Mini Tummy Tuck

Who should have a mini tummy tuck?

A mini tummy tuck, or partial tummy tuck, is very similar to a full abdominoplasty but it targets a much smaller area i.e. below the belly button and above the bikini line.

While you are standing you may look like you have a perfect figure, but when you sit a small amount of skin may sit above your bikini line or knickers. This excess is commonly the result of pregnancy or slight weight loss, and cannot be addressed through exercise and healthy eating.

A mini tummy tuck only addresses concerns on the lower abdomen, it does not address any problem areas around or above the belly button, for this you would require a full tummy tuck.

Explaining Mini Tummy Tuck Surgery

At your surgeon consultation you will discuss whether a mini or full abdominoplasty is right for you. If you proceed with a mini abdominoplasty any excess skin and fat below your belly button and above your bikini line will be removed and muscles in the area will be tightened. You will not see any difference above your navel, nor will the surgery treat the area around your hips as this would give an uneven result. If you feel that you would benefit from your hips being treated for a more defined result you can combine an abdominoplasty with liposuction.

The surgery itself will be performed under general anaesthetic and takes between one to two hours. Your Cosmetic Surgeon will then remove any excess skin before tightening the muscles and pulling the remaining skin into position and stitching back into place.

Following your surgery you will have a scar but this will sit along the bikini line, lower on the body than a full abdominoplasty scar. Your mini tummy tuck scar will also be smaller, only little larger than a C-Section scar, rather than the traditional hip-to-hip incision. Over time your scar will fade so it will barely be visible; if you want to aid the healing process talk to your surgeon about using Bio-Oil on the incision at your six week post surgery consultation.

Mini tummy tuck recovery does require time off work, and some patience, as your body recovers. Following your overnight stay in hospital you will need to take at least two weeks off work. If you have children you will require assistance for their day-to-day care immediately following surgery. If you are unable to take time from work you may benefit from non surgical skin tightening and non surgical fat reduction.

To ensure the best results you will also be required to wear a specialist post-operative garment for six weeks. You should be fully recovered after eight weeks, at which point you can restart understand gentle exercise.

Book your free, no obligation tummy tuck consultation

Full Tummy Tuck

Who should have a full tummy tuck?

A full abdominoplasty addresses areas of concern both above the belly button and below towards the bikini line. Full tummy tuck surgery is far more extensive than mini.

While you are standing, or sitting, you have excess and loose skin clearly visible over your body and above the bikini line. This excess is commonly the result of multiple pregnancies or significant weight loss, and cannot be addressed through exercise and healthy eating.

If any excess skin is only below the belly button and above the bikini line you may only require a mini tummy tuck, if you have any questions your surgeon will be able to advise you during your consultation.

Explaining full Tummy Tuck Surgery

At your surgeon consultation you will discuss whether a mini or full abdominoplasty is right for you. If you proceed with a full abdominoplasty any excess, saggy skin and fat in the abdominal area will be removed and the skin and muscles tightened. In addition stretch marks may also be removed. The overall result of a tummy tuck is a flat stomach with taut muscles; many people experience at least one drop in dress size.  For a more defined result many women choose to also have liposuction to the hips and thighs at the same time.

The surgery itself will be performed under general anaesthetic and takes between two to three hours. Your Cosmetic Surgeon will make an incision across the base of your stomach, from hip to hip before repairing, repositioning and tightening the damaged, stretched abdominal muscles with internal stitches. Your surgeon will then remove any excess saggy skin, muscle and fat before pulling the remaining skin into position and stitching back into place.

Following your surgery you will have scar that sits from hip to hip and around the belly button. With dramatic weight loss your surgeon may be required to perform a double abdominoplasty which results in vertical scar from navel to rib cage and another from hip to hip. Any scars as a results of surgery are generally hidden by underwear and over time they will fade so they will barely be visible. If you want to aid the healing process talk to your surgeon about using Bio-Oil on the incision at your six week post surgery consultation.

