I Don't See a Difference Yet, After Lipo & Mini Tummy Tuck

Reviewing your photos would be an excellent way of determining if the tummy tuck was a good choice for you. If so, you should allow time for swelling to resolve piror to judging your results. If a full tummy tuck would have been a better choice, you may require more surgery.

Thank you for the question.

Unfortunately, without before and after pictures or direct examination is not possible to give you good advice regarding the quality of your tummy tuck  surgery.

Generally speaking, in my opinion, the mini tummy talk is an  operation that often  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 umbilicus is not necessarily addressed sufficiently.


For most patients who have had pregnancies and/or weight loss a full abdominoplasty is necessary to achieve the desired results. Of course, there are downsides (including a longer scar and probably a longer recovery time) but for most patients the benefits outweigh the downsides. It is not unusual to see patients who've had mini tummy tuck  surgery present for  revisionary surgery.
It is important to work with a well experienced board-certified plastic surgeon to obtain advice (based on good ethics and judgment) to  improve your chances of a successful outcome and minimize the need for further surgery.


I hope this helps.

A tummy tuck is a safe and effective procedure to contour the abdomen, create a tight waist, and remove extra skin, fat, and stretch marks.

Patients receiving a mini tummy tuck should anticipate a recovery process that consists of swelling, discomfort, bruising, and uneven results. This healing process may take different amounts of time in different patients. In our practice, we feel that it is important to give every patient to compression garments after surgery to help manage this swelling and healing process. If you received your surgery less than two months ago, you are certainly not done healing. Rest assured that the swelling that you notice will continue to resolve and your results will only improve. Be sure that you relate your concerns to your plastic surgeon as they will want to know how you were doing, how you are healing and how you are feeling.

Just be patient.sometimes the swelling can take several months to resolve.I also tell patients that when it comes to lipo it is what you leave behind and not what you take out.Heat and massage may help.

All surgery is associated with swelling that will persist for several weeks. This may be the reason why your results are not as dramatic as you envisioned them. Another, less welcomed reason, COULD be that you had the wrong procedures. Many women ask for and unfortunately undergo a Mini Tummy Tuck instead of a Full Tummy Tuck. The procedures are NOT the same and do not produce equivalent results. THe swelling should subside sufficiently by 6 to 8 weeks for you to see which of these two scenarios is the case. In the meantime, cheer up and stay positive. All is not lost.

Dr. Peter Aldea

At 6 weeks post surgery, you will be pretty swollen. This will take some time to improve and hopefully you will see the results you were looking for.

I am sorry to hear about your unhappy result.   It is difficult for me to give you a detailed answer without seeing your pre and post photos.  You could very well have prolonged swelling and edema that is masking your final result.   It is not uncommon for swelling to take several months to fully resolve after aggressive liposuction.    I would recommend giving your body 6 months to heal and beginning deep tissue massage to help your tissues soften.   It is also important to closely followup with your plastic surgeon to assess your overall progress and determine if revision is necessary.

Paul S. Gill, M.D.

Gill Plastic Surgery

Houston Double Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

You may still have some residual swelling that will improve with time.  I recommend you hold your judgement until you are at least 3 months out from surgery and back to your regular exercise routine and back to your preoperative weight minus the weight removed at surgery.  For example, if you weighed 145 pounds before surgery and your surgeon removed 3 pounds of fat, your adjusted preoperative weight is 142 pounds.  I have seen patients in your age group put on some body fat post-operatively because of the sedentary recovery.  I know that a few pounds makes a difference in how I look and how my clothing fits. 

If it's been 3 months and you are back to your adjusted preoperative weight and exercise rountine and there is still a minimal improvment, you likely needed a full abdominoplasty.   It is a rare 49 year old who is well served with a mini.  If that is the case, the good news is that your mini probably will not preclude you from having a full. 

I hope it turns out well for you!

Lisa Lynn Sowder, M.D.

It can take as long as four months to get the final results.  It is also possible you may have needed a full abdominoplasty with fascial plication and more agressive liposculpture.  I would need to see your before pictures to assess whether or not the procedure was appropriate for your body.

It is very likely the case that you needed a full tummy tuck to get the flat tummy that you wanted.  A mini plus lipo is not the same thing and has rather limited application.