, or distinct breast lumps are the notable signs of possible breast cancer.

If you ever have questions about an asymmetrical mammogram or the possibility of breast cancer and your personal cancer risk, never be afraid to consult your doctor or radiologist about follow-up tests. Breast cancer research is constantly improving and evolving to save more lives.

How Is Breast Asymmetry Treated?

The good news about most cases of uneven breasts is that the issue can be treated with reconstructive surgery. However, the first thing we always want to do when a patient comes in with uneven breasts is to make sure that there’s not a worrisome underlying cause. 

For this reason, we like to have a consultation appointment with you where we can discuss your medical history — and possibly schedule some additional medical tests for you to ensure that your breast asymmetry is not caused by an underlying condition that needs to be treated.

Once we’ve done that and the cause of asymmetry is benign and not requiring treatment, we can discuss the various ways to correct your asymmetry and give you breasts that look full, natural, attractive, and — most of all — symmetrical. With breast asymmetry surgery, it always depends on the patient and the particular situation each patient is in with her breasts. The following procedures are the options we usually turn to when correcting breast size asymmetry:

Breast Augmentation (Breast Implants)

A breast augmentation using breast implants is one of the most common procedures performed to correct breast asymmetry. In fact, it is often performed after a prior unsatisfactory breast augmentation as a breast augmentation revision surgery.

During this procedure, a small incision is made in the breast, and a saline or silicone implant is inserted to add volume. Breast implants run the gamut from large and voluminous to very small and natural-looking. You will have plenty of time to discuss your implant options with Dr. Sieber and his staff.

Breast Fat Transfer

Breast augmentation fat transfer surgery is a two-stage process that first involves using liposuction to take out unwanted fat from one (or multiple) areas of the body (usually the abdomen). The second step is the re-injection of that fat (after it has been processed outside the body) into one or both breasts.

Breast Lift

Sometimes, the position of a breast on the chest wall is thus that it sits lower than the other breast. This can be corrected with a lift to one or both breasts.

A breast lift, also known as mastopexy, requires an incision to be made around the areola (the darker part of the skin that surrounds the nipple) and usually, an incision to be made from the lower part of the areola down to the crease beneath the breast. Sometimes, an additional incision is made along the crease. Then, excess skin, fat, and breast tissue is removed, and the incisions are closed up.

Breast Reduction

Finally, if the patient is interested in bringing the size of the larger breast down, a breast reduction can be performed.

Some patients with asymmetrical breasts may want to simply perform a breast reduction on one breast to make it the same size as the other, smaller breast. Other patients may want to reduce the overall size of both breasts and because of the asymmetry, this may involve removing more fat, breast tissue, and skin from one breast, in particular.

Uneven Breasts? Schedule a Consultation Today

Do you have uneven breasts that look and feel asymmetrical in volume, shape, or position? Double board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. David Sieber can help.

Contact us today to book a consultation to discuss breast asymmetry surgery with Dr. Sieber. We look forward to your call. 

References

https://www.healthline.com/health/breast-asymmetry