Full VS. Mini Tummy Tuck scar?

Question

Hi, I'm planning to have a mini tummy tuck, just a little area of loose skin I want removed, not that close to the bellybutton. I'm wondering, will the surgeon go deeper in a full tummy tuck than a mini one where there's no tightening of muscles or moving of the bellybutton, can you just deal with the top layer of the loose skin, and will that make the scar any different, healing any faster? I know a mini scar is a lot shorter than a full one but are they the same other than the length?

Lewis Albert Andres, MD · Answer

Hello!  Thank you for your question!  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.Given your desires , 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.   Also, abdominal wall 
tightening may optimize your result. Stretch marks to the level of your 
umbilicus will also be excised.  Also, a continued healthy and active 
lifestyle prior to the procedure and afterwards is recommended 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.   This would remove the excess skin/soft tissue 
and stretch marks while contouring your belly.  The mini tummy tuck has 
limited usefulness and limited candidates as it truly only addresses 
excess skin in a small area above your pubis.  It will not address your 
abdominal wall and the tightening of such, frequently needed to achieve a shapely abdominal wall.  While the recovery 
time 
is shorter, the scar slightly shorter, and the pain less, the benefits afforded to you by a full tummy tuck are much 
greater and will optimize your result.  You should consult with a
board-certified plastic surgeon well-versed in body contouring 
procedures at anytime to go over options to assist you in deciding
 which procedure(s) would be right for you.  Best wishes!

Adam Tattelbaum, MD · Answer

As others have answered here, a mini  tuck
primarily address skin laxity and sometimes abdominal laxity below the belly
button. It doesn't do much for looseness or muscle laxity above the
bellybutton. A full tummy tuck handles this area better.

There are other variations that are less
well-known depending upon your goals and time for recovery.

For example a full tummy tuck can be done
without muscle repair for the appropriate patient.

A full muscle tightening can be done with a mini
tummy tuck skin excision or sometimes with no skin excision.

There are more extensive  kinds of
abdominoplasty that remove even more skin in patients with massive weight loss
and severe laxity

The best way to approach this would be to learn
which option would best fulfill your needs.

A board-certified plastic surgeon can help go
over the options with you and address your goals.

Marwan R. Khalifeh, MD · Answer

The mini tummy tuck operation is an operation
that addresses the lower abdominal wall, below the umbilicus. The “full” tummy
tuck operation involves treatment of the entire abdominal wall; this operation
serves to remove excess skin, re approximate the abdominal wall muscles that
may have spread with pregnancy and/or weight gain/loss, improve the appearance
of the waistline and often pubic area as well

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

I perform both tummy tucks and minitummy tucks.  If you have infraumbilical skin laxity and no muscle separation and only a minitummy tuck is performed, the postoperative pain will be less and return to regular activities will likely be achieved more quickly.Find a board certified plastic surgeon who performs hundreds of tummy 
tucks and body contouring procedures each year.  Then look at the 
plastic surgeon's 
 website before and after photo galleries to get a sense of who can  
deliver the results.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Jeremy Pyle, MD · Answer

A good Mini TT goes down to the same level as a full TT.  There are many variations to this surgery but all of them have this one thing in common. Removing less than the full thickness will not make recovery any easier but it will make the end result less attractive.  The largest difference between mini and full is how much is removed.  Muscle tightening can be done in either case if needed.  I will almost always recommend a full tt over a mini if there is enough skin.Best,Dr. Pyle

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