The patient is a woman in her 30’s who has redundant skin, stretch marks, and abdominal wall laxity post pregnancies. She presents for mini abdominoplasty with flank liposuction. While optimal skin removal to address the stretch marks with a full abdominoplasty would be preferred, mini abdominoplasty (where skin is removed inferior to the umbilicus and there is no scar around the umbilicus) is indicated. Because she has little superior fullness and not enough skin to reach her low pre existing incision, the choice for mini abdominoplasty must be made (or the patient would be left with a long vertical midline scar or worse yet, an open wound). Some bodies fit classic operations well. For those that do not, an experienced surgeon must counsel the patient appropriately and help her make the best choice for the unique anatomy of her body. Note that she has a nicely flattened profile. Extended skin excision was performed to ensure a smooth contour and liposuction at the flanks improve her waist. While stretch marks may scar poorly, she is healing well thus far.
Mark D. Wigod, MD, FACS, providing Cosmetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery to Boise, Meridian, Treasure Valley and Southeastern Idaho.
