Can I have a mini tummy tuck, or will I need a full one? (Photo)

Thank you for your question regarding whether you need a mini tummy tuck or a full tummy tuck. Yes, even thousands of crunches won't help this excess skin shrink. However, the crunches were good for keeping your abdominal muscles tight. I would recommend a full tummy tuck with muscle plication to get the abdominal muscles even tighter. This would give you optimal results and help you achieve an hourglass shape. Although you don't have too much excess skin, I would still recommend a longer incision to eliminate the hungover abdomen.

Please contact my office if you have any more questions regarding tummy tucks. Since the body lift is a big procedure, please seek an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon with significant experience performing the lower body lift. Do your research. Make sure they have performed at least 100 tummy tuck or circumferential lower body lift surgeries and have the before and after pictures to prove it. Carefully examine their before and after pictures and check their reviews on RealSelf. If you cannot find an experienced, tummy tuck or lower body lift surgeon in your neighborhood, consider traveling out of state if you must. Sincerely, Dr. Katzen. (“Verified” Plastic Surgeon, President of the American Society of Bariatric Plastic Surgeons, certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Fellow of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American College of Surgery, and International College of Surgery and member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and RealSelf Hall of Fame.)

Thank you for your inquiry! By your photos, it looks like you would be a great candidate for an abdominoplasty to get rid of 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!

A mini tummy took is an operation for somebody that has loose skin localized to the lower abdomen. Based on your pictures, you have loose skin throughout your entire abdomen. You would be sacrificing the quality of the result and honestly not saving that much on scar length. A full tummy tuck in your case would remove all of the skin, lack of your entire abdomen, reconstruct, your abdominal muscle, separation, or diathesis, and leave you with a flat firm abdomen.

There are good options for rejuvenating your tummy. The first question is if you have noticeable diastasis, meaning a bulge in-between your six-pack muscles when you do a sit up or plank type of action. Your muscles look flat in your photo so this is likely not a major issue in decision making. Having said that, a mini-tt will NOT suffice as the loose skin above your belly button will persist. Assuming no diastasis, I would recommend some liposuction with skin excision and umbilical transposition. This is a tummy tuck type of skin excision excluding the muscle tightening. This can be done with an oral cocktail for sedation and local tumescent anesthesia, so you never go "under". There are no drains with resumption of activity as tolerated. There is an overall lower complication rate and down time compared to a traditional tummy tuck. On caveat is that you may have a vertical scar if your umbilical opening does not stretch down to your horizontal scar below the bikini line; but still, I think it would be a good "trade-off" to rejuvenate your tummy. This is a great option for many women out there . . . An in-person exam by an experienced body plastic surgeon will help guide you in your decision. Thank you, I hope this helps.

Hello, you need a complete tummy tuck, to leave the best possible result, that it is a fairly low scar is important so that it is not seen

A mini tummy tuck is a surgical procedure designed to address loose skin and excess fat in the lower abdomen. It involves removing a small amount of skin and fat below the belly button while preserving the belly button itself and avoiding any muscle tightening. Technically, it is for patients with loose skin in the lower abdominal area. However, if there is loose skin above the belly button, muscle laxity, or a short scar, a full tummy tuck may be more suitable. A physical examination is necessary to determine the most effective procedure for achieving your desired results. In you case, you can benefit from a full tummy tuck.

Your photos show loose skin extending above the belly button, and this is not correctable with a mini tummy tuck. Go for the full tummy tuck to get the best results.

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 a muscle laxity, a short scar or full TT would be more appropriate. A physical exam would be necessary to determine what procedure is most appropriate for you to achieve the results you are seeking

Dear talamorte,
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, MDCertified, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

You’ll be most satisfied with a full tummy tuck because you have excess skin below and above the belly button. A mini tummy tuck would really only address the excess skin below the belly button and leave the excess above the belly button.