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Am I a Candidate for a Full or Mini Tummy Tuck?

Hi, I have had two children and I'm no longer happy with my tummy. I'm really wanting an opinion on whether or not I would benefit from a Mini tummy tuck? Or would a full Tummy Tuck be more appropriate for me? Thank you!

Asked 32 months ago by Becca n illinois in illinois

Tags:

abdomen

Hybrid tummy tuck

You may be best served by a hybrid tummy tuck (TM) or an endoscopic tummy tuck. These techniques tighten the deep layer all the way from the pubic area to the upper abdomen. The Hybrid (TM) requires special instrumentation, especially in patients with a long umbilicus to sternum distance. Each of the procedures entails minimal scarring. Full tummy tucks are great operations, but not for patients who do not need a lot of skin excised, with the long incision. Mini tucks, if they are more... more

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Brent Moelleken, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Mini vs. Full tummy tuck

Based on the photo you provided, you are a good candidate for a full tummy tuck. Although your skin seem to be in good shape and quality, you would benefit from abdominal muscle repair, which has been stretched from pregnancy. You will have a dramatic change in muscle tone afterwards. A mini tummy tuck would only remove and repair muscle below the belly button which would not give you the best possible results. A full (standard) tummy tuck involves, muscle repair and removal of excess fatty... more

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Tom J. Pousti, MD

San Diego Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

I would recommend a full tummy tuck

Looking at your photo I think you have 2 issues. The first is an obvious laxity of the abdominal wall muscles, extending the entire length of the abdomen. This will require tightening of the entire muscle, and a mini-tummy tuck will not achieve this-- therefore, you need the traditional tummy tuck, which I think will look fantastic on you. Your surgeon will need to take care to place the incision in such a way that it is hidden by your underwear or bikini, usually low along your hips... more

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Shahram Salemy, MD

Seattle Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Decision for abdominal contouring

The decision regarding options for abdominal contouring is depended on three basic variables: the existing anatomy (status of overall lifestyle, fat, muscle, skin, etc.), your specific goals, and your willingness or ability to accept or tolerant side effects and risks. Once you have reviewed all this and made decisions regarding these variables, the choice of procedure will become more obvious. One cannot tell from photos what your exisiting anatomy is. For example, your muscle may be... more

Robin T.W. Yuan, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Mini tummy tucks will give you "mini" results

Looking at your photo, you exhibit laxity of the muscle up to your rib cage. It is hard to evaluate the skin looseness from the photo, but you will need a full tummy tuck (muscle repair from the breast bone down to the pubic bone). If one would repair or tighten the lower abdominal muscles only, then you would end up with an unsightly bulge in the upper abdomen. I personally do a lot of liposuction using the VASER liposelection technique to define the back, hips, upper buttocks at the same... more

George Marosan, MD

Bellevue Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

A full tummy tuck will not disappoint you

After looking at your photo you have the abdominal wall laxity that is expected after pregnancy. This roundness is due to the stretch of the the muscles and fascia. A full tummy tuck will tighten the looseness and help restore the tone and flatness of your tummy. A mini-tuck will leave you with a bulge in the upper abdomen and you will be unhappy with the partial result and the odd appearance. I would encourage you to discus this with a board certified plastic surgeon that can examine you... more

Marcus L. Peterson, MD

Saint George Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Mini tummy tucks should be rare

In order to be a candidate for a mini tummy tuck, you need to have no extra skin or muscle laxity in the upper abdomen. This is a rare patient. You look like your muscles are lax above the umbilicus so a full tummy tuck is going to give you the best result. The scar is barely longer and so is the recovery.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS

Seattle Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Full or mini tummy tuck (abdominoplasty)

IT is difficult to tell from this picture but you could get by with mini if you have excellent muscle tone with no rectus diastasis and good skin elasticity. This cannot be assessed from your photo. If this is not the case and your skin is lax and the muscles are separated, then you may see better results with a full tummy tuck. There are other options available which include laparoscopic assisted or marriage abdominoplasty. see video

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Picture is not a substitute for exam

there are components that need to be addressed before making any surgical plan. your abdominal muscle, skin elasticity and quality, abdominal fat and last not the least, your desire and goal are important to make decision. any plan for pregnancy in future is another factor that will come in to equation. so as I mentioned in headline, exam and physician/patient communications are the most important factors to make decision.

