Raleigh-Durham Mini Tummy Tuck doctors

There is no quick answer.  In general if all the skin from just above the belly button can  be pulled down to the top of the pubic area (below the hairline) a full may be better.  On the other hand if the loose skin is primarily below the belly button and less aggressive tightening is desired (less recovery and often less cost) a mini-tuck may be desired.  A surgeon who is comfortable with both approaches can give you the pro's and con's in your particular case.

Moomy Makeover after pregnancies

Some plastic surgeons define a breast augmentation and lift (augmentation mastopexy) plus a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) as a mommy makeover. But, in my practice, each woman has a different idea of what it means to get her pre-baby body back and that is very individualized. Therefore, the price has a significant range.

Breast Lift and Augmentation (Augmentation Mastopexy) may be an ideal option for many moms
An increasingly attractive and popular option for breast enhancement, particularly in women who have been through pregnancy and lactation, is the combination of a vertical mastopexy (breast lift) with breast augmentation. This is the ideal breast surgery procedure for women seeking breast enhancement who have experienced breast volume 'deflation' following pregnancy and lactation (and for those with 'deflated' appearing breasts who have never been pregnant), and who have the desire for a fuller breast profile.

For many women, a tummy tuck alone can be defined as a mommy makeover.

Many moms that I see for tummy tucks are very fit and in good physical condition, but despite efforts to 'slim down' through diet and exercise, the middle third of their body just doesn't match their more slender upper and lower thirds. As with all aesthetic surgeries, I attempt to restore a sense of harmony and balance to a patients figure when I perform an abdominoplasty.

A tummy tuck is designed to accomplish two things:

Remove excess abdominal skin and fat
Tighten and flatten the abdominal wall muscles

The surgery is performed through a 'bikini-line incision' which, for a full tummy tuck, may extend from hipbone to hipbone. For patients that need only a 'mini-tummy tuck', the incision is usually somewhat smaller, extending just beyond the limits of the average C-section scar. The suprapubic incisions used for this operation are designed so that the resulting surgical scar is hidden by underwear or a bathing suit.

A full abdominoplasty requires the surgical creation of a new belly button. Creating the new belly button, which is called an umbilicoplasty, is a part of tummy tuck surgery that requires a great deal of attention and finesse on the part of the surgeon. My goal is to create a new belly button that, as much as possible, resembles a 'natural' belly button. Natural belly buttons do NOT look like a perfect circle, and circular umbilicoplasty scars are a tummy tuck dead giveaway.

My suggestion is to seek out plastic surgeons  referred by friends, family or medical professionals, do research online and then have a consultation with a few to determine who has an understanding of what you are hoping to acheive with experience doing just that. Most practices will be able to provide many before and after photographs and patients you can speak to about their surgical experience.  Never jump into surgery with haste. Take your time and think about what is really important to you and NEVER be pressured by practices enciuraging you to schedule surgery quickly, especially if there are specials or perks for scheduling sooner than later. Most plastic surgeons with satisfied patients and busy practices keep busy with referrals and do not need to offer specials or financing.

Not infrequently I see patients in whom there is as much skin laxity in the upper abdomen as there is in the lower abdomen. In fact, some patients after pregnancy will have fairly 'toned' lower abdominal skin, but very lax and redundant upper abdominal skin. In these situations, the removal of skin in a vertically downward direction ( a conventional tummy tuck) is not adequate to correct the upper abdominal skin laxity. Such patients are often very good candidates for what I refer to as a 'reverse upper' abdominoplasty.
This surgical technique involves removing excess abdominal skin vertically upwards using incisions hidden in the inframammary folds underneath the breasts.  THERE IS NO INCISION MADE BETWEEN THE BREASTS. In general, this operation is best reserved for patients with fairly full or at least slightly droopy breasts, which serve to nicely conceal the inframammary folds. An important part of this procedure is the placement of permanent lifting sutures that elevate the lower skin edge, following removal of excess skin, to the upper skin edge in the inframammary fold. These permanent sutures ensure that the resulting surgical scar remains hidden within the inframammary fold.

A great advantage of this procedure is that the patient's original belly button is preserved, and thus there are absolutely no surgical scars that are visible when wearing a two-piece swimsuit or typical underwear (bra and panties). Additionally, because this procedure generally requires less skin undermining and thus less interruption of the normal blood supply of abdominal skin, more thorough liposuction of the waist and back can be performed at the same time.
Many patients having this surgery, therefore, undergo a reverse upper abdominoplasty combined with a lower 'mini' abdominoplasty, tightening of the entire length of the rectus abdominis muscles, and liposuction of the circumferential trunk - and keep the belly button with which they were born. I usually refer to this operation as 'reverse upper / modified lower abdominoplasty'.