Are you looking for a surgical procedure that will help you get rid of unwanted pockets of fat, but have been put off by the potential risks and difficulties of traditional tummy tuck procedures? There is another option worth considering, and it is a lot less invasive than the typical tummy tuck alternative, although it shares many of the same benefits and is in fact a similar procedure. It is called the mini tummy tuck, and it is a particularly feasible option for those who are looking to reshape a relatively small area of the body.


For people that have only a small amount of fat deposits and a correspondingly smaller amount of skin that needs to be reshaped, traditional tummy tuck or abdominoplasty procedures are generally too extreme a surgical solution, making a mini tummy tuck the next best alternative. If your abdominal area has started to sag for example, or if you simply want to have a better-looking tummy, the mini tummy tuck is for you. In addition, patients that undergo a mini tummy tuck can get a flatter abdominal area without having to go through the risks associated with the conventional tummy tuck procedure. The mini tummy tuck is also widely prescribed to women that wish to remove fat deposits that have accumulated between the pubic bone and the navel, areas which are traditionally difficult to treat.


The mini tummy tuck procedure–also referred to as a partial abdominoplasty–is typically done with the patient being given a general anesthesia, although the procedure may sometimes require a local anesthesia in addition to a mild sedative.

One of the most significant advantages for the patient is that a mini tummy tuck typically requires a much smaller incision than a traditional tummy tuck procedure, although the actual size of this incision will of course depend on the amount of skin that is to be removed. For this reason, mini tummy tucks are widely advertised as “scarless” tummy tuck procedures. A further advantage is that the navel generally does not have to be repositioned, unlike with traditional tummy tuck surgery. As with “normal” tummy tucks, a mini tummy tuck may be performed as part of a comprehensive fat reduction process that includes liposuction.


Along with the smaller incision required for mini tummy tucks, there is also a correspondingly smaller portion of the abdominal wall that needs to be exposed, with the total area treated usually stretching from the incision point up to the navel. The surgeon will first remove the fat and tighten up the abdominal muscles, after which the affected skin is stretched downward, with the excess tissue being cut off and the remaining skin joined together with stitches. Some surgeons may also opt to repair any gaps between the abdominal muscles in order to make them stronger, particularly if these have been stretched previously, as is the case with women that have given birth in the past. During the procedure, the surgeon may also opt to insert a drainage tube into the incision in order to aid in fluid drainage.


Patients that undergo mini tummy tuck procedures can usually expect to be discharged only a few hours after the surgery is completed, with about the same recovery time that it would take for a liposuction. There may be a few instances of pain after the surgery, although this can usually be addressed with over-the-counter painkillers. The patient will also normally have to wear bandages and special garments that provide support for a few weeks after the surgery in order to aid in the healing process and to ease any pain that may be experienced.