Is it possible for me to get a straight line mini tummy tuck?

Dear MrH18,
it is hard to tell for sure without an examination. If you are considering surgery, I would suggest you consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. 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

Dear MrH18, Thank you for your question. To answer your question I recommend you being seen and examined by a board certified plastic surgeon. Each patient is different and it will depend on how much loose skin do you have and where on your abdomen. If your skin is also loose above your belly button, you may not be a good candidate for a mini tummy tuck. It all depends on your physical exam to develop a surgical plan for you. During the consultation the surgeon can review what he or she would recommend to give you the best outcome possible. Best wishes, Franziska Huettner

It is usually possible to create a scar which is flat all the way across and is not a smiley face. This way the ends of the scar never rise above low cut clothing. In addition, though healing is never entirely predictable, many patients have commented that the scar is not only low but the limbs are perfectly symmetric and straight. An in-office exam would be required to verify whether the straight line is appropriate for your anatomy.

You can discuss your requests with your surgeon. Yes, the scar can be straight, but might be somewhat longer.

Unfortunate there are no pictures. A mini scar tummy tuck (which I helped to pioneer) suctions out fat and tightens tummy muscle through a small incision low in the tummy. This is good for patients who have good quality skin tone. Patients who have loose tummy skin would not be a good candidate for this procedure. You would need a physical exam by a board certified plastic surgeon in order to determine if you would be a good candidate for this procedure. I hope you find this information useful. Please watch the enclosed video.

Hello and thank you for your question. 
I get this question quite often in my practice, as San Diego has a high percentage of our population that is physically fit and aesthetically conscious (smallest scar possible). In order to answer your question completely, a physical exam in consultation would be necessary to determine the degree of your diastasis (stretching of your abdominal muscles at the midline). It is my professional opinion that the "mini tummy tuck" has very limited function and is really ideal for a VERY select patient population. May times the women with the least amount of excess fat and skin are actually the worst candidates for this procedure. The reason being....smaller individuals tend to have a more drastic reaction to pregnancies with full on abdominal muscle stretch (diastasis). A mini tummy tuck does not address this stretch ABOVE the belly button at all, and also does not ideally address the belly button. As a result, if you treat these patients with a mini tummy tuck, what you end up creating is an accentuated bulge above the belly button that makes them appear 4 months pregnant in ONLY their upper abdomen (as a result of tightening of the muscles below the belly button only). 
As for the style of scar I make in the operating room, it is 100% dependent on the anatomy of the patient. If a patient has very narrow hips, for example, many times less curvature to the incision is necessary to adequately resect the excess skin and fatty tissue to create a beautifully contoured waistline. In patients with wider hips, sometimes more curvature is required to create the proper "vectors" of pull for that beautifully smooth waist and no residual "muffin top". That said, all of my scars are kept at or below the level of a c-section scar and always kept below the level of each individual patient's preferred bathing suit or undergarment line. I have my patients bring one of these items to the pre-operative appointment to ensure we set the scar in the most hidden location possible (in particular out laterally). In light-skinned individuals, with my post-op scar regimen combined with the use of progressive tension sutures on the abdominal wall to relieve tension at the scar, I have seen many happy patients with well-healed, obscure scars post-operatively. I am very sensitive to a woman's feelings on these scars though, so make sure whichever plastic surgeon you choose truly listens to you and explains their technique and scar thoroughly so there are no surprises for you post-op. I would be leery of anyone promising you only a small vertical incision and ask to see their results with this approach to identify if the women's bodies are similar to you and the result is what you desire for yourself as well. I wish you luck in you search and body transformation journey.
Warm Regards,
Michael T. Rossi, MD
San Diego, CA

It is possible to design a straight line scar for a mini TT. However, this may not be possible or suitable in all patients. You would need an in person examination to determine what would be best for you and what may or may not be possible. It is also not possible to guarantee the result of surgery in terms of scarring. Although scars can be planned straight they may not end up straight once the tissues settle down after surgery.Best wishes