M. Ryan Khosravi, MD

Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Options and Trade-offs

From your photo, I cannot tell you which operation will be best for you. To do this I need to discuss the pro's and con's of each operation, and examine you. However, these are some of the factors I consider. If there is a modest amount of loose or excess skin, and it is located primairy below the belly button, then this makes me consider you for a mini-tummy tuck. And, from your photo, this may well be the case. On the other hand, if there is lax skin above the belly button, or a larger... more

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David B. Reath, MD

Knoxville Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Mini will do it...

Becca, In my opinion, from the brief history and photo you have provided, you would do very well with a mini abdominoplasty. There are variations of the mini that can tighten your muscles as well, but involve more work on the surgeons part. Certainly, you do not need the typical hip to hip scar associated with a full tummy tuck. Good luck!

Kenneth R. Francis, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

You may only need liposuction of the stomach.

Hi! It is hard to be sure without a complete examination, but you may not need any kind of tummy tuck. Your skin looks quite tight and elastic, and the stomach bulges seem to be mostly fat. You have no stretch marks. You may well get a big improvement from just liposuction of the stomach, which has a much easier recovery and no scar. So make sure to get 2 or 3 different opinions. If it does turn out that you need a tummy tuck (loose muscles can only be detected on physical exam), then... more

George J. Beraka, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Full abdominoplasty.

You would look great with a full tummy tuck. A mini will leave you disappointed. You not only have excess skin but the muscle above your belly button looks weak and needs to be tightened as well. Endoscopic surgery can tighten the muscle but you still have the excess skin to remove. I also think that a small amount of liposuction on the lower sides would really help and is usually part of the abdominoplasty procedure. Good Luck.

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Kari L. Colen, MD

New York Plastic Surgeon

Modified Abdominoplasty (short-scar) Probably Best

Becca: We make recommendations after evaluating 3 components; skin, fat & muscle. We would need to see you in-person to really give you the best advice, but based on your photo you skin looks excellent, you have modest subcutaneous fat, the intra-abdominal fat is difficult to assess, and the abdominal wall looks lax. Your procedure should include tightening of the full length of the abdominal muscles and fascia (fibrous layer). It could be combined with liposuction of fat (possibly... more

Sutton Graham II, MD

Greenville Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

A full tummy tuck

In looking at your photo, it appears that there is some laxity of the upper abdomen as well as the lower abdomen. In order to address the laxity as well as the skin excess from having children a full abdominoplasty or tummy tuck would be required. Certainly you could have a mini tummy tuck but it would not address all the areas adequately and you might be unhappy with the result sin the end. However you need to see your plastic surgeon and be examined as there may be some other subtleties... more

Charles Perry, MD

Sacramento Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Full Abdominoplasty

You will benefit the most with a full abdominoplasty. You have lax muscles and the best way to tighten them is through full exposure to be able to tighten them appropriately. A mini tummy tuck will make you mini improved a full tummy tuck you will be fully happy! Make sure you go to a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon who does many of these. Make sure he does lipo of the flanks as well to bring the sides in. You will do great.

Andrew T. Cohen, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Mini- Tummy Tuck vs. Alternatives

Hi there- My personal opinion is that the Mini-tummy tuck procedure, in which a small amount of skin is removed from the lower abdomen and the muscles below the belly button are tightened, is a poorly conceived operation which in most people will not result in the positive change desired. In fact, in most people it causes UN-desirable changes- Think of your abdomen as an inflated balloon. Now imagine that you squeeze one end of the balloon... what you would expect to happen is that the other... more

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