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Pregnancy

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Original poster

What causes 'overhang' in c section scars?

25 replies

PixieCake · 28/07/2010 12:32

Can anyone tell me what causes the 'overhang' that you can get with a C section?

Is it related to how much weight you gain/loose?
Does it depend on the skill of the surgeon?
Is it more likely to happen after an emergency section than an elective one?
Is there anything you can do to minimise your risk of getting it?

Thanks in advance

OP posts:

seasister · 28/07/2010 21:17

I'd like to know this too

bump

MrsFC · 28/07/2010 21:41

Me too!! Bump!

mears · 28/07/2010 21:42

Basically it is caused by the excess fat you have in your abdomen. Women who have vaginal birth have overhang. The fatter you are, the more overhang you have.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 28/07/2010 21:44

It is related to how much fat or swelling there is in the lower tummy area. I am overweight, but I also got very bad swelling and water retention underneath my bump so I have a terrible overhang. I think you have to be pretty slim and have good muscle tone to avoid one tbh.

Lavitabellissima · 28/07/2010 21:45

I'd like to know too, although my (slim) friend had an emergency c - section and has a very neat, hardly visible scar.

Haliborange · 28/07/2010 21:45

It's caused by the scar tissue being tighter than the surrounding skin.

not really, although the less fat you have the smaller an overhang will be I should think.

dunno about this, but I've had 2 cs and had an overhang with number 1 but not with number 2, so I do think it is something to do with how they sew you up.

I'd say not - mine were both emcs and also whether it is em or el makes no difference to how long they spend on stitching afterwards.

You could try massaging your scar daily, as this helps break down the scar tissue. As an added bonus if your scar is lumpy massage can help sort that out.

HTH

theyoungvisiter · 28/07/2010 21:46

I have overhang and never had a section - I think it's probably just to do with a combination of fat/muscle tone and stretched skin following pregnancy, and that the position of the scar is coincidence iyswim?

What I mean is, I have a pronounced overhang which cuts off abruptly just above the bikini line where a cs scar would be if I had one - but I don't.

mears · 28/07/2010 21:48

btw - makes no difference whether emergency or elective CS. Operation is the same.

nbee84 · 28/07/2010 21:49

Me too YV. In fact if I lift my overhang the line it creates underneath looks like it could be a neat scar from a cs.

buttonmoon78 · 29/07/2010 00:10

oo. I'm so glad it's not just me. I have a proper section belly even tho I had 3 vaginal deliveries!

zazen · 29/07/2010 00:24

Not true mears "btw - makes no difference whether emergency or elective CS. Operation is the same. "

A crash section is just a quick slice, no cauterising blade - no tearing of the muscles, just a slice through everything muscle, nerves and blood vessels. I know this from experience unfortunately I have a 12 inch scar right over my hip bones also... don't know quite what they were looking for there, but babe was born in about 40 seconds, and I had very bad blood loss from the uncauterised wound.

I have numbness still 6 years on in my lower abdomen and an apron overhang if I even look at a cupcake. And I've just had 9 8 months physiotherapy (every two weeks) and dry needling to break up all the scar adhesions, so my muscles aren't all bound up with each other and my pelvic floor muscles... not nice, but getting a lot better now.

I wished I'd just gone for the nice calm elective rather than trying to have a vaginal birth and ending up with a crash section tbh. And looking back at my optimistic and fantasy based 35 yo self, I wish someone had made me!!!

Are you thinking of a cesarean birth Pixiecake? My advice is to go for it if you're over 35!

mears · 29/07/2010 14:54

zazen - I cannot comment on your experience but I am a midwife who has been present for very many elective and emergency CS including crash ones. The procedure is the same but faster. Your problems may be associated with the need for extending your scar for another reason.

vmcd28 · 29/07/2010 15:40

as others have said, I have overhang and I had a vaginal delivery. I am fairly sure it is to do with the elasticity of the skin being lost, and the tummy not springing back into shape.

My tummy has been saggy ever since my DS was born, so I've no chance of EVER being slim and flat again! And thats before the next one has even come along...

parkj83 · 29/07/2010 15:51

me too, very bad overhang even though vaginal birth. My belly stretched horrifically fast within about a 3-4 week period with DS, got very bad stretch marks, and I've never gotten anything resembling a flat belly despite diets and exercises (DS is 7 )

I've given up for the mo, as I'm pg again, but I've quietly dropped hints to DH about a nip-tuck for the next big birthday after I'm done having this one, and maybe one more!

