The Difference Between a Tummy Tuck and a Mommy Makeover Anyone Considering Them Should Understand
By Tatiana Bido, Features Editor |
All of the diet and exercise in the world can only take the body so far. For pockets of fat that just can’t be worked away, fat reduction can take it to the next level. But for the combination of excess fat and loose skin, there’s no substitute for what a tummy tuck can do. Common changes to the midsection, like sagging skin, stretch marks and even muscle separation, which are typical of weight fluctuations or pregnancy, can cause permanent damage. Tummy tuck surgery—or abdominoplasty—can eliminate excess fat and skin, and give the stomach a more streamlined look. Individual conditions of the abdomen vary, and for that reason, there are different tummy-tucking techniques to help achieve a flatter, trimmer waistline.
You May Also Like: Turns Out, Tummy Tucks Have Two Major Medical Benefits
Traditional Tummy Tuck
For many women post-pregnancy and weight loss, a tummy tuck is the only way to fight the battle of the bulge for a tighter and more toned abdomen. A traditional tummy tuck removes fat and saggy skin and repairs the muscles that have become stretched out due to age, pregnancy and/or weight fluctuation. Average Treatment Cost $5,000–$15,000
Unhappy with her body changes after two pregnancies, this 33-year-old
patient underwent an abdominoplasty with New York plastic surgeon
Elie Levine, MD, which removed excess fat and tightened loose skin.
Who It’s For
“Patients who have some degree of diastasis recti,” says Salt Lake City plastic surgeon Renato Saltz, MD.
“That means separation of the two rectus muscles in the
abdomen that form the six pack. After pregnancy, the
muscles move apart and no exercise, diet or machine can
bring them back. Add to that excess fat and stretched-out
skin, and the only solution to tighten the muscles, get rid
of the fat and tighten skin is a tummy tuck.”
Who It’s Not For
Patients who are not at, or close to, their
ideal weight will be urged to modify their diet and integrate
regular exercise into their routines, as weight fluctuations
can affect long-term results.
What to Expect
Under general anesthesia, an incision will
be made from hip to hip, as well as around the belly button.
Fat will then be removed before the skin is lifted and
tightened from the belly button down—any excess skin will
also be removed. The underlying abdominal muscles are
usually tightened. “A thorough and properly performed
tummy tuck addresses all three of the common problems,
which are excess fat, excess skin and muscle repair,” says
Shreveport, LA plastic surgeon Simeon Wall, Jr., MD.
“But I address all of the fat circumferentially, 360 degrees
around, with tightening of the skin from the bottom of the
breasts all the way down into the pubic area and front of
the thighs.” After the procedure there will be some swelling
and bruising, which will dissipate over the next couple
of weeks. The skin on the stomach may be numb due to
minor sensory nerve trauma, but sensation generally
returns within one year, if not sooner.
Procedure Time
Two to five hours
Recovery Time
Two to six weeks; no strenuous activity
for six to eight weeks
Other Types of Tummy Tucks
Extended Tummy Tuck
An extended form of the
traditional tummy tuck is best
for enhancing the back, flanks
and possibly the skin above
the buttocks. For heavy love handles and deep folds of fat
on the back, this procedure
may be best. “I always start my
tummy tucks with liposuction
in the back,” says Dr. Saltz.
“First, we place the patient
facing down on the operating
room table. Then, we suction
the whole lower back and flank
areas before we turn them to
do the abdomen for the tummy
tuck. This is more of a 360-
degree procedure.” Some
surgeons prefer to do this in
the lateral position and turn
the patient side to side rather
than starting with the patient
facing down. The incision and
scar will most often run from
the upper level of the pubic
hair all around the back.
Lateral Tummy Tuck
For patients with loose skin
on their stomach and thighs,
a lateral tension tummy tuck
may be needed. This variation
places tension laterally on the
abdominal muscles opposed
to centrally, to address the
stomach as a whole. The scar
will be similar to that of a
traditional tummy tuck and
runs from hip to hip. It also
addresses skin laxity in the
thighs because excess skin
is removed through a single
incision. “A lateral high-tension
abdominoplasty allows me to
define the abdominal muscles
in the midline—what we call
the linea alba—a little better,
resulting in a more athletic look,” says Houston plastic
surgeon German Newall, MD.
“Most abdominoplasties
tighten the muscles in a
vertical line. The lateral
high-tension tummy tuck
involves creating tension
laterally by designing a wider
area of skin where we’re going
to cut on the lateral sides—
we basically cinch the waist,
almost like a corset.”
Mini-Tummy Tuck
For a small amount of loose
skin and localized fat—usually
between the belly button and
pubic bone—a mini-tummy
tuck (also referred to as a
limited abdominoplasty)
may be performed. It will not
tighten any loose skin above
the belly button, and also may
not remove stretch marks in
that area. This option is best
for someone with a small
amount of laxity and bulging.
An incision is made at the
upper area of the hair-bearing
region (the incision is smaller
in length than a traditional
tummy tuck), and excess skin
and fat are removed. The
stretched muscles can be
repaired through this incision.
Umbilical Float Tummy Tuck
Similar to the mini-tummy
tuck, this version frees the belly
button from its attachment
without an external incision
around the belly button, and
then reattaches it slightly lower.
This allows more skin tightening
than a mini-tummy tuck, as
well as suturing of the muscles
higher up on the abdomen.
Mommy Makeover
After childbirth, the body doesn’t always “bounce back” and it can become increasingly hard to get it to look the way it did before pregnancy. A Mommy Makeover addresses changes that result from pregnancy in the breasts and stomach by combining multiple procedures, like a tummy tuck, liposuction and breast surgery to restore what’s been lost.
Unhappy with her lack of breast volume and excess abdominal fat, this
33-year-old patient underwent a Mommy Makeover with Sugar Land, TX
plastic surgeon Ankur Mehta, MD to achieve her desired body shape.
Who It’s For
Women
wanting to restore their
bodies closer to their
pre-pregnancy appearance.
Most plastic surgeons
recommend letting the
body heal for at least six
months after delivery before
surgery. Breastfeeding must
have stopped as well so the
surgeon can get an idea of
the true size and position
of the breasts. “Ideally a
patient should be within 10
pounds of their optimum
weight and have a BMI less
than 30 to get the best
cosmetic result with the
least risk of complications,”
says La Jolla, CA plastic
surgeon Robert Singer, MD.
Who It’s Not For
Patients
planning on having more
children may want to wait
until they are done with their
pregnancies. Pregnancy
following tummy tuck
surgery is possible and not
considered dangerous, but
those planning on future
pregnancies should wait
to have a full tummy tuck with muscle repair because
pregnancy will stretch out
the skin and muscles again,
undoing the results.
Chicago plastic surgeon Niki Christopoulos, MD performed a breast
augmentation with silicone implants, and a tummy tuck with liposuction
to give this 49-year-old patient the hourglass figure she desired.
What to Expect
The surgery
addresses loose skin on the
stomach, a lack of fullness
and sagging in the breasts,
stretch marks, and even
hard-to-get-rid-of fat. “The
four areas we can address
with a Mommy Makeover
are the breasts, the trunk,
the buttocks and the lower
extremities,” says Dr. Wall.
“We can do any two of these
procedures together, and
sometimes three at once.
But, we don’t usually do
all four together—it’s just
too much surgery.” Safety
should always be the main
concern, stresses Dr. Singer.
Procedure Time
Four to
eight hours
Recovery Time
Two to six
weeks; no strenuous activity
for eight to 12 weeks
Longevity
Permanent
Average Treatment Cost
It varies based on the
procedures performed