Mini vs. Full Tummy Tuck

When they’re considering a tummy tuck, many people may have heard about the option of a “mini” tummy tuck and wondered how it was different from a full tummy tuck. I explain to my patients that it’s important to realize that choosing between the two can actually be quite simple because they are appropriate for two distinctly different sets of patients.

Full Tummy Tuck

A full tummy tuck patient will be someone who has a great deal of excess skin and fat in the abdominal area, as well as weakened abdominal muscles. The full tummy tuck procedure will address these concerns –both above and below the belly button. The procedure may require two incisions instead of one and generally repositions the belly button. Recovery takes several weeks.

Mini Tummy Tuck

On the other hand, a mini tummy tuck patient will be someone with small fat deposits and very minimal excess skin located primarily below the belly button. For these patients, only a single small incision is made where it will be easily concealed by clothing or a bathing suit. While the improvement that can be achieved with a mini tummy tuck is not as comprehensive, it requires less time during surgery and less recovery time.

Your surgeon should be able to advise you as to which procedure can best accomplish your goals.

Tags: tummy tuck los angeles

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 7th, 2010 at 9:57 pm and is filed under Abdominoplasty. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.