Is Every Tummy Tuck the Same?

By Michael Chiaramonte, MD, FACS

Though every patient is different, the main goal of a tummy tuck is to provide a smoother, flatter stomach. But did you know that there are different versions of the popular procedure? Most patients who seek this procedure will need a standard tummy tuck, but some patients will require another type of tummy tuck.

A mini-abdominoplasty is less invasive than the full version of the surgery. Typically, just one incision near the bikini line is necessary. This single incision provides access to the lower belly area, so that the underlying muscles can be tightened. Patients who are good candidates for this version of the procedure typically include those with a “trouble area” that is limited to below the belly button. Recovery for the procedure is shorter and generally easier than a traditional full tummy tuck.

While the mini tummy tuck can help some patients, typically patients who have carried babies or who have undergone a substantial weight loss require the full version of the procedure to achieve desirable results. A standard tummy tuck is a more comprehensive procedure and is ideal for patients who’d like to see significant improvement throughout the entire abdomen area. This procedure typically requires two incisions one on the lower abdomen that will stretch from hip to hip and another little incision around the belly button. Through these incisions, abdominal muscles are tightened from just below the bra to the incision line.

In some cases, however, a standard tummy tuck will not address all of a patient’s concerns. In cases of extreme weight loss, or occasionally when a patient just carries his or her weight differently, another type of tummy tuck may be recommended to remove the extra skin from the sides and back of the midsection as well.

The most common variation of a standard tummy tuck is the extended tummy tuck. During this procedure, the incision is extended slightly further around the sides of the hips to remove extra skin from the flank area. A Fleur-de-lis abdominoplasty results in an inverted “T” scar and is aimed at removing extra skin from top to bottom and from left to right. This procedure is typically recommended for patients who have undergone a weight-loss procedure and who already have scars on their stomach.

The circumferential tum-

my tuck, also known as a body lift, targets the excess skin in the entire midsection. This procedure typically requires an incision that goes all the way around the entire body.