Overview
While some patients turn to a tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, to get rid of an abundance of excessive, sagging skin in the stomach area, others can benefit from a mini abdominoplasty. This procedure is great for those who don’t have an excessively large amount of abdominal skin but still want to tighten and tone their stomach. Since it’s less extensive than the traditional tummy tuck, Riverside, CA board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Childers can perform it in about two hours, which is half the time of a tummy tuck. The incision under the belly button is much smaller in a mini tummy tuck. This surgery is intended for healthy patients, who have achieved a stable weight.
Reviews
Tummy Tuck FAQs
Can’t I Just Have Lipo?
For mini tummy tuck patients, liposuction alone may be a possibility. Liposuction is a procedure that removes fat only. So, while it is a good surgery choice for patients who have relatively good skin tone and tight abdominal muscles, it will not benefit those who have sagging skin. When a patient comes to see us for the first time, once we learn the patient’s aesthetic goals, we review the procedures that might help meet those goals and how they differ. For some, even a little hanging skin may warrant a mini tummy tuck.
Prior C-Section?
Women who have had a C-section will typically have a scar that runs horizontally in the lower abdomen. During a mini tummy tuck, an incision will be made very close to the C-section incision. Once the loose skin is trimmed away and the area is pulled tight, the two incisions are essentially combined into one which will allow for only one scar to remain. This scar will still be located in an area that will be hidden by undergarments and a bathing suit bottom.
What if I get Pregnant?
Abdominoplasty surgery should probably be delayed until after all pregnancies have been completed and you are done having children. The goal of a tummy tuck procedure is to tighten the abdominal wall. Getting pregnant after a tummy tuck procedure will spoil your surgical results and something we would discourage.
