Is a Mini Tummy Tuck Right for You? Plastic Surgeons Weigh In on What Makes a Good Candidate

Year after year, the tummy tuck—a surgical procedure that removes excess abdominal skin and fat while also tightening the stomach muscles—makes it onto our Most Worth It list. It’s a procedure that delivers noticeable and impressive results and can help people feel like themselves again after childbirth or significant weight loss. However, there’s no denying the fact that it is a major surgery—and one that some may not be ready for. 

Enter the mini tummy tuck, an aptly named “junior” version of abdominoplasty that differs from its traditional counterpart in a few key ways. According to doctors, each option comes with its own set of pros and cons, but the key to patient satisfaction is making sure the right surgery is performed on the right candidate. Here, top plastic surgeons break down the most important things to know about the mini tummy tuck.

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What is a mini tummy tuck?

A mini tummy tuck is essentially a much less invasive and extensive version of a tummy tuck. Rather than a large amount of excess skin being removed from an area spanning above the belly button all the way down to the pubic bone, only a small amount, located on the lower abdomen, is removed, says Dr. John Paul Tutela, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Livingston, New Jersey. “This means that you can’t address diastasis recti, or muscle separation. The muscle repair involved with a traditional tummy tuck starts at the belly button and runs up the midline of the body to the bottom of the rib cage,” he points out.

To the point of a mini tummy tuck being less invasive, while the skin is still somewhat separated from the underlying muscle and pulled downward, it’s not done to the same degree as it is in a traditional tummy tuck, adds Dr. Raja Mohan, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Irving, Texas. Again, this means less skin is removed, but it also means that a mini tummy tuck can be paired with more extensive liposuction techniques. “When a more complete dissection is performed, you have to be very careful with liposuction because it can impact the healing process. Those constraints are relaxed with a mini tummy tuck. This is beneficial because the patients who undergo this procedure are typically smaller and have only a bit of excess skin and some stubborn areas of fat on the abdomen. “We can not only remove that skin, we can also go in and use liposuction to help contour the entire abdomen,” Dr. Mohan explains. 

Who is a good candidate for a mini tummy tuck?

According to Dr. Tutela, not many people. “A very narrow portion of the patient population are good candidates for a mini tummy tuck. A good candidate is someone with no muscle separation, who is fit, with tight upper-ab skin, and who just has a small amount of loose or excess skin on the lower abdomen.”

Dr. Mohan agrees, adding that, while it can be a great option for the right candidate, it becomes problematic when a patient needs a full tummy tuck but is pushing for a mini because it is less invasive. “It’s important to remember that a less invasive surgery is going to have less of a result, and vice versa,” he points out.

What is recovery like after a mini tummy tuck?

While the surgery itself is less invasive than a full tummy tuck, both doctors we spoke with note that the restrictions afterward are very similar. “Those who undergo a full tummy tuck with muscle repair are going to feel tighter and be more sore, but the complete recovery time is going to be the same as compared to a mini,” says Dr. Tutela. Depending on the surgeon, drains and/or compression garments are part of the recovery process for both, and any type of heavy lifting is off limits for about six weeks.

Where there may be a difference is in how long a patient needs to wait before resuming day-to-day activities post-surgery. For example, Dr. Mohan says that typical tummy tuck patients usually go back to their desk job in a week or two, whereas it’s more like four to seven days for those who undergo a mini tummy tuck.

What is the mini tummy tuck scar like?

The incision—and subsequent scar—of a mini tummy tuck is much smaller than a regular one. “A traditional tummy tuck incision generally stretches from hip to hip. For a mini tummy tuck, it’s only about 10 to 12 centimeters long and is centered right in the middle of the lower abdomen, above the bikini line,” says Dr. Mohan.

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How much does a mini tummy tuck cost?

Dr. Tutela says a mini tummy tuck takes about half the time of a traditional one—around 90 minutes versus three hours (on average). And less time in the operating room ultimately translates to a less steep price tag. While the final cost varies based on provider and geographic location, both surgeons we spoke with say a mini tummy tuck typically costs about two-thirds of what a traditional tummy tuck runs

The bottom line

“We are doing more and more mini tummy tucks, but what people need to understand is that there really is a whole spectrum of tummy tucks,” says Dr. Raj. “Along with mini and traditional, there are also circumferential lifts as well as something called an umbilical float, which falls somewhere between a mini and traditional.” It’s no longer a one-size-fits-all situation, and the best results will occur when the right option is selected for each individual patient.