How Often is a mini-Tummy Tuck Recommended for Stretch Marks post-baby?

Is a full tummy tuck ideally used on patients who have recently lost a lot more weight rather than a patient who gains and looses weight from a typical pregnancy. Is a mini tummy tuck sufficient for pregnancy stretch marks and loose skin?

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8 Doctor Answers | Asked by anon

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Mini vs full tummy tuck.

I am not a big fan of mini tummy tucks because most patients require tightening of the muscles above and below the umbilicus and are usually also botherd by lose skin above the umbilicus. These are all best treated by a full tummy tuck.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

When is a Mini Tummy Tuck a Good Choice

The woman who will get the most out of a mini Tummy Tuck is that person who has little excess skin above the belly botton and stretch marks that are confined to the lower half of the skin between the belly button and pubic bone. It is a great operation in the right body type, but a bad idea if you need a tighter result. The majority of tummy tucks are full tummy tucks whether the reason is prior pregnancy or weight loss. You should seek a consultation from an experienced plastic... more

Mini Tummy tuck

It would be a rare patient that a mini tummy tuck will take care of the majority of their stretch marks. If you have few stretch marks and just a little excess skin and muscle laxity below the umbilicus then a mini abdominoplasty may be a good procedure for you. I find that less than about 1 in 20 abdominoplasty patients that come into my office would be a good mini abdominoplasty candidate. Gary Hall,MD

Gary Hall, MD

8 reviews

Kansas City Plastic Surgeon

www.hallmd.com

Mini Tummy Tuck good for the right patients

A Mini tummy-tuck can be just what someone needs if virtually all of their excess skin and fat is below the navel. Also, the muscle tone needs to be good. As you can guess from the other responses, this is not usually the case. Most women, after pregnancy, will have looseness of the muscle fascia which needs to be tightened, and most will also have loose skin above the navel. That being said, I still see several patients each year who only need liposuction and skin... more

Mini tummy tucks

In my experience, min tummy tucks are rarely performed because most patients actually need more skin removal than is achieved with a mini. Your best option is to see your PS and discuss the options with him/her. Making the determination of a mini or full tummy tuck is best done by your PS after assesing your goals and amount of tissue excess.

Mini tummy tucks should be rare

Mini tummy tucks are rarely the right choice in my experience and opinion because they remove less skin, do nothing for the muscles or skin excess above the umbi and can even make your upper abdomen stick out more by only tightening the lower abdominal muscles while leaving the upper ones loose. It is not an issue of weight loss vs pregnancy, rather, it is an issue of skin excess and muscle laxity.

Mini-VS FULL Tummy Tuck Recommended for Stretch Marks post-baby?

There is an aphorism (or truism) in Plastic Surgery which states " Do MINI procedures ONLY if you will be happy with the resulting MINI results". The reason you have stretch marks is that your expanding uterus was big enough to stretch and crack your skin. To do this to your skin, by simple logic, it first had to permanently stretch and split your tummy muscles which were in its path on the way to the skin. A MINI Tummy Tuck would remove ONLY the excess skin below the belly... more

Mini or full tummy tuck?

Thank you for the question. 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... more