What Is the Difference Between a Tummy Tuck, Mini Tummy Tuck, and Circumferential Tummy Tuck?

Tummy tuck surgery (also known as abdominoplasty) can be one of the most effective and transformative cosmetic surgery procedures available. This procedure gets rid of stubborn belly fat, tightens your abdominal muscles, and removes any excess and sagging skin that you may have in your midsection. After tummy tuck surgery, patients are able to feel confident and comfortable with their newly trimmed and contoured abdomen. However, things can get confusing when you realize that there are different types of tummy tuck procedures.

 

 

The Three Types of Tummy Tuck Surgery

When you do research on tummy tuck surgery, you will likely come across the traditional tummy tuck, mini tummy tuck, and circumferential tummy tuck. Below is a break down of what each of these procedures entails and what results you can expect from it so that you can decide if that procedure is right for you.

Traditional Tummy Tuck

The traditional tummy tuck is a classic for a reason. This procedure can take anywhere from one to four hours to complete, depending on the extent of correction needed. After anesthesia has been administered, your service provider will make the incisions. These incisions are made just above your pubic area and extend from hip to hip. An additional incision will be made around your navel to reposition your belly button, if needed. If stubborn fat is present in the area, then liposuciton surgery will be used to remove it. Once the fat has been removed, your surgeon will tighten the underlying abdominal muscles and tissue with internal sutures. Next, any excess and sagging skin will be removed to give you a sleeker, more toned appearance. 

Mini Tummy Tuck

Similar to a traditional tummy tuck, the mini tummy tuck addresses excess fat, lax abdominal muscles, and sagging skin. However, a mini tummy tuck is geared for patients who need milder correction in the midsection. Because of this, correction from a mini tummy tuck is concentrated below the belly button. For a mini tummy tuck, the incisions are still made in the same location as with a traditional tummy tuck, though they do not stretch as far. If necessary, liposuction will be used for a mini tummy tuck, and then the underlying muscles and tissue will be tightened and sagging skin will be removed; however, the amount of excess skin trimmed away will not be as extensive as with a traditional abdominoplasty.

Circumferential Tummy Tuck

While a mini tummy tuck offers correction to patients with mild muscle laxity and sagging skin, a circumferential tummy tuck is the opposite, allowing for patients with severe sagging skin in both the abdomen and the lower back (due to extreme weight loss) to attain the physique they desire. With circumferential tummy tuck surgery, the incision extends around the entire circumference of the waist. Liposuction surgery is then used to remove fat from the abdomen, lower back, and other areas around your midsection. Underlying muscles will be tightened with internal sutures, and excess skin will be surgically removed. Lastly your belly button will be repositioned to give you a more natural and aesthetically pleasing appearance. 

In addition to removing sagging skin from the midsection and lower back, a circumferential tummy tuck can also lift the buttocks and correct issues in the hips and thighs to give you the most dynamic correction available.

 

For more information about tummy tuck surgery at Synergy Face + Body, please feel free to call us. If you are Inside the Beltline, call 919-335-6372. If you are in Raleigh, call 919-510-5130. You can also contact us online by filling out our online contact form.