What is a Mini Tummy Tuck?

A few years ago, the only options were a mini tummy tuck or a full tummy tuck.
Technically, a mini tummy tuck tightens the skin and often the deep layer (fascia) below the belly button.
While this is a nice procedure for women who have C-section scarring and irregularities and very little loose skin, it is not for every patient. A mini tuck, if performed on a woman who also has upper abdominal fascial weakness, can yield a "mini tummy look", where the lower abdomen is flat but the upper abdomen bulges out.
If the fascia is loose, it should be tightened. Fascial tightening only occurs below the belly button with a true mini tuck.
Hybrid tummy tucks are now available that offer tightening of the entire abdominal fascia with a minimal lower abdominal incision, and no alteration of, or incision around, the belly button. Surgeons who are familiar with endoscopic techniques may be willing to perform such a hybrid tummy tuck procedure. The technical difficulty is greater than for a full tummy tuck, since a hybrid tummy tuck or an endoscopic assisted tummy tuck require special instrumentation and expertise. There are also artistic considerations unique to this type of tummy tuck as well.
The hybrid tummy tuck is suitable for fit moms who have little skin looseness but a noticeable looseness of the deep fascia (including a diastasis recti) that extends into the upper abdomen.

Everyone wants a small scar, and it would be nice not to have to mess with the umbilicus (belly button). However most women that are bothered enough by their abdomens to be seeking out my help usually are better served with a standard tummy tuck including full muscle tightening and removal of all the intraumbilical skin and fat.
Once in a while, comes along the perfect mini tummy tuck candidate: someone with a c-section pouch, little muscle laxity, possibly with plans for more kids in the future, and a desire not to transpose the umbilicus. In that case, I sometimes will perform a mini tummy tuck (usually with lipo as well). Most of the times, I find I get much superior results with a standard tummy tuck and full muscle plication.

A mini tummy tuck is the same procedure as a tummy tuck but performed on a patient with less fat and less skin to remove. A mini tummy tuck is ideal for patients with small lower belly fat. If you have excess fat or excess sagging after a significant weight loss, regular tummy tuck surgery will be best option for you.

Many people often enquire about a mini-tummy tuck.
The first thing to realise is that only a small group of women would benefit from a mini tummy tuck.
The mini-tummy tuck is only suitable for those few women who have a little bit of loose skin in the lower abdominal area – just above the pubic level. It also means that your happy with and don’t need to change the skin around the belly button and upper abdominal region.
The mini-tummy tuck basically removes this excess and loose skin at the very lower abdomen, just above the pubic area.
The scar is often not much larger that a caesarean scar, the belly button is not “moved”, it’s typically a day surgery procedure and usually not associated with any muscle tightening.

A mini tuck is a shorter procedure than a tummy tuck. It involves removing excess skin from the lower abdomen and usually tightening the abdominal wall but not moving the belly button. It is a great procedure in the right candidate, but only a consultation and full exam will allow us to tell if this procedure is right for you. If so, the recovery is shorter and the scar is shorter than a full tummy tuck.

A mini tummy tuck removes skin and excess fat from below your belly button. No improvement is made in the area above your belly button. Some correction can be made to separated abdominal muscles, but it would be very limited. There is not modification of the belly button.

A mini tummy tuck is a more conservative procedure compared to a full tummy tuck. A full tummy tuck involves removal of excess skin, tightening of the abdominal fascia, and relocation the belly button. A mini tummy tuck usually is only skin removal (less) and minimal to no tightening of the fascia.. Sometime the belly button is floated down to a lower level. Each has it's place and your PS can help choose which is best for you.

This is the most common question I receive when discussing abdominal rejuvenation. In order to explain the difference we first must understand the anatomy of the abdominal wall and what happens as we age and the changes that occur with weight gain. First the skin. The skin quality can range from normal to very lax and redundant. It can retain much of it's elasticity or it can be stretched and have lost the ability to retract. We see this loss of elasticity after considerable weight gain then loss or often after pregancy. The telltale signs of lax skin are stretch marks (stria). Simply put, these stria are tears in the deeper layer of the skin called the dermis. If there are a lot of stretch marks and the skin is loose, then there are few options other than to remove the excess skin. If we remove the fat beneath, the skin will not retract and will simply hang loose.  Skin excision is required when the skin is loose and has lost it's elasticity. If this loose skin is mostly below the belly button then a mini tuck is appropriate.  For those with loose and lax skin that extends above the belly button, a full tummy tuck would be a better option. Next we have to consider the deeper layer, the fat. If there is little fat and this is mostly located in the lower abodmen, then a mini tummy tuck is appropriate. If there is more diffusely located fat and there is a lot of fat above the belly button then in order to achieve a good result one would need either direct excision (full tummy tuck) or liposuction. If just using liposuction with loose or lax skin then there will be drooping of the skin. A full tummy tuck is preferred.Finally, we must consider the underlying muscles. With weight gain and with pregnancies there can be weakening of the abdominal wall muscles. There can even be changes that can not be corrected with exercise. Usually correction of these changes require a full tummy tuck. Your surgeon can help you decide after a physical examination. In general, if the general contour or shape of the abdomen is acceptable to you then there is likely little need to address the muscles and a mini is the right choice. In summary:A mini tummy tuck usually includes removal of some lower abdominal skin (below the belly button which remains in place), some fat and is done through a ~6-8 inch incision. It does not require drains after surgery and recovery is fast (~1 wk). Occasionally this can be done under local anesthesia, but most often it is done under general anesthesia.A full tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) involves removing considerable excess skin (usually well above the belly button), fat, tightening of the abdominal muscles and is performed through an incision from hip to hip. Most often it requires drains, although there are opportunities to avoid these. The recovery is usually 2-4 weeks and heavy lifting is avoided for 6 weeks. General anesthesia is required. Both procedures are performed as outpatient surgery. I hope this helps

A tummy tuck (mini or full) removes skin and fat from the abdomen using an incision placed low across the tummy. This incision is ideally hidden by clothing. The incision is used as an access point to tighten the abdominal wall and remove excess skin from the lower abdomen. This difference between the mini and the full abdominoplasty is whether there is a second incision placed around the belly button. The extra incision allows the surgeon to gain access to the upper abdomen. This allows them to remove more skin and to tighten the muscles above and below the belly button. The mini abdominoplasty only allows tightening of the muscles below the belly button. Patients who have very little skin to remove, but have loose abdominal muscles, may benefit from tightening the abdominal wall. Tightening the abdominal wall can help with flattening the stomach and narrowing the waistline. The abdominal wall can be tightened using an incision that is placed low on the abdomen, so that it is concealed by a bathing suit or underwear. This incision is about half the size of a full tummy tuck incision. In some circumstances a full abdominal tightening can be performed through this incision. Results can be dramatic and patients are often very happy. Consultation with a plastic surgeon will help determine which options are best for you.

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. It would 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 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!

Please note that the mini tummy tuck addresses the area below the navel, and a full tummy tuck address above and below the navel.  Therefore, to determine the most suitable option for you, please see an experienced board certified plastic surgeon for an assessment. Best of luck!