
When is the mini tummy tuck recommended?
When is the mini tummy tuck recommended?
Introduction
The tummy tuck can do wonders when it comes to enhancing your abdomen and thereby your overall body outline. Your belly plays a crucial role in defining your overall body aesthetics. A firmer and youthful stomach can make you look younger and appealing.
On the other hand, loose and saggy abdomen can do the opposite. The tummy tuck makes the abdomen firmer and flat by removing the excess skin and fat, besides tightening the abdominal wall muscle. The procedure is popular among women who have experienced pregnancy and considerable weight loss.
The mini tummy tuck is one of the three types of tummy tuck. As you might guess from its name, the procedure is less invasive and involves shorter incisions. Now you might be thinking under what conditions this procedure is recommended. We will discuss this topic at length in this article; however, the mini tummy tuck is best for you only when your abdomen is mildly saggy and you desire to make it flat and firmer.
What is the mini tummy tuck?
This is the first question many patients ask me and how it is different from the usual tummy tuck surgery. The mini tummy tuck is a smaller operation than the regular tummy tuck. It is used when the patient only needs a mild correction of the abdomen. The regular tummy tuck solves the aesthetic problems and flaws in your entire stomach. It removes any saggy skin and fat above and below the belly button, in addition to repairing and tightening the loose, weak, and separated muscles of the abdomen.
On the other hand, the mini tummy tuck treats the area of the abdomen under the navel that has become saggy. It tightens the loose muscles and removes the excess skin of the lower abdomen. If you have developed a mildly or moderately saggy lower abdomen, you may be a good candidate for the mini tummy tuck.
The mini tummy tuck can be performed under general anesthesia; however, it is typically carried out under local anesthesia and IV sedation. The plastic surgeon will place a shorter incision on your lower abdomen with the goal to tighten the muscles and remove the excess skin.
As opposed to the standard tummy tuck, the mini tummy tuck does not involve repositioning the belly button. If needed, the doctor may use liposuction to contour the abdomen into the shape desired by the patient. After tightening the muscles and removing the excess skin, the doctor will suture and close the incision.
When is the mini tummy tuck recommended?
During the pre-operative consultation with the plastic surgeon, be sure to discuss when is the mini tummy tuck recommended. Not all patients have the same abdominal contours, aesthetic flaws, and goals. There is no standard procedure that can deliver everyone the same results.
Even though the regular tummy tuck can deliver excellent outcomes, the mini tummy tuck is recommended for patients who have sagginess in the lower abdomen and want to have a less invasive procedure. In my practice, I examine the belly of the patient and get to know her goals before recommending her a treatment option.
In most cases, the mini tummy tuck is recommended for women who have developed saggy skin and stubborn fat in the midsection of the abdomen after pregnancy or massive weight loss. The mini tummy tuck involves a shorter incision. The incision runs from one hip to the other, above the bikini line. The procedure has an excellent record of delivering useful results.
Keep in mind that while diet and exercise can reduce the look of saggy skin to some extent, the results are not sustainable and it requires a lot of effort and the results are usually not good enough. On the contrary, the mini tummy tuck delivers quick results, making your abdomen firmer, flatter, and youthful. If your lower abdomen has become saggy due to multiple pregnancies, you may consider undergoing the mini tummy tuck.
Multiple pregnancies cause the lower abdominal wall muscles to weaken and separate, besides affecting the skin elasticity and triggering the growth of stubborn fat in the area. The mini tummy tuck is recommended in case pregnancy has made your lower abdomen mildly or moderately saggy. Also, it is suitable for patients who don’t want to get large incisions and scars. On the other hand, if the sagging has affected your overall abdomen and the condition is severe, you should consider the regular tummy tuck instead. The procedure can effectively enhance your abdomen by removing the excess skin and fat from your lower and upper abdomen, in addition to tightening your overall abdominal wall muscles and repositioning the navel.
The mini tummy tuck incision will gradually turn into a scar. The scar is considerably shorter than the regular tummy tuck scar. Also, the recovery period is shorter and the procedure is less discomforting. However, the problem is that not all women with saggy abdomen are good candidates for the mini tummy tuck. For instance, if your abdomen has become saggy and the skin around your sides is noticeable and you can feel it, you should consider the regular tummy tuck instead of the mini version of the procedure. It is recommended because the sagginess in your abdomen is severe and requires the removal of more skin and fat from your abdomen. The mini tummy tuck cannot do this.
During the mini tummy tuck, the plastic surgeon will make sure your navel is left intact. The doctor will use a horizontal incision. As the name suggests, the mini tummy tuck delivers mini results to patients who have a severely saggy abdomen. However, it can provide excellent outcomes to patients who are good candidates for the procedure.
Even though the mini version of the surgery involves shorter scars and less downtime, if your surgeon tells you that it cannot fully address your problems, you should go with the surgeon’s recommendations for a full tummy tuck or a combo procedure. The plastic surgeon knows what the causes of the aesthetic problem in your abdomen is and will recommend you a useful course of action that will treat the flaws and boost your self-esteem.
One of the problems with the fat that develops between the pubic area and the belly button is that it is arduous to remove. Many people suffering from this condition often do extreme exercise and strict diet for many years with the hope to enhance their abdomen. Many of those people still fail to achieve visible results. For such patients, the mini tummy tuck offers a good solution.
To qualify, you should be in good health and have a stable and ideal weight. If you have already undergone different operations to treat the condition without any success, you must discuss it with the surgeon. Also, your goals and expectations must be realistic, reasonable, and achievable. The mini tummy tuck can enhance your lower abdomen, but it cannot treat the sagginess in your upper abdomen or transform your overall figure. The good news is that if you have developed stretch marks on your lower abdomen, the mini tummy tuck can remove some of the marks along with the excised skin.
The procedure is not recommended for patients who have no excess skin or sagginess in the lower abdomen and have only developed stubborn fat pockets in the area. In such a case, liposuction alone can help contour your abdomen. If you want to know your candidacy for the mini tummy tuck, you should consult with an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon.
After the mini tummy tuck
While the mini tummy tuck typically entails shorter downtime, you should still be prepared to take a few days off work. The recovery period can comprise a few days; however, you must avoid physical activities for many weeks after the surgery. Physically strenuous activities tend to trigger wound dehiscence and other complications. Your plastic surgeon will provide you complete instructions about the post-operative recovery. Be sure to follow the instructions.
Some patients may need multiple procedures with the mini tummy tuck, depending on their goals. In such a case, the recovery period may prolong, and the surgery will be more invasive and entail relatively higher risks.
Conclusion
The mini tummy tuck is a version of the regular tummy tuck; however, it is less invasive and involves shorter scars. The procedure is recommended for patients who have a saggy lower abdomen. The procedure is performed on the lower part of the stomach. It involves removal of the excess skin and fat from the area through tiny incisions and tightening the lower abdominal wall muscles. Afterwards, your abdomen will become firmer, flatter, and youthful. However, if both your upper and lower abdomen is severely saggy, you should consider the full tummy tuck instead.