There are Tummy Tucks and there  Mini-Tummy tucks.

Big picture: the difference is that a Mini addresses the lower part of the tummy only. A full tummy tuck treats the front of your torso from rib cage down to your pubic area. A mini treats from the umbilicus down.

When we do a full tummy tuck the incision is from hip to hip, we lift the skin/fat layer up to just below the breast bone, tighten the muscles from top to bottom, and then remove the loose skin between your belly button and pubic line.

With a Mini, we shorten the incision so that it’s just a bit longer than a C-section incision. The undermining goes just up to the belly button and the muscle tightening is from the belly buttton down.

So, Mini tucks are intended for a woman who has a typical bulge of the lower abdomen and a little loose skin from pregnancy. Full tummy tucks are better suited for those who have more generalized laxity of their abdominal wall, more loose skin, and generally more fatty tissue. The best way to figure out which one is best for you is to let a Plastic Surgeon take a look at your tummy. A quick look and your input on what you’d like to improve and your surgeon ought to be able to tell you if a Mini is enough .

Lee Corbett, MD

www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

502.721.0330

All posts on this blog are authored by Kentucky Cosmetic Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Lee Corbett. Dr. Corbett specializes in cosmetic plastic surgery including facelifts, browlifts, blepharoplasy, Botox, Juvederm, Restylane, breast augmentation, breast lifts, breast reductions, body lifts, liposuction,  and tummy tucks.