Pregnancy has a significant impact on a woman’s body, and nowhere is this more noticeable then the abdomen. This area develops excess, saggy skin, weakened muscles, and stretch marks. Despite diet and exercise, most women are unable to reverse these changes and this ultimately affects their self-image and self-esteem. Treatment options are limited and in most cases involve either abdominoplasty or mini abdominoplasty.
Abdominoplasty is performed by making a lower abdominal skin incision and then lifting the skin and subcutaneous tissue to the level of the rib cage. This typically requires detaching the belly button, which allows more skin to be removed. The muscles are then tightened, excess skin removed, and the belly button re-attached in proper position.
Mini abdominoplasty typically does not detach the belly button and confines dissection to the area below the umbilicus. Muscles below the umbilicus are often tightened and excess skin below the umbilicus is removed. Occasionally, liposuction of the upper abdomen is performed to further augment the result.
The best results are obtained when correct analysis is performed and the best surgical option applied. In most cases, patients will require a full tummy tuck, however, in patients who have loose skin confined to the area below the umbilicus, mini abdominoplsaty represents an excellent option.
