Is Muscle Repair Included in Mini Tummy Tucks?

I would completely agree with Dr. Aldea in this regard. This is not necessarily and either/or decision or a black/white choice. Mini tends to refer to procedures repairing loose skin and muscle below the belly button whereas a full repairs loose skin and muscle above and below the belly button. There are procedures that combine aspects of both and have been called marriage or midi abdominoplasty procedures.

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. 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.  However, it will be a discussion that you and your surgeon agree upon as to what is performed.  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!

When a mini tummy tuck is performed only the infraumbilical portion of the muscular abdominal wall is seen.  Therefore, a limited plication can be done from this approach. However, if the lower recti are separated then the upper recti are probably separated as well and a full abdominoplasty may be indicated.

You can do a rectus muscle plication (or tightening of the abdominal muscle) of the inferior portion. If you use an endoscope, you can to it above the umbilicus or you can float the umbilicus and do the plication centrally. This procedure should only be done by people that have a long torso with a high umbilicus.

In most circumstances, a mini - tuck just involves skin and fat from the abdomen below the umbilicus.  If someone has a diastasis of the rectus muscles, that diastasis usually runs the entire length of the rectus muscles, and is widest at the umbilical area.  It is hard to correct this completely with a limited, lower area.  There are some times whn a little muscle tightening may be warranted with the mini-tuck in the lower area only, but it is on the rarer side.  I hope this helps.

A mini tummy tuck can correct abdominal wall laxity/diastasis below the belly button. If you have separation both above and below a standard tuck would be recommended for you. Often times hernias can be repaired at the same time as the standard tummy tuck. I've included a video I hope you find helpful.

Normally, muscle tightening is not included in a mini
tummy tuck. A mini tummy tuck normally
begins with liposuction of the abdominal wall.Once that is completed, an incision is made in the lower part of the
abdomen.In some cases, this incision
may be as long as the incision necessary for a full tummy tuck.The incision is made through the skin and fat
layer down to, but not through, the muscle layer.The muscle layer is not entered. The skin and
fat layer is elevated off of the muscle layer up to the bellybutton.If muscle tightening is performed only in the
lower part of the abdomen then it could create a bulge above the
bellybutton.Ideally, when muscle
tightening is necessary it would extend from the center part of the rib margin
down to the pubic bone.This would give
a uniform tightening of the muscle layer.There are however, exceptions to this.It is very important that you select a surgeon who is trained and
experienced in all types of abdominal recontouring procedures.He or she should be able to carefully assess
your situation and select the best procedure for you.For a simple and illustrated explanation of tummy tuck and body contouring procedures, watch my video.

Very comonly if you feel a weakness of the muscles belowe the umbilicus you also have it above. Most minis do not repair the muscle above the umbilicus.

A photo would have been helpful to determine whether you are a good candidate for a mini vs a full (standard) tummy tuck procedure. To distinguish between the benefits of the two procedures, a mini tummy tuck does only provide repair or improvemnt of the area below the belly button. So, any muscle diastasis and loose , excess skin from below the naval will be repaired and removed to provide a tightened appearance. However, if you have any muscle diastasis on the upper portion of the abdomen above the naval or loose skin, it may appear more prominent and become a problem area if only the lower portion is improved. Not many woman are good candidates for the mini tummy tuck procedure. I recommend consulting with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss the best and safest possible options for you. Take care and good luck.

If your surgeon has deemed you to be an appropriate candidate for a mini-tuck, then he or she will attempt to do whatever is possible inferior to the belly button, including muscle tightening if needed.  You should speak with your surgeon if his or her plans are not clear to you prior to surgery.  Best wishes, /nsn.