Body Procedures: Mini Tummy Tuck

• It eliminates the excess skin and fat from the abdomen, as long as it is limited to the area below the navel. If your problem is that annoying roll of fat showing above your bikini, this is the right procedure for you.
• It makes it easier to treat, at the same time, pre-existing conditions such as hernias or eventrations.

• Unlike traditional tummy tuck surgery, which is a much more complicated procedure, it does not eliminate flaccidity or fat in the area above the navel, nor does it allow tightening of the abdominal muscles to narrow the waist.
• When the skin has good elasticity and the fat deposits are small, liposuction is a more adequate treatment.

Anesthesia
Local anesthesia with sedation, or general anesthesia.

How long will it take?
About 60 minutes.

How is mini tummy tuck surgery performed?
The surgeon makes a horizontal or slightly curved incision of about 6 inches (15 cm) just above the pubic hair. He trims the excess skin and closes the incision with stitches. Since this area is not exposed to tension, the wound tends to heal very well.
A drainage tube is placed to drain the excess fluids during the first hours, and a bandage is applied.

How long will I have to stay hospitalized?
There is not need to be hospitalized.

What kind of bandages will I need? when will they be removed?
To heal properly, you will have to wear a special garment on the treated area for about two or three weeks. It is a bit uncomfortable but, unfortunately, it is necessary. A couple of flexible and thin drainage tubes will be placed that will drain off excess fluids from the wounds to an airtight plastic bottle. The drainages help reduce the incidence of bruises.

Will I feel a lot of pain?
Mild to moderate. The surgeon will indicate you to take analgesics every 6 or 8 hours; this will make you feel quite relieved.

When will the stitches be removed?
When will the stitches be removed?

What about swelling and bruises?
Bruises are not likely to develop. The inflammation is moderate and takes some days to go away.

What will the scars look like?
The resulting scar will be of about 6 inches (15 cm) just above the pubic hair. It will always be concealed by your underwear or bathing suit. In due time, it will turn to a pale pink and will become less and less visible.

You will have to rest at the hotel for a few days, usually about a week. You should try to stat walking as soon as possible. You may go back to work about 10 days after the surgery, if it is a sedentary one. If it is not and you have to lift heavy objects or if it involves physical activities, you will have to wait between two or four more weeks. You will be able to show up in public wearing a bathing suit after about a month.
The first weeks after the surgery tend to be long and unpleasant. During this period, some people may feel quite depressed. It’s quite normal to feel this way after any kind of surgery, no matter how simple it may be. You may even come to think that you made a big mistake. But don’t worry. Most of the people who are happy today and who are satisfied with the results obtained, have also felt somewhat depressed.

Every surgery, no matter how simple it may be, has certain risks, and we should not rule them out. However, it is very unlikely for mini tummy tuck surgery to present any complications when performed by a qualified surgeon. Some of the most frequent complications are:

• Adverse reactions to anesthesia.
• Infections may develop but, if you take the right antibiotics, they will be less likely to develop.
• Uneven scars that may need to be corrected by a simple surgical procedure.
• Pulmonary thrombosis. If a blood clot travels through the bloodstream and reaches the lungs, it may cause a cardiopulmonary arrest. To prevent this, try to get up and to move your legs as soon as you can.
• Large bruises that may need to be drained.
• Seromas, or fluid accumulation beneath the skin, may develop. In some cases, they will have to be drained with a syringe.
• Skin necrosis occurs in a very small percentage of cases, but it can be treated if dealt with in time.

Your abdomen will be flatter and firmer for a long time. The results of a mini tummy tuck surgery are permanent and most of the patients are satisfied with the benefits obtained. All in all, they consider that their bodies look much better after the surgery, in spite of the scar.