J Plasma or mini tummy tuck?

There is no simple answer to this question. In patients who have a small amount of loose skin, J plasma/Renuvion may be sufficient to return them to a tight abdomen. In patients with  a large amount of loose skin, however, surgical treatments such as tummy tuck are usually necessary.The reality is that a big portion of the decision-making must be a balance of cost/benefit. It may be reasonable to use J plasma/renuvion skin tightening in someone who has more than a little loose skin with the understanding that they will still have loose skin after the treatment – just less of it. This is appropriate for someone who cannot afford the downtime associated with a tummy tuck. On the flipside, a full or mini tummy tuck is appropriate for someone with even a modest amount of loose skin and muscle separation if they want an absolutely definitive results with the most significant change to their abdomen.The beauty of having multiple treatments and ability to perform them properly is that every procedure is customized to both your body and your lifestyle.That said, more important than simply working with a surgeon who has the tools, is working with a surgeon who is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and has the experience and proven track record to deliver you the results you need.I wish you the best,Dr. Gabbay.

Hi thank you for your question. I do not have a photo go go off of, but based on your description of a lot of excess skin and rectus diastasis, you may be better suited for a tummy tuck or mini. This may be combined with renuvion as well for additional tightening

Hello, great question If you have a moderate to severe amount of skin laxity, I would recommend tummy tuck.  Renuvion is a great device but doesn’t provide enough overall tightening 

Mini-abdominoplasty tightens the lower abdominal wall muscles and removes redundant skin below the umbilicus, belly button, only. The shortest scar technique leaves a scar at the pubic hair line. Liposuction may be used alone or in conjunction with a tummy tuck to benefit selected patients
‘Mini” tummy tucks can benefit patients who have a small amount of excess skin and fat or protruding of the lower abdomen. This operation may be done under local anesthesia with sedation, on an outpatient basis. Liposuction may be used alone or in conjunction with a tummy tuck to benefit selected patients.
Far more important than deciding if a mini tummy tuck is for you is the skill and experience of your plastic surgeon. Choose your surgeon rather than the technique and let him explain why one technique may be better than another and if you need a tummy tuck. Many board certified plastic surgeons provide a free first time consult and you should take advantage of that!
See the below link on some suggestions on finding the most qualified Plastic Surgeon for you!
I have also attached a video for a possible Tummy Tuck Candidate.

Thank you for your question. Your excess skin and muscle separation make you a candidate for a tummy tuck. The decision between a full tummy tuck or a mini tummy tuck needs to be made during your consultation with your plastic surgeon. 

If you have significant skin laxity in the abdominal area then there is no real alternative to a tummy tuck for good results. It may or may not be a mini, depending on the upper abdomen. I have seen some treatments such as radiofrequency that show improvement if you compare the before pictures to the afters, but if you only saw the afters then you would think they were" befores." So make sure your expectations are in line with what the treatment can actually do.

Hi.  Without pictures it is difficult to say whether Plasma is a reasonable option.-it can tighten skin but may not be enough depending upon how much excess you have.  Significant amounts of excess skin and muscle separation would be best corrected with surgical repair-whether a mini is sufficient is unclear (depends upon if there are any desired changes to the upper abdomen, then you need a full tuck).  A combination of both would optimize your results.  Best wishes,

A lot of extra skin = Tummy Tuck.  I wish there was a way to use technology and have skin tighten and have the skin retract significantly but that is why the tummy tuck procedure was ever invented.  It is a surgical procedure designed to correct the effects of pregnancy by removing excess skin and tightening the laxity of the muscles created by pregnancy.I would be highly weary of "magic" procedures for skin tightening especially if there is a lot of excess skin.Best of Luck!

Hello and thank-you for your question.
A mini tummy-tuck is an excellent option for individuals with an abdominal bulge due to muscle weakness, fat accumulation, and mild skin laxity. Whether or not you are a candidate is best determined by an in person consultation. With this procedure, liposuction is performed, the muscles are tightened, and a small amount of skin is removed. The procedure is termed "mini" due to the fact that less skin is removed and the scar is slightly shorted than that of a full tummy-tuck. As a mini tummy-tuck removes less skin than a full tummy-tuck, there is less tightening of the abdomen compared to a full tummy tuck. A mini tummy tuck does not tighten the skin above the umbilicus. The incision of both mini and full tummy-tuck are designed low in the bikini line to be hidden by even minimal clothing. A full tummy tuck will give a better result when:
1. There is more than just a little bit of looseness due pregnancies or weight loss. 2. Significant abdominal muscle weakness due to separation (diastasis) 3. Stretch marks in the lower abdomen. 4. Distortion of the belly-button 5. Significant fatty accumulation is the abdomen requiring more liposuction
The incision for a full tummy tuck is slightly longer than that of a mini, but the abdomen is much tighter. Mini tummy tuck is an excellent option for candidates who meet these criteria. For the majority of women, a full tummy tuck is a better option. On this site, the patient satisfaction rate for a full tummy tuck is 97%. This compares to 89% for mini tummy-tucks. A mini tummy-tuck is an excellent option for an appropriate candidate. The difference in satisfaction rates most likely represents our attempts to stretch the indications and offer a mini-tummy tuck for individuals who would have done better with a full tummy tuck. I am currently using two new technologies for skin tightening that are very promising for tightening the skin of the tummy, avoiding a scar altogether.  The J-plasma (Cool Helium Plasma) and Bodytite radiofrequency are minimally invasive techniques combined with liposuction that are producing significant tightening.  I would recommend a consultation with a plastic surgeon who is board certified by the American Board of Plastic surgery and has extensive experience in body contouring.
I hope this information helps you and best of luck!
Andrew Lyos, MD, FACS

I bet the Dr. recommending the plasma treatment is not a surgeon and does not have the capability to perform surgery.  If you have a lot of excess skin, no nonsurgical treatment is going to tighten it here liking.  Don't be fooled. Best of luck!
Dr. SubbioBoard-Certified Plastic SurgeonNewtown Square/Philadelphia, PA