5'5", 120lb & at my ideal weight, am I a mini tummy tuck candidate? (Photos)

Thank you for your inquiry! By your photos, it looks like you would be a great candidate for an abdominoplasty to get rid of any excess skin. The only difference in a mini vs a full abdominoplasty is how long the incision is. A mini tummy tuck is going to have a smaller incision than a full tummy tuck. Muscle repair, removal of excess skin, and liposuction are all included with both a mini and a full tummy tuck. I recommend scheduling a consult appointment with a board certified plastic surgeon like myself so we can create a surgical plan that is best for you and your goals!

Given your umbilical hernia and loose upper and lower abdominal skin, I think anything less than a full abdominoplasty with hernia repair would be disappointing. All your issues can be addressed in one procedure. Please see attached for reference. Thank you, I hope this helps.

Thanks for your question and the photos you provided. You are a perfect full tummy tuck candidate to remove the greatest amount of stretch marks in your lower abdomen, fix your hernia, address your muscle separation. Make sure you consult with a board certified plastic surgeon

A mini TT involves removal of a small amount of skin and fat below the belly button that addresses only the lower portion of the abdomen. No plication or muscle tightening is performed and belly button remains attached and unchanged. This procedure applies to very few patients and is appropriate only for patients who have loose skin at the inferior aspect, or bottom, of the abdomen. If patients have loose skin above the belly button or muscle laxity, a short scar or full TT would be more appropriate.

Although you are lean, you have some loose skin above your belly button. If you also have abdominal muscle separation above your belly button, a full tummy tuck would most likely be more suitable.

Dear Rosiebells,
based on your photos, you look like a good candidate for a TT. Full tummy tuck should tighten your abdominal muscles and remove the excess skin. Flanks liposuction would give you a better shape. I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon because only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

What's important about scar aesthetics in this case is not length of scar, it's position, and the least conspicuous place is very low. Unfortunately that runs into a problem for surgeons intent on getting 'the hole out' in a full tuck where the patient has little skin redundancy above the belly button. Many surgeons would not perform a full tuck on you for that reason alone, recommending a mini tuck instead, which will be insufficient in dealing with peri-umbilical skin. You need a full tuck and you will get a small, vertical and midline scar and a very low long incision, allowing for a beautiful belly button.

Because the position of your belly button is high, it might be worth considering a mini tummy tuck with umbi float. This allows for a full muscle repair and closure of the umbilical hernia without a scar on the belly button. The main limitation is that your stretch marks extend to above the belly button, and the upper abdominal skin won't be improved much. It is one of many options to be aware of, and only an in-person evaluation will give you an actionable plan.

Thank you for your question and series of photographs.  Nothing replaces an in-person examination, but I think you would most benefit from a full tummy tuck. The tummy tuck will tighten your stomach muscles, helping to achieve a flatter appearance, while removing excess skin and adipose tissue. I would favor the full approach because it appears that your skin and muscle laxity is present above and below your belly button. Hope that this helps

No, a mini tummy tuck is unlikely to give you a result that you are happy with. Based on your photos, you appear to have significantly laxity up to/above the level of the belly button as well as stretch marks. It is not possible to say for certain but you may also have a small umbilical hernia. In order to fully these issues, a traditional tummy tuck is needed to removed the stretched out/damaged skin. During this time, if a hernia is present this could also be repaired.
Sean Fisher Aesthetic Plastic Surgeon Seattle, WA