Tummy tuck recovery does require time off work, and some patience, as your body recovers from the surgery. Following your overnight stay** in hospital you will need to take at least two weeks off work. If you have children you will require assistance for their day-to-day care immediately following surgery. If you are unable to take time from work you may benefit from non surgical skin tightening and non surgical fat reduction. Your nurse will advise you of your aftercare guidelines before your surgery so you have time to many any necessary arrangements.

To ensure the best results you will also be required to wear a specialist post-operative garment for six weeks. You should be fully recovered after eight weeks, at which point you can restart understand gentle exercise.

Book your free, no obligation tummy tuck consultation

*Tummy Tuck results and benefits can vary and are different for every individual. Specific results cannot be guaranteed

**You may be required to stay in hospital for two nights so your Cosmetic Surgeon can ensure you’re recovering as expected.

Choosing to have a tummy tuck

Feeling self-conscious about your figure can make it really difficult to be confident in yourself and can even stop you wearing outfits you'd love to look good in. Having a firm, flat stomach can make a huge difference to the way you feel and when it's not possible to achieve this through diet and exercise alone, Tummy Tuck surgery can be the right option.

An abdominoplasty is particularly popular with new mums and with those women who have lost a significant amount of weight and have been left with excess, loose skin. The surgery is carried out under general anaesthetic and is used to remove any excess skin and fatty tissue, reshape the area and create a slimmer, smoother and tighter abdominal area. Women who are looking to achieve a slimmer waistline* often combine liposuction and tummy tuck surgery.

It’s important to understand that Tummy Tuck surgery is not designed for weight loss. You will experience some loss of weight and reduction in clothing as the excess skin removed will impact your weight. However, a tummy tuck is primarily performed to tighten and remove the loose, excess skin gained from pregnancy or dramatic weight loss. Due to the nature of the surgery tummy tucks are only recommended when there is no other suitable option available*.

Why Choose The Harley Medical Group?

• Our medically led team of surgeons and cosmetic surgery nurses have many years' experience in performing Tummy Tuck procedures in our clinics nationwide
• With extensive experience in performing Tummy Tuck surgery, all our Surgeons & Nurses are registered with the General Medical Council (GMC)
• After your procedure you will receive an emergency phone number which means you are only moments away from speaking to your nurse or surgeon 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Patient care and safety is our number one priority. That's why we insist on a minimum of two pre-surgery consultations, a full assessment of your current health and medical history before your surgery.
• We provide some of the highest quality aftercare available, where you will continue to have full access to your medical team.
• We have clinics located nationwide so you are never far away from your nearest clinic
• All of our clinics are registered with the Care Quality Commission (England) and Healthcare Inspectorate Wales to ensure we always perform to the highest standards
• Our surgeons are specialist Plastic Surgeons, by only performing cosmetic procedures that have become experts - or Masters - in their chosen field.
• At The Harley Medical Group we only operate from world class facilities.

Book your free, no obligation tummy tuck consultation

*Tummy Tuck results and benefits can vary and are different for every individual. Specific results cannot be guaranteed

As an ethical Cosmetic Surgery provider, we do not perform Cosmetic Surgery on people under 18. We do not set an upper age limit for Tummy Tuck surgery. However, the older we get the longer it takes our bodies to recover, so your Cosmetic Surgeon will assess your current physical health and medical history to ensure you’re fit and well enough to undergo surgery.

The results of Tummy Tuck surgery will last for many years if you maintain a healthy weight.

However, it is important to be aware that our bodies change as we get older, so you may find that your skin loses some of its elasticity. If your weight fluctuates this may be exacerbated.

Because our bodies change dramatically during pregnancy, if you plan to have a family we recommend waiting to have Tummy Tuck surgery. However, this is not a medical requirement and is something you should discuss with your Cosmetic Surgeon.

Yes. Tummy Tuck surgery is not a recommended weight loss method as it primarily tightens loose skin on the stomach.  If you have the surgery then lose a significant amount of weight, you may find that you need to have another Tummy Tuck to remove further loose skin.

