Can i qualify for a mini tummy tuck? (photo)

Question

I do not want the long scar and i want to get rid of all my stretch marks on my abdomen as well as lipo on my love handles. im done having children too.

William Andrade, MD · Answer

Thank you for your inquiry.   A mini tummy tuck will only remove stretch marks on the lowest part of the abdomen.  Others that are higher up will be stretched tighter (which can often still improve their appearance) but not be removed.  You would need a proper physical exam by a plastic surgeon to assess for building muscles, called a rectus diastasis, and umbilical hernia, which presents as an outward protrusion of the belly button.  Your plastic surgeon would then be able to advise about the pros and cons of nonsurgical treatments, mini vs full tummy tuck, etc.

Antoine A. Hallak, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question.

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.

Ruth Celestin, MD · Answer

Your question is a frequently asked one about what procedure is the best to address the loose skin and lax abdominal muscles that can result from having children.  The major difference between a full and mini tummy tuck is whether or not there is a scar around the belly button and whether or not the excess skin above the belly button will be addressed.  Muscle repair above and below the belly button can be done with either a full or mini tummy tuck.  Although a full examination would be required to give a definitive answer, it seems that you are a candidate for a mini tuck, possible muscle repair and liposuction to enhance your waistline.  Be sure to do your research and find a fully trained plastic surgeon with the right experience to deliver the results you're looking for!

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

A short scar tummy tuck will provide you with a much better result with about the same length scar as a minitummy tuck.Find a board certified plastic surgeon who performs hundreds of tummy tuck 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

Jeffrey Ridha, MD · Answer

Based on these two photos, I think you would get a much more pleasing result from a full tummy tuck.  It would allow better correction of the abdominal contour and tightening of the abdominal wall muscles, and better stretch mark correction.  A mini tummy tuck only allows removal of about 1/3 of the skin below the belly button, and would likely give you a result you wouldn't be satisfied with.

Camille Cash, MD · Answer

From the photos you would get the best result from a standard tummy tuck.  It appears you have abdominal wall laxity which gives the rounded shape to your abdomen.  That would be fully repaired with the standard tuck.  The mini could only partially correct it.  Excess subcutaneous fat and skin will also be addressed.  With the standard tuck stretch marks from about the level of the belly button to between the hip bones will be excised. The result will be a flatter, tighter tummy.  The next step is to meet with a board certified plastic surgeon near you to learn more.

Jeremy Pyle, MD · Answer

A mini Tummy Tuck can mean a lot of different things. To me, the difference between a mini and a full is whether the belly button gets a scar. If there is enough skin to get to the belly button, a full is the best option 99 of 100 times. If there is not, then a mini should be considered. A mini can involve muscle repair above the belly button, below the belly button or both. In your photos, you look as though you would benefit from both. Certainly, repairing the muscle is the most important part of your operation but skin tightening and a little liposuction on the sides could provide you with a dramatic improvement.  I would recommend you look around until you find a surgeon who does multiple versions of a modern tummy tuck and who will repair the muscle all of the way up your abdomen.  It is a challenging surgery through a mini tummy tuck approach but, if done well, can have great results.Best,Dr. Pyle

Douglas J. Mackenzie, MD · Answer

I do not think a mini tummy tuck is for you.  Besides, it would leave behind a lot of the stretch marks.  You'll be disappointed.  Ask your plastic surgeon if you have a small umbilical hernia.  That can be fixed at the time of the full tummy tuck.

Tom J. Pousti, MD · Answer

Thank you for the question and picture. I think you will do best undergoing a full tummy tuck operation.  In my opinion, the mini tummy tuck is an  operation that  produces very limited results and is very rarely indicated. It involves a shorter incision but does not address the majority of the abdominal wall issues present for most patients who present consultation. For example, the area of skin excised is quite small. The abdominal wall musculature is addressed below the umbilicus leaving the upper number wall potentially lax. The appearance of the umbilicus is not necessarily addressed sufficiently.
For most patients who have had pregnancies and/or weight loss a full abdominoplasty is necessary to achieve the desired results. Of course, there are downsides (including a longer scar and probably a longer recovery time) but for most patients the benefits outweigh the downsides. It is not unusual to see patients who've had mini tummy tuck  surgery present for  revisionary surgery. I hope this and the attached link helps.

M. Dean Vistnes, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

The amount of excess skin typically determines
the length of the incision required to remove that excess skin. As a general
rule, a short incision only allows a small amount of skin removal. A longer
incision and resulting scar (as in a full tummy tuck) will allow the surgeon to
remove more skin and tighten the entire abdominal wall.  This is the
important thing to consider when looking at this type of surgery. Don't
compromise the results with a shorter scar if it won't deliver the results you
want. A consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon with an expertise
in tummy tucks and body contouring should be able to show you what you can
expect. In my practice in the San Francisco Bay Area I have come to the
conclusion that the happiest patients are those that have realistic expectation
on what a procedure will and won’t do for them. Good luck! Dean Vistnes.

Can i qualify for a mini tummy tuck? (photo)

Answers (11)

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