Full Tummy Tuck, Mini or No Solution?

asked 6 months ago by Madison1908 in GA
Latest answer by J. Jason Wendel, MD
Question viewed 157 times
Tags: stretch marks, candidate, flat, options

I'm 30 yrs old, 5'7 and weigh 136 pounds. I have stretch marks on my stomach from my pregnancy 11 years ago. My stomach is virtually flat & somewhat muscular. I know stretch marks cannot be removed, but I was wondering if a mini or full tummy tuck would reduce the appearance of my stretch marks by stretching my skin. I'm not interested in body contouring or the stretch marks on the side, but only stretch marks on the front of my stomach. Help!

10 answers to Full Tummy Tuck, Mini or No Solution?

Stretch marks and tummy tuck

A tummy tuck will get rid of stretch marks by directly removing them between your belly button and pubic area. Any stretch marks you have above the belly button will then be relocated to below the belly button when the upper tummy skin is brought down to the bottom to close the surgical incision. The result is a smooth upper tummy without stretch marks in that area. If you have stretch marks in any area that is not surgically removed, then those stretch marks will remain. more

J. Jason Wendel, MD
Nashville Plastic Surgeon

Full or Mini tummy tuck?

Madison, thanks for the question. It is a common one I get in my practice. Tummy tucks work on primarily 3 things, the muscle,fat and skin. Depending on how these 3 appear would help determine which procedure is appropriate for you. This would require an exam by a board certified plastic surgeon.

Brian Joseph, MD
Orlando Plastic Surgeon

Recommendations for Improvement of Your abdomen Require an Exam

Hi there- Without a consultation and examination, it would be irresponsible to give you advice other than to say that your best bet is to find a surgeon Certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery and visit for a consultation.

Armando Soto, MD
Orlando Plastic Surgeon

www.DrArmandoSoto.com

Options for abdominal tightening

It is difficult to tell without personally evaluating you, but people who have especially slack skin in their midsection need more than what liposuction alone can offer. Typical candidates for a full tummy tuck are women with drooping abdomens after pregnancy, women and men who've lost a great deal of weight, menopausal women, or older people with loose skin due to age. In the tummy tuck, the skin from the rib cage down to the pelvic area is tightened, and the navel is moved up and... more

Michelle Copeland, MD, DMD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck can be helpful in removing most stretch marks after pregnancy

Dear Madison, Plainly speaking: If your stretchmarks go above your belly button, then a full TT would remove most of them. If your stretchmarks are mostly below your belly button, then all you would require is a Mini TT. Simply 'stretching' the skin will not make them disappear. Surgical excision (cutting them out) is the only way to remove stretch marks. I hope this helps. Best wishes, Dr. H

Gary M. Horndeski, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

Full or Mini Tummy Tuck

Your situation is one that is commonly seen in that you have excess loose skin with stretch marks, but when you are standing the contour looks okay because you don't have any excess fat or skin overhanging the pubic area. I find that most of these women need what you would call a "full" tummy tuck. I prefer to describe the abdominoplasty by the length of the incision. The more loose skin you have and the higher up on the abdomen that the loose skin is, the... more

Donald Griffin, MD
Nashville Plastic Surgeon

Why I hate the term " Tummy Tuck"

Tummy Tuck, or abdominoplasy has come to mean a lot of things to different people. Performing a good abdominoplasty requires a great deal of skill and experience. There is a lot more to it than just removing skin. Exactly what needs to be done varies from person to person, There are very few people indeed that are candidates for a "mini" abdominoplasty especially after pregnancy. Proper placement of incisions and proper repair of the supporting structures is key to a good and... more

Thomas R. Walek, MD
Providence Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck will

Not be able to remove stretch marks by making the skin tight. A tummy tuck removes excess skin and fat. If the areas with stretch marks are a part of the region that will be excised then you will be rid of them. If they are in an area that will not be excised then they will remain after the surgery, but will have been moved to a new lower position. Pics would help as would a physical exam. Consult with your local board certified plastic surgeon to get an... more

Kamran Khoobehi, MD
New Orleans Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck options

WIthout photos or an examination, it is impossible to determine which procedure would work both for you. If your stomach is already flat, there would not be indications for an abdominoplasty, either full or mini. However, you note that your skin can be stretched which would indicate that you may be a candidate for a surgical procedure. See a board certified plastic surgeon in consultation to discuss your options.

Robert L. Kraft, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Mini or full tummy tuck?

Thank you for the question. Without direct examination for pictures is difficult to give you good advice. Based on your description of your physical examination and history of pregnancy it is probable that you will benefit from tummy tuck surgery. 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... more