*Tummy Tuck results and benefits can vary and are different for every individual. Specific results cannot be guaranteed

In some cases it can but we can’t guarantee this. Because the surgery involves pulling the skin taut and removing any excess, for some people the appearance of stretch marks can be reduced.

*Tummy Tuck results and benefits can vary and are different for every individual. Specific results cannot be guaranteed

Full recovery from Tummy Tuck surgery usually takes between six and eight weeks during this time you are required to wear a light support garment. Some bruising and swelling is expected.  It’s important that you attend your post-operative follow up appointments.  You will need to take up to two weeks off work following Tummy Tuck surgery.  It’s likely you will need help with daily chores during the first week to avoid putting unnecessary strain on the lower abdominal area.  In the first six weeks you should avoid any strenuous activities.

With a full tummy tuck the incision will be made as low on the abdomen as possible so any scar will sit below your hip line and be hidden by your underwear or bikini bottoms. An extensive tummy tuck may also require a scar from navel to breast bone.

With a mini tummy tuck the incision will be made as lower on the abdomen, closer to the bikini line, and will be smaller - only slightly larger than a C-Section scar.

Your scar will be visible in the first few weeks but should fade quickly until it’s barely noticeable. If you’re worried about scarring, please talk to your Cosmetic Surgeon and read about our highly effective scar revision treatment.

*Tummy Tuck results and benefits can vary and are different for every individual. Specific results cannot be guaranteed

The risks with Tummy Tuck surgery are the same as with any surgical procedure performed under a general anaesthetic. However, your Cosmetic Surgeon will talk you through these before you make any decisions

You don’t need to take any long-term precautions, however you will need to avoid any strenuous exercise in the first six to eight weeks.

It is important that your Cosmetic Surgeon is fully qualified and experienced. To ensure your Cosmetic Surgeon is reputable, ensure the clinic is registered with The Care Quality Commission (CQC) or The Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW). You should also look for Cosmetic Surgeons who are registered with The General Medical Council (GMC) and ask if they are carrying out Cosmetic Surgery procedures on a daily basis.

Your full and quick recovery is our main priority, that’s why you will be seen by a fully trained, qualified medical professional to understand the recovery process and aftercare. Following your Tummy Tuck procedure, you will stay in hospital overnight so we can monitor your progress and ensure you’re recovering as expected. When you’re ready to go home we’ll give you printed advice to take with you, as well as a number to call 24 hours a day if you have any questions or concerns. Follow up appointments will be arranged and it’s imperative you attend these so you can receive ongoing aftercare from your team of medical professionals.

Recovery varies from person to person, but we usually recommend taking ten days off work and avoiding sports of any kind for the first three months. You will have bruising and swelling around the nose and eyes and a splint in place for between seven and ten days after surgery. This will be removed in the clinic and we will give you ongoing advice and care. To help reduce the swelling and advise you to minimise the blowing of your nose in the two weeks following the procedure. You can expect to see the full results of your Nose Reshaping surgery after six to 12 months.

At The Harley Medical Group we highly recommend researching all of your options when considering surgery to ensure you are happy with your decision.

One possible option is the NHS, who operate with BAPRAS and BAAPS surgeons, and we highly recommended speacking with your GP to see if the NHS can help. However we have found that increasingly there is a reluctance to perform 'comsetic' procedures, particularly a tummy tuck, on the NHS.

We see many patients who explain that the wait for their procedure is either too long or they have been advised that they are not presently eligible. For example many women who come to us  have been told that they need to maintain a BMI below 25 for two years before they can be placed on the long waiting list. Often the excess skin is the cause of the increased weight and they find it impossible to drop their BMI lower.

Also, many surgeons who work with the NHS how are required to perform a wide number of surgerys, this means unless they are specialists e.g.gynaecologists they may not frequently perform tummy tuck procedures. At The harley Medical Group are surgeons are dedicated Cosmetic Surgeons who are specialists in their field of expertise.