Abdominoplasties come in all shapes and sizes, just like the women who need them. This blog will be a glossary of some of the common terms. From biggest surgery to smallest:
Full abdominoplasty. Also called Tummy tuck. Two scars: one incision from about hip to hip and one around the belly button. The muscles are tightened and usually all of the skin between the pubic area and belly button is removed. This can be combined with other procedures like liposuction of the flanks. Cannot be combined with liposuction of the belly itself. If you have hanging skin, volumes of loose skin, or loose skin above the belly button, this may be what you need.
Mini abdominoplasty. Also called a mini tummy tuck. The incision for a mini can be placed as low as you want to go. The scar length can vary– from short like a C-section to longer from hip to hip. The longer the scar, the more skin is removed. (and most are not the short C-section kind. Sorry.) Does not have an incision at the belly button. (Good for bikinis and low rider jeans) Does minimal to no tightening of the skin above the belly button. It does tighten the skin of the lower belly. You can combine with liposuction of anywhere you want. You can also combine with tightening of the muscle, though it can be difficult to reach the upper muscle near the ribcage if you are long waisted.
Floating belly button. This is not a common surgery. It involves no scar on the skin of the belly button, just one in the lower abdomen. Your belly button is like a mushroom. During a normal tummy tuck the belly button does not move- the skin does. In this surgery, the stalk of the belly button is cut, and the belly button floats down toward the pubic area attached only to the skin. This allows tightening of the upper abdomen and lower abdomen skin. The issue is it lowers the position of the belly button, so it is only good for those with high belly buttons to begin with, and the belly button is no longer connected to the stalk. If you ever need a laproscopic procedure, they cannot use the port through the belly button as this connection is gone.
Muscle tightening only. This is for the women who have good skin tone, no fat, but have loosened muscles after babies. (When you aren’t sucking it in you look 5 months pregnant, and when you suck it in you go FLAT.) A lot of my Bay Area women fall into this category. The skin incision can be short when you do this. NOTE: If when you suck in your belly the skin hangs and is wrinkled, then you likely need some form of skin tightening. The more skin tightening, the longer the scar. See mini tummy tuck description above.
The hybrid adominoplasty is a trademarked name of a procedure done by Dr. Moelleken from Southern California. It is most like the muscle tightening only procedure listed above.