What Is a Mini Tummy Tuck?

Many people have heard of a tummy tuck, but what about a mini tummy tuck? Whether you have sagging skin following the birth of a child, from losing weight or perhaps as part of your genetic makeup, this plastic surgery can help. The abdominal area is often a problem for both men and women. Just imagine looking and feeling better without significant downtime.

Sagging skin in the tummy

Sagging skin on the lower stomach makes it hard to find clothes to fit. It also affects how people feel about themselves, especially when wearing a swimsuit. Unfortunately, even eating well-balanced meals and exercising daily do not make much of a difference for most people. For someone bothered by having a pooch in the lower abdomen, a mini tummy tuck yields positive results.

As implied by the name, a mini tummy tuck is a modified version of a traditional tummy tuck, known as abdominoplasty. Although it is still considered plastic surgery, it requires a much smaller incision. During a one-on-one consultation, the patient and doctor will discuss the various options available. Often, a mini tummy tuck entails nothing more than a small cut around the belly button.

What a mini tummy tuck does

With a mini tummy tuck, the surgeon removes excess, sagging skin in the lower part of the stomach. If a patient has a lot of stretch marks in this same region, the doctor can remove those as well. In fact, this same procedure works well on tightening mildly lax muscles. With the procedure completed, the patients end up with firmer, slimmer, and flatter skin, giving them a more aesthetically pleasing silhouette.

For this procedure, the surgeon places the patient under general anesthesia. This provides a higher level of comfort to the patient. If someone only has a mini tummy tuck done, the surgery will take between two to three hours on average. However, if a patient opts for some other form of plastic surgery like breast augmentation or liposuction, it will take the surgeon a little longer.

Those who benefit

Typically, the right candidates for this type of plastic surgery are healthy individuals. The patient must have a stable weight. The volume of sagging skin should not be too excessive. For someone with a great deal of loose skin, a standard tummy tuck would probably work better than a mini tummy tuck.

Surgeons remind patients that even though they will see a substantial difference, a mini tummy tuck should never take the place of regular exercise and healthy eating. These are standard practices that can maintain one’s ideal weight. The reason is that this combination will provide patients with long-term results. In other words, if someone begins to gain weight, the outcome of the surgery could change.

The medical benefits

A mini tummy tuck can tighten the stomach. It can also remove abdominal creases and excess skin. Some patients get this procedure after pregnancy. Others have it after losing a significant amount of weight. Even if this treatment has cosmetic advantages, it also has medical rewards:

• It reduces back pain. Discomfort in the lower back can come from weakened abdominal muscles. This is a common issue among women who lost so much weight or gave birth. Removing excess stomach fat can tighten the weakened muscles. This provides more support to the abdomen, which reduces back pain.
• It corrects ventral hernia. This condition happens when the abdominal tissue or intestine penetrates the abdominal wall. This then creates a sack or pouch. The hernia may be a result of massive weight loss or a caesarian section. A mini tummy tuck can correct this situation and give the patient a flatter stomach.
• It reduces urinary incontinence. This is known as SUI or stress urinary incontinence. It happens when there is excessive pressure on the urethra and bladder. Urinary leakage happens during exercising, sneezing, or coughing. Studies reveal that a mini tummy tuck may help patients suffering from SUI.
• It improves posture. Pain in the back is caused by poor abdominal support. This procedure can decrease back pain. The individual can then sit and stand straighter.

Improving the body

If you have extra skin below your belly button and want to do something about it, consider a mini tummy tuck. With few risks, a much shorter recovery period compared to a full tummy tuck and great results, it is worth considering. After having this plastic surgery performed, you can return to work within roughly two weeks and to your normal activities in about six weeks. Contact your doctor today.

Are you considering a mini tummy tuck in the Schaumburg area? Get more information at https://www.paulcdillonmd.com.

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