how painful is a mini tummy tuck?

It is difficult to predict the degree of pain patients are going to feel since everyone is different. That being said, a mini tummy tuck is generally very well tolerated. The worst pain usually comes from tightening your muscles which is done to a lesser degree or not at all during a mini tummy tuck compared to a full tummy tuck. Also, your surgeon can inject numbing medicine during your surgery to help with the immediate pain once you wake up. I would not let the fear of pain stop you from a mini tummy tuck! Consult with a board certified plastic surgeon to see what is best for you. Good luck!

-Dr. Angelos

The majority of the pain from a tummy tuck is from the muscle tightening("plication").  Often the mini tummy tuck does not involve this step so that a mini is usually less painful than a full.  However, it is sometimes possible to tighten the muscles in a mini tummy tuck and in this case the pain approaches that of a full tummy tuck.