Tummy Tucks: Mini Or Full?
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 aims to explain what a mini tummy tuck is, what benefits it aims to give patients, the way it generally performed and the ways in which it differs from the full tummy tuck operation. This can help you very quickly understand the essential differences between these two very different procedures.
The mini tummy tuck is usually recommended for those patients who want to remove excess tissue between their belly button and the pubic bone where the bikini line begins. Typical candidates are mothers after multiple pregnancies, who have found it difficult to get their abdominal muscles to respond to diet and exercise. It is also popular with patients who are older, where their muscles are simply less taught from the age process itself. Another group is those with mild weight fluctuations. Whatever the background, all the patients want the same toned, flatter shape and hope their plastic surgeons skills can take them there.
Plastic surgeons generally use an incision on average between 10 and 15 centimetres long, horizontally in the area above the bikini line. With the incision performed, the surgeon has access to trim away excessive skin, and sometimes excess adipose (fatty) tissues. This may be combined with liposuction where a surgical cannula is manoeuvered to loosen adipose tissue before it is removed by vacuum forces through the cannula for disposal. Patients with damaged abdominal muscles, for example, those women with stretching due to multiple pregnancies, can have those muscles strengthened by a suturing process before the wounds are sealed with dissolvable stitches. The whole operation differs from the full tummy tuck in a number of ways.
The incision made is generally smaller in length and the surgery does not routinely seek to reposition the navel. The art of navel repositioning again requires a great degree of skill for a favourable result, and this is one factor that shortens the operation time in comparison to the full tummy tuck. Whereas the full version can last more than 2 hours on the operating table, the mini tummy tuck can often be performed in around 60 minutes. However, going back to the effects, it is not suitable for those wishing to remove weight above the level of the navel.
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 blogs as part of determined team writing calm balanced words on services people try to feel younger and more attractive. The team expose the benefits and the important risks of the tummy tuck surgery and give timely exposure to evidence on the contraversial world of medical tourism.