What is Partial Tummy Tuck Surgery?

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In the traditional tummy tuck approach, plastic surgeons make a hipbone-to-hipbone incision with its middle touching the pubic line while its two sides are curving upward to the hips, thus resembling a smile-shaped surgical cut.  Through this incision, they can repair and suture the weakened abdominal muscles and then eliminate the hanging skin, fat, and tissue, or what is medically referred as panniculus.

In a severe case of panniculus, plastic surgeons have noticed that some patients even suffer from breakdown of skin, foul odor due to poor hygiene, ulcers, non-healing skin irritation, back problem, and other related physical symptoms.

While traditional tummy tuck surgery is ideal for patients with a significant panniculus and those who need the most correction, most plastic surgery experts would agree that this approach is relatively invasive for someone who only has a minimal amount of excess skin and fats that are mainly located in their lower abdomen.

For patients who have less noticeable bulges in their abdominal area, they are the ideal candidates for mini or partial tummy tuck which involves smaller incision.  As a result, they can expect shorter recovery time, less risk of complications, and of course, minimal scarring.

This minimally invasive approach also involves the same process used in the traditional tummy tuck minus the relatively long incision.  However, one downside is that it only targets the lower abdomen and not its upper part; for this reason, some doctors complement this with liposuction in order to create a smoother appearance.

As with less invasive procedures in plastic surgery, partial tummy tuck may be performed under local anesthesia with mild sedation which is safer than general anesthesia, although some doctors would recommend the latter for certain patients and those individuals who want to be in a state of sleep throughout the operation.

Despite the use of a shorter incision, partial tummy tuck surgery is still associated with certain risks and recovery, making it crucial for plastic surgeons to conduct physical examinations and other screening tests in order to determine one’s candidacy for this procedure.

To ensure the result of this procedure will last a lifetime, patients should be at least within 10 percent of their recommended weight.  It is also important that they are willing to engage in a healthy and active lifestyle to prevent weight fluctuations which might reverse the outcome of the surgery.

Meanwhile, patients should only consult with a board-certified surgeon ideally from the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) which is the only recognized organization by the American Board of Medical Specialties.

Cosmetic Surgery Blogger @ October 27, 2011