Reverse Abdominoplasty in Raleigh, North Carolina*

The vast majority of abdominoplasties are done with a low transverse incision in the lower abdomen to remove loose skin and stretch marks from the lower abdomen. Generally, the upper abdomen is tightened as well by the inferior pulling effect. Reverse abdominoplasty is much less common. This procedure addresses loose skin of the upper abdomen. It involves an incision under the breast folds and usually crosses across the midline between the breasts. This is for women who wish to address loose skin of their upper abdomen. It sometimes is performed after previous abdominoplasty although it cannot be performed at the same time because of concerns about blood supply. This 53-year-old woman had a previous abdominoplasty 22 years ago. Over the years with aging and some weight gain, she had developed some laxity of her upper abdomen which really bothered her. She underwent reverse abdominoplasty with incisions just under the breast fold scars and crossing the midline. She had some liposuction performed of her lower abdomen during this procedure. Generally the amount of skin removed during a reverse abdominoplasty is much less than a regular abdominoplasty. Deep suturing Is necessary to secure the abdominal tissues up under the breast fold and can also cause some temporary discomfort. Taping and scar creams and even laser treatments are often advised as the scar location is not always hidden as well as a tummy tuck scar The patient was very happy with her improvement