Am I a Good Candidate for a Mini- Tummy Tuck? (photo)

Thank you for your question. The only way to give you a solid answer is to have a physical consultation. I recommend scheduling a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon. Although, from the picture I agree a mini tummy tuck may work in your case but its always best to have a plastic surgeon take a look and get his opinion as well. Best of luck!Dhaval M. Patel Double board certifiedPlastic surgeon Hoffman EstatesBarringtonOakbrookChicago

A mini tummy tuck and full tummy tuck both require a scar in the bikini line. The length of the incision really depends on the degree of skin laxity. A good candidate for the mini is if you have a small degree of laxity beneath the belly button and your a pretty happy with your upper abdominal contour. You can certainly add liposuction or laser liposuction to further enhance your results. Also beware that the mini will give your belly button a more stretched and vertical appearance which you can replicate by pinching your lower abdominal tissue and pulling downwards.The main advantage of the full tummy tuck (the more common procedure) is that you can tighten the muscles along the entire abdomen and you can also resect more loose tissue, i.e. more stretch marks. Based on your photos and if the main goal of the tummy tuck procedure is to have a flatter abdomen, then I would consider the full tummy tuck. Good luck with your decision.

Thank you for your question and photos! I hope that these answers help! Tummy tuck is an excellent method for shaping the belly and create a flatter and sculpted abdomen after the procedure. Looking at your photos, I do believe that you would be an excellent candidate for this procedure in order to remove the excess skin/soft tissue of your lower abdomen and contour the areas of your belly.  A mini tummy tuck has limited usefulness in a small subset if patients. Also, abdominal wall tightening may optimize your result. I would highly recommend continued diet and exercise prior to any consideration for body contouring as getting down to your ideal weight prior to the procedure will certainly give you the best results. Also, a continued healthy and active lifestyle will be needed in order to maintain the benefits that the procedure has given to you. Once you are ready for the procedure, I would likely recommend a full tummy tuck with abdominal wall tightening along with some liposuction to the hips/flanks for additional contouring. This would remove the excess skin/soft tissue and stretch marks while contouring your belly. You should consult with a plastic surgeon at anytime to go over options to assist you in deciding which procedure(s) would be right for you. Best wishes!