Ending The Confusion Around Mini Tummy Tucks And Full Tummy Tucks
Tummy tucks are a popular plastic surgery worldwide but if you are not aware of the different types of surgery involved, it can be hard to fully understand what people are talking about when they talk about a full versus a mini tummy tuck. The two operations in question really are quite different, although of course both aim to produce a tighter, flatter abdominal contour.
This article explains the effects patients want from the mini tummy tuck, the general procedures surgeons use, and how this is different to the normal tummy tuck surgery. This will be a quick way to understand fundamental differences between these two popular types of plastic surgery.
The mini tummy tuck is likely to be advised only for patients looking to remove excess tissues between their belly button and the top of their bikini line (generally at the level of the pubic bone). A typical surgical candidate might be a lady who has had two or three pregnancies and finds it now impossible to regain tight abdominal muscles by using dieting and exercise that used to work for her. Patients of mature years also sometimes choose the operation as their abdominal muscles may naturally become less firm with time. Or it may be chosen by someone who has ongoing but mild fluctuations with their weight. Whatever the reason, everyone wants the same thing – a flatter, toned looking tummy again.
The operation involves making a horizontal incision usually into the area above the bikini line, between an average 10 to 15 centimetres in length. The surgeon then removes excess skin and any excess adipose (fatty) tissues sometimes in combination with liposuction techniques. During liposuction a cannula is moved around inside the adipose tissue to loosen it then the tissues are removed altogether by suction through the body of the cannula. If there are damaged abdominal muscle structures, for example, from many pregnancies, the muscles can also be strengthened by suturing techniques during the operation.
In the full tummy tuck, the incisions may be of a longer length and the entire operation takes generally longer. The navel is usually repositioned in that operation, whereas this is not common in the mini tummy tuck. The repositioning of the navel is a skilled and time consuming task and one factor accounting for why at two hours or more, the full tummy tuck takes at least twice as long as the mini tummy tuck.
Whilst the name may make the operation sound a little less daunting, it is worth remembering that this is a full surgical intervention, with full anaesthetic, a range of residual risks no matter how skilled and dedicated the surgical team. Patients deserve high quality information during pre-surgery consultations to make an informed judgement around the risks of tummy tucks. By reading this brief guide, you have the information to distinguish between the two types of operation better and understand although the operation is not as lengthy, it can never be guaranteed risk free. To get detailed individual advice, of course patients are advised to consult their doctor and/ or their surgeon.
RS Brown and the team delve deep into plastic surgery and its promises to easily make you look young and feel great. The team investigate whether surgery really is a method of rapid weight loss against the full tucks and provide timelysensible resources for those considering tummy tuck plastic surgery abroad.
