What’s the Difference Between a Full Tummy Tuck and Mini Tummy Tuck?

When you gain weight, your skin stretches to accommodate your expanding body shape, and the skin tissue may not “snap back” when you lose the excess pounds or go through pregnancy and childbirth. That leaves many men and women with sagging skin, residual fat pockets, and muscles stretched beyond their capacity. Abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, can restore a smooth, taut figure. Our board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Stephen M. Miller, offers full tummy tuck and mini tummy tuck. The right option for you depends on the extent and location of your loose abdominal skin and muscle separation.

What Does Tummy Tuck Do?

Both procedures remove excess skin and fat and tighten muscles, but full abdominoplasty offers dramatic results above and below the belly button. Many women experience diastasis recti after pregnancy when the abdominal muscles responsible for the “six-pack” separate. Tummy tuck restores these muscles by surgically tightening and repositioning them.

The incision for full abdominoplasty stretches from hip to hip and is concealed below the panty line and above the pubic area. Dr. Miller can often use the incision from a c-section for abdominoplasty to avoid another scar. This long incision allows optimal access to the tissues to separate and redrape the skin. Another incision is made around the navel. Dr. Miller pulls the skin tissue down, trims the excess for a smooth, flat abdomen, and fashions a new belly button.

Abdominoplasty narrows your waist, restores a strong core, and may involve liposuction to sculpt the upper and lower abdomen. Skin removal often eliminates stretch marks located below the belly button. Initial recovery takes at least 10 days, and patients typically need two weeks off work or longer for more strenuous jobs that require heavy lifting.

What Does Mini Tummy Tuck Do?

Mini abdominoplasty focuses on the area under the belly button and won’t address sagging skin or muscle separation in the upper and middle sections of the abdomen. The procedure requires just one incision above the pubic area that is shorter than the traditional abdominoplasty and about the size of a C-section scar. Mini tummy tuck tightens the muscles in the lower abdomen and is best for patients with minimal loose skin. This partial abdominoplasty requires less surgical time and involves a shorter recovery and fewer risks but will not provide the comprehensive results of a full tummy tuck. Patients may return to work within a week of their mini tummy tuck.

If you’re interested in tummy tuck or mini tummy tuck, schedule a consultation with Stephen M. Miller, M.D. to discuss which procedure will suit your needs. Contact our office online or at 702-369-1001. Dr. Miller provides advanced plastic surgery in a welcoming, comfortable environment for patients in Henderson, Summerlin, Las Vegas, and neighboring areas of Nevada.