Disappointed in the Results of Mini Tummy Tuck - looking for Advice

I had a mini tummy tuck with lipo and the lower muscles tightned on March 3rd. I am 17 days post op and still wearing my compression garment. I was happy with my results right after surgery other than the swelling which I new would be temporary...but as the swelling has gone down, the skin has gotten loose. My surgeon told me at my 2 week appt. that as the swelling goes down even more, the skin may just get looser. This is not what I paid for! any advice?

Tags:

Comment on this

17 Doctor Answers | Asked by 3/03 happymommyof3 in Eugene

Doctor Answers (17)
Community Comments (0)

More than one way to skin a tummy. Hybrid tummy tucks.

Conventional wisdom is to either pull just from the belly button down for a mini tummy tuck. OR pull the entire abdomen down, make it really tight and create a new belly button - full tummy tuck. But there is a hybrid surgery where we float the belly button down to a lower spot without creating a new one. We get way more tightness but still use the mini incision.

Ritu Chopra, MD

4 reviews

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

drrituchopra.com

Mini tummy tuck result not enough

Mini tummy tucks are often disappointing if patients are expecting much more than a scar revision of a C-section. We perform very few in our practice. Almost all women who need their fascia tightened up to the umbilicus also need it tightened up to the breast bone. For this reason, we perform this tightening in almost all women who have a mini tuck, and term this procedure the hybrid abdominoplasty (hybrid tummy tuck).

Most patients do better with a full tummy tuck

While it's hard to really comment without seeing your before photos, what I tell my patients is that most women (not all, but most), especially those who have had kids, do better with a full tummy tuck. The reason for this is that we can tighten the entire length of the muscles that have been stretched from pregnancy, and we can also remove more loose skin in most cases. The only real downside is a slightly longer incision as well as an incision around the belly button, and I... more

Mini Tummy Tuck

A mini TT is just that, a mini. Some need to have a full TT so more skin can be removed, and the tightness is greater. In addition, the muscle can be tightened in several locations if needed. The full TT is just more of a complete procedure. The mini is for those with small issues, and a good muscle.

Full or mini tummy tuck?

In my opinion, the mini tummy talk is an operation that produces very limited results and is very rarely indicated. It involves a shorter incision but does not address the majority of the abdominal wall issues present for most patients who present consultation. For example, the area of skin excised is quite small. The abdominal wall musculature is addressed below the umbilicus leaving the upper number wall potentially lax. The appearance of the umbilicus is not necessarily... more

Mini tightening commonly underperforms

Hello, Mini tummy tucks do much less than many women would like. I commonly recommend more surgery to the patient requesting a mini and do fewer of them than I have in the past. Best Regards, John Di Saia MD

Mini tummy tuck

There are only a few candidates who do well with a mini tummy tuck. Most patients cannot get the results they desire without the undermining of skin and repositioning the belly button that is done with a full tummy tuck. You could still do a full tummy tuck. Discuss this with your surgeon. Donald R Nunn MD Plastic Surgeon.

Donald Nunn, MD, DDS

3 reviews

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Mini-tummy tucks often yield mini-results

Very few women are great candidates for a mini-tummy tuck, which I why I rarely perform them. I do, however, do quite a few revisions of mini-tummy tucks which were done elsewhere and have resulted in unhappy patients. A mini-tummy tuck can only treat skin below the belly button, not around it and not above it. In your case, you appear to have significant skin laxity (looseness) above and below the belly button. Your "before" pictures would be useful, but I... more

Mini-tummy tuck equals mini-result

As far as I am concerned, there are very limitied indications for a mini-tummy tuck. Mini tummy tucks work only on a small subset of patients who have a flat and firm upper abdomen, a lax lower abdomen, a relatively high naturally located belly button, and a relatively small amount of redundant skin in the lower abdomen. If a patient does not meet those criteria, then a mini-tummy tuck is the incorrect procedure. In my practice, most patients fall into one of two categories: 1) Good skin... more

A mini tummy tuck may lead to "mini" results.

Before commenting too much, it is important to realize that you are early in your recovery and you may have some improvement over the next few months. A mini tummy tuck has a role in treating infra-umbilical skin excess. However, when the patient has significant laxity around the belly button (as you do in your photos) the results are often less than satisfying. To address this central skin excess, a full abdominoplasty with relocation of the belly button is recommended. I recommend... more