Hi and welcome to our forum!
From the photo provided, I do not see the condition of the upper abdominal configuration, but the skin of the lower abdomen demonstrates diffuse stretch marks, indicative of probable underlying muscle separation as a result of previous pregnancy. 
Mini-tummy tuck involves removal of loose skin below the belly button only. Although it may address lower abdominal muscle laxity, it will not address upper abdominal muscle laxity and the amount of tissue advancement is limited by the tethering of the belly button itself.
Full abdominoplasty involves tightening of the abdominal musculature, removal of all lax skin, and repositioning of the belly button, in most cases removing all or most of one's stretch marks.
Although the incision is slightly longer, the patient satisfaction rate is much higher! The mini-tummy tuck is designed for minimal skin laxity only. 
The incision is designed to minimize tension on surrounding structures and purposely curves upward laterally to avoid crossing into the groin.
Best wishes...

Although I cannot give you specific advice based on the limited photograph, most patients who present for abdominal wall contouring surgery do not do well with mini tummy tuck surgery.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 the vast majority of patients who have had pregnancies and/or weight loss a full abdominoplasty is necessary to achieve the desired results. 
 In our practice planning the incision line for tummy tuck surgery is done after careful communication of patients' goals and preferences. I find that marking patients the day before surgery, as much as possible, with the help of the patient's planned swimming suit or undergarment, helps when it comes to placement of incisions.
In most cases, the tummy tuck incision can be kept very low, usually at or below  the pubic hair line (or at or below an existing C-section scar).
The use of the progressive tension relieving suture technique (sutures placed between the abdominal wall flap and the underlying abdominal wall fascia) allows us to keep the resulting scar low and relieve some of the tension upon the tummy tuck closure.  Reducing tension upon the incision line helps keep scars as far as possible.
Sometimes, especially for patients with a relatively short torso and/or minimal redundant abdominal wall skin, a short vertical scar is necessary ( in addition to the usual transverse tummy tuck scar). This vertical scar results from closure of the previous umbilical opening and prevents excessive tension upon closer in the midline of the tummy tuck incision line. If this vertical incision is not used, patients may end up with high scars, wound healing problems and/or wider scars.
 Patients should keep in mind that the lower the incision line used for tummy tuck surgery, the less skin can be removed at or above the umbilicus.  This may be especially relevant for patients who have stretch marks and/or piercings above the umbilicus.  Sometimes, patients elect to have their incision lines placed higher so that more skin and/or an existing supra umbilical piercing can be removed  during the tummy tuck procedure. 
 Always best to communicate your goals, concerns, and questions directly with your plastic surgeon, who will be your best resource when it comes to specific thoughts and advice.
 Best wishes for an outcome that you will be very pleased with.

Dear MrH18,Hello and thank you for your excellent question. I think I understand what you want from your incision, but you will need to be seen in person to make an appropriate surgical plan. You may want to look into a body contouring procedure that combines both liposuction with laser, radiofrequency (RF), or acoustic therapy to produce the best balance of fat reduction and skin tightening and smoothing for your body type and anatomy. We use a proprietary technique that we call IDEAL Liposuction. First off, all devices and instruments used are FDA-approved. These procedures are usually performed in the office, with only local anesthesia. We typically use Smart / Laser Liposuction or VASER (ultrasound) to reduce dense, fibrous fat, and stimulate collagen formation; Radiofrequency-based skin tightening to maximize skin contraction; and Ultrasound, RF, or subcision (Z Wave, Venus, Cellfina) to treat cellulite. Patients go home the same day as surgery, do not need any narcotics postop for pain control, and can return to light exercise and work two days after their procedure. In my practice, we select the appropriate treatment for each patient based on their skin quality, amount of fat and surgical goals. It is best to answer your question during a face-to-face evaluation, when you can discuss your goals and expectations for the procedure, and you can have a physical examination to evaluate for that procedure. I recommend that you find a board-certified, or board-eligible plastic surgeon with whom you are comfortable. Be sure to have all of your questions answered during a face-to-face meeting with your surgeon, and review before and after pictures of similar patients whom have had this procedure. If you have any questions, call our office for assistance. Good luck!

Best,

Jon Ver Halen, MD FACS

Harvard educated plastic surgeon

Texas “Top Doc” 2017, 2018

RealSelf100

America’s Top Plastic Surgeons, Consumer’s Research Council, 2010 – 2018
BeautyAdvisor Top Contributor