What is the difference between a Tummy Tuck and a Mini Tummy Tuck?

Tummy Tuck vs. Mini Tummy Tuck Abdominoplasty Surgery

Tummy Tuck or Mini Tummy tuck?

I get many patients who come in requesting a Tummy Tuck. The biggest plus is the fact that they will get a much flatter tummy, and if they get liposuction around the love handle area, a drastic reshaping of the entire midsection. The biggest drawback is the scar. It goes most of the time from hipbone to hipbone. Invariably, I get the question, can we do a mini tummy tuck? The patient is hoping to get most of what she needs with a smaller scar and a less involved surgery. What to do?

The first thing for the patient to realize is that although the two procedures, tummy tuck and mini tummy tuck, have a similar name, they treat different conditions. Please view my illustration above to see the difference between the two procedures. My schematic shows the amount of skin removed, the amount of muscle work performed, and the final incisional scar in each procedure.

Mini Tummy Tuck

The Mini Tummy Tuck treats the minor pouching out of the lower belly caused by stretching of the lower abdominal muscles. It is primarily a muscle tightening procedure. Combined with liposuction of the love handles it can truly reshape the midsection. One word of caution: I always take out the deep layer of fat in the lower abdomen, because if I don’t, fat will redistribute in that pocket . You cut out enough skin to take out the slack created by tightening the muscle and defatting the skin, and the scar just goes from one side of the pubic mound to the other. It is a very well disguised scar, and very thin because not much tension is used to close the scar. It’s a great procedure provided you are committed to it’s limitations.

These are the conditions and limitations for the Mini Tummy Tuck:

*The procedure is not a good skin tightening procedure.

It can only tighten a limited area directly above the pubic mound. If you try to tighten more, you end up extending the scar sideways, and you get a longer scar that is no longer well hidden and still not the amount of tightening that will make you happy.

*It really doesn’t take care of stretch marks.

*It does not take care of any muscle wall separation above the belly button.

Tummy Tuck

The Tummy Tuck treats two conditions: a muscle separation above and below the belly button; and excessive or loose skin in the belly. It is really two operations, a muscle repair and a skin excision. The skin excision part is called a Dermatolipectomy. All the skin between the belly button and pubic mound is taken out. Thus it can take care of all the stretch marks below the belly button. The skin above the belly button is stretched to reach the top of the pubic mound. Any stretch marks above the belly button will come to lie just above the pubic mound.

The scar from a Tummy Tuck usually goes from hip bone to hip bone, but this is not an absolute. If there is a lot of loose skin, or a fold of abdominal skin, the scar may extend beyond the hipbones. However, keep in mind that I can strategically place the scar below the panty line. Sometimes I can make the scar slightly shorter, but the patient has to be aware she might have darts or little pouches on the side of the wound, which can be taken care of later under local anesthesia. This is important when a patient wants to keep the scar within the limits of certain underwear or bathing suit.

There is a third surgical alternative for patients who have just a muscle separation and very little skin excess, or who want no visible scars. The whole procedure is done through the belly button, and I will make a separate post devoted to this surgical technique.

Ricardo L Rodriguez, MD

Posted by Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez at 11:48 AM

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Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez
Plastic Surgeon

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13 Comments

Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez wrote
December 26, 2009 at 1:20 am

Maria:
Ask Kelly at kelly@cosmeticsurg.net she can help you with pricing info.
Thanx for looking at our blog.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Feliz Navidad y próspero año nuevo!
Maria wrote
December 19, 2009 at 11:02 am

I,m looking in having a mini tuck the MD i saw tells me a need a full tuck i really will like a mini tuck but DR knows best right. the cost is a little higher than what i anticipated what is the cost difference between the full and the mini and do you think i shoud shop around for better offers.
Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez wrote
November 23, 2009 at 2:33 pm

Ellie:
It depends on wether it is skin or fat. If it just fat, a little lipo may do the trick.
If there is also loose skin, more may be involved, although not necessarily a full Tummytuck.
Contact Kelly at kelly@cosmeticsurg.net for more info. We’d love to hear from you!
Ellie wrote
November 22, 2009 at 10:07 pm

Hello again , if i have a lump and fat over my belly botton and all around my belly botton will a mini tummy tuck get rid of it because on your digram you show that a mini tummy tuck only go from the bottom of the belly botton on down to the pubic area .
Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez wrote
November 22, 2009 at 10:59 am

Ellie:
When you do a dermatolipectomy, you remove alll the skin and fat betwen the belly button and the mons pubis (just a little bit below the pubic hairline).
As long as you maintain your weight, the results last a lifetime. If you lose weight it will look even better, but if you gain a lot of weight, of course, it may not look as good.
Thanx for contributing to our blog!
Ellie McLean wrote
November 21, 2009 at 6:44 pm

DR.Rodriguez , when u do the dermatolipectomy will u be removing fat as well as tightening the skin ? How long will the results last ?
Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez wrote
October 27, 2009 at 5:31 pm

Hilda:
Yes, it is possible to do a tummy tuck without doing the muscle. It is called a dermatolipectomy. It is cheaper, takes less time to do, the recovery is much quicker, and it does take off the stretch marks.
Ask Kelly at kelly@cosmeticsurg.net, she’d be happy to hear from you. I think from what you are telling me, you are a great candidate for dermatolipectomy.

Have a great day!
Hilda Marquez wrote
October 27, 2009 at 1:47 pm

Doctor:

I’m planning to have a tummy tuck, but I don’t want to have a muscle tightening because, my only problems are the stretch marks. My waist is only 25 inches, so I don’t think I need it. Is that possible to do it without the muscle tightening? does avoiding that helps a little bit for a shorter recovery time? Thanks a lot for for your help.

Hilda
Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez wrote
August 10, 2009 at 8:28 am

Without seeing pictures it is impossible to determine what happened in your case.
I will say that even if you don’t have enough skin above the belly button, all it means is you will have a small vertical component to the scar above the pubis.
And yes, you can have a full Tummy tuck if you wish.
Pick a Doctor you can talk to and spend time with so fully understand your options. Make sure he is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon.
Thanx for reading our blog, and I hope you found it informative.
Rocky A wrote
August 10, 2009 at 5:57 am

Dear Dr. I had a mini tummy tuck and was not happy at all with the results. I only went to one Dr that told me I didn’t have enough above my belly button to do a full. Now after the fact I have looked into the limitation of the mini and nowhere have I read a person could not have enough to do a full. Can you give me your opinion please? Can I have the procedure redone? Also my scar does go from hip to hip.
Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez wrote
April 16, 2009 at 7:43 am

It is not right for me to make a judgement without seeing pictures, but I can speak in generalities.
If there are stretch marks below the belly button, a Tummy Tuck will get rid of them.
If there is a bumpy look, lifting and stretching the skin as in a Tummy Tuck will improve things, depending on the individual. In some cases the improvement may be incremental, in others, dramatic.
Worry Mom wrote
April 15, 2009 at 11:25 pm

Dear Doctor: I had two liposuction (4 children) and the last one was not successfull. Bumpy look, uneven look, part of skin are dark and the stretch marks of the lower belly part are more accentuated. Question: having a tummy tuck will correct imperfections? Thanks for your prompt reply and May God Bless You.
BRIDGETTE wrote
February 20, 2009 at 9:07 am

i have been considering for over 15 years…(1991 gave birth to twins). Most Dr’s want to do additional things, which run the cost up more than i can afford to pay. Can you send me information on how much a tummy tuck procedure will cost me and if i can get it financed.
thank you
Bridgette Law

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