Who it suits
Someone near a healthy, stable weight with a small pouch or loose skin only below the belly button, often after one pregnancy, whose skin above the navel is still firm.
When a full one is the answer
If skin is loose above the belly button too, or the muscles are separated above it, a mini won't fix it, and the result can look unbalanced. Many people who ask for a mini are told a full tummy tuck suits them better. A good surgeon explains why.
A tummy tuck isn't for you yet if:
- your weight is still going down or up
- you plan more pregnancies: a pregnancy can undo the result
- you smoke and won't stop well before surgery (some surgeons won't operate on smokers at all)
- the problem is fat with firm skin, when liposuction may be enough
The operation and recovery
Shorter than a full tummy tuck, under a general anaesthetic or sometimes sedation, and sometimes a day case. Recovery is quicker than a full one but still takes weeks: a garment, no lifting, and a slow return to exercise. You'll need an adult to drive you home and stay with you for the first 24 hours.
The scar
A low, shorter scar that usually sits under underwear. No scar around the belly button.
Risks
The common and the less common:
- a long scar across the lower tummy (and around the belly button after a full tummy tuck), red at first and fading over 12 to 18 months
- numbness of the lower tummy skin for months, sometimes years
- a pocket of fluid above the scar (a seroma), which may need draining
- a collection of blood under the skin (a haematoma)
- wounds that are slow to heal, more likely if you smoke
- thick or obvious scars, or 'dog ears' of extra skin at the ends of the scar
- a blood clot in a leg vein, which can travel to the lungs
- infection, or a reaction to the anaesthetic
Your surgeon should tell you how likely each one is for you, and what they'd do about it.
Cost
€5,600 to €7,900 in Ireland. A full tummy tuck is €8,000 to €12,000.
Every doctor practising in Ireland must be registered with the Medical Council, and only a doctor with specialist registration can practise independently as a specialist. For a tummy tuck, check that the surgeon is on the Specialist Division in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, using the Medical Council's online register.
Questions people ask
Is a mini tummy tuck worth it?
For the right shape, yes: a small, low overhang with firm skin above. For anything more, a full tummy tuck gives a better, more even result.
Can a mini tummy tuck fix diastasis?
Only below the belly button. Separation above it needs a full tummy tuck. Physiotherapy comes first.