Original poster

PixieCake · 29/07/2010 19:21

Thanks all.

I am having a c section and one of my friends who is trying to talk me out of it (she won't succeed) recently told me about overhang, so it's good to know that it can also happen with vaginal births.

I'm also trying to decide which surgeon to have it with, which is why I wanted to know if overhang depends on the skill of the surgeon.

OP posts:

Haliborange · 29/07/2010 20:06

If you're going private why not start a thread looking for recommendations? I am sure there was someone who posted a while ago mentioning a doctor who was known for the neatness of his scars! And I would bet skill of the doctor does have something to do with it - otherwise you wouldn't be able to get surgery to improve an overhang.

Pictures of scars here if you fancy having a look at what you might end up with.

zazen · 29/07/2010 23:33

No mears, whilst I'm sure you know what happens in the main, and you can't indeed comment on my experience there was unnecessary damage caused by the procedure.
Sometimes things go wrong in a crash section, and for many reasons.

A subsequent gynae Consultant examined me and he was horrified by the mutilation caused by the Registrar's 'technique'.

Some doctors are butchers.

I think it's important to grill your team with questions about their operating technique, the place you will have an incision, the length of the scar, whether they use a cauterising blade etc... and also whether you will be able to see your babe being born, as s/he is being born.. and whether you can have skin on skin time immediately.. whether they 'allow' cord pulsing etc.. what stitching techniques (double or single for the uterus etc).. just to be sure..

Some doctors are klutzy, and some just want to treat a woman like a slab of meat.
Some are great and sensitive to the fact you are actually having a baby, and would rather not be destroyed as a woman in the process, if they can remember to be careful..

You are right to shop around - good luck with it

mears · 30/07/2010 00:57

Zazen - I think essentially we are saying the same thing. Depends on surgeon's technique rather than urgency of operation. Sorry to hear that yours was not good.

zazen · 30/07/2010 00:59

Thanks mears. It wasn't good.

Good luck Pixie!

darksideofthemooncup · 30/07/2010 01:08

I was quite overweight before I became pregnant and had an emergency CS. I had quite a pronounced overhang after everything healed up.
However, I had vaserliposuction last year (for free but thats a whole other story) I now have a completely flat stomach and a barely visible scar ( I was cut virtually hipbone to hipbone) so in my experience I would say that it is mostly fat. Unfortunately it is impossible to spot reduce fat through exercise and diet alone.

A word of warning for those considering anything so drastic, I may have a lovely flat stomach in clothes but naked its a whole other story.

darksideofthemooncup · 30/07/2010 01:13

Thats a whole lot of other stories

nymphadora · 30/07/2010 07:42

I didn't get one with my first(el) but did with my second (em)

I was more over weight second time and had a surgeon who wasnt that great IMO ( and others) so could be either factor.

At one point after I lost a lot of weight & the overhang remained. Gp said I could have it tucked when I finish my family. I'm hoping this section is neater though

JumpingJellyfish · 30/07/2010 13:12

Have had 3 emcs's. Overhang after each did slowly reduce after weight loss and improving muscle tone. I have a hip prob also so I've poorer muscle tone on one side of my abdomen due to the way I walk and now that side of the scar has an overhang but not the other! I'm hoping when I can be arsed get motivated and do lots of sit ups I may get rid of that bit of overhang- coupled with some cardio and sensible eating to lose some fat too! Right now though all I want is sleep....!!

What did vary between cs's was how quickly the scar healed and how neat the scar is- definitely think it depends on surgeon's technique. Scar massage (with bio oil) has definitely helped healing and increased softness/mobility of the skin tissure. You can start massage from as soon as the scab falls off. My first cs was the greatest emergency so pretty rushed and that scar didn't heal well- ended up needing steroid injections 9 months later to reduce the scarring... But a small price to pay for mine and DS's lives.

Lifebeganat40 · 16/08/2010 21:57

I don't think it can be weight related as I weigh 8 3/4st and still have an overhang from my CS which was 3 years ago. I did have a similar operation (not CS) many years ago which also left me with an overhang and took 10 years to go flat. Sorry that's not a very inspiring story, other than I have a wonderful son to make the overhang worthwhile.

paisleyleaf · 16/08/2010 22:00

I'd sort of thought it was because I was lying down for the stitching up - and if they could have somehow stitched me up standing up then the overhang wouldn't happen so much.
Silly, I know.

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