What is a Partial Tummy Tuck Procedure?

If age, pregnancy or weight fluctuations have created resistant fat pockets on the abodominal wall, and loose unsightly skin and stretch marks on the lower abdomen, you can be certain of a standard abdominoplasty, but not anymore. Now mini tummy tuck procedure does what a full fledged abdominoplasty used to.

Understanding mini tummy tuck

Although, a full tummy tuck is more thorough, a partial tummy tuck is more relevant for contour problems, without as much loose skin as standard abdominoplasty. This is an operation for abdominal condition not severe enough to need a full abdominoplasty and not easy enough to be handled by liposuction.

However, with improved techniques, mini tummy tuck is capable enough to correct most or all of these problems. The surgeon may carry out this procedure for abdomen, hips or thighs, alone or in combination with tumescent liposuction to restore a youthful abdominal contour and a trim waistline. In some instances mini tummy tuck is opted for, where full tummy tuck surgery is required.

Although, the results are slightly less dramatic, the recovery time, cost and risk are minimized. Just click on the pictures below and you’d know why mini tummy tuck surgery is increasingly becoming the preferred procedure of those wanting abdominoplasty.

Mini tummy tuck procedure

Mini tummy tucks, or partial abdominoplasty, is similar to standard tummy tuck procedure, but targets the lower abdomen only. This procedure is much less invasive and shorter than a full tummy tuck. It can be performed either in an office surgical suite or at a hospital outpatient surgery center. The many techniques that are employed for a mini-tummy tuck are:

a. Liposuction contouring.

b. Limited skin excision sculpting tissue below the belly button.

c. Tightening of the upper and lower part of the abdominal rectus muscles.

d. Slight adjustment of the skin above the belly button.

Mini tummy tuck procedure is used to correct problems from the navel down to the pubic bone to correct bulging abdomen, muscle weakness, sagging skin and to remove excess fat. This procedure is also becoming a common surgical procedure for mothers who’re unhappy with their post-pregnancy appearance. Men with loose skin around the lower abdomen, resulting from gastric bypass surgery and massive weight loss, can also benefit from this surgical procedure.

Mini abdominoplasy procedure requires a single small incision, usually between 2 to 4 inches, along the pubic line to expose the abdominal muscles. The good news is unlike the full abdominoplasty, there’s no secondary incision around the navel. This incision is enough for the surgeon not only to remove excess fat, but also tighten the muscles of the lower abdominal wall. It requires detaching and then reattaching the belly button after removal of fat and excess skin. Afterwards, a strip of skin, usually an inch or two thick, is stretched down and the incision is closed. It’s fairly common to use liposuction in conjunction with the mini tummy tuck procedure for a more thorough removal of fat deposits from the lower abdominal area. This surgery typically takes an hour or two to be performed, lot less than the complete tummy tuck surgery.

The advantages of mini tummy tuck surgery are quick recovery time and much less scarring than a full fledged tummy tuck. Cost-wise too the fees is about 30 to 50% lower than that of full tummy tuck.

So, if you want to enhance your appearance and your self-confidence, and would like to save yourself from the risks and cost of full procedure, mini-tummy tuck is for you. However, it’s your surgeon who’ll have the last word on which procedure is best for you.