Mini Tummy Tuck: Cost, Procedure, And More - Healthline

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Everything You Want to Know About a Mini Tummy Tuck

Medically reviewed by Catherine Hannan, M.D. — Written by Grace Gallagher on December 7, 2020

Overview
Cost
How it works
Procedure
Targeted areas
What to expect
Pictures
Preparation
Vs. full tummy tuck
Finding a provider

Fast facts

About

Mini tummy tucks tighten the area of the stomach between your belly button and pubic area.
They’re most effective for people who are within their recommended weight range but have a little pooch — maybe from pregnancy or quick weight gain — that doesn’t seem to flatten with diet or exercise.

Safety

Mini tummy tucks are typically considered safe.
However, risks include infection, irregular scarring, or fluid accumulation under your skin.

Convenience

Mini tummy tucks are an in-office procedure that should only be done by a certified plastic surgeon.
Recovery can take 6 weeks or more.

Cost

A mini tummy tuck in the United States typically costs between $3,500 and $8,000.
This cost depends on the surgeon and where you live.

Efficacy

Mini tummy tucks are an effective way to flatten and tighten your lower stomach.
The results are typically permanent.

What is a mini tummy tuck?

A mini tummy tuck is less invasive than a full tummy tuck, also known as an abdominoplasty.

Mini tummy tucks target the area of your stomach under your belly button. They’re often effective for people who are within their recommended weight range but have extra skin or fat, sometimes called a pooch, that’s hard to get rid of with diet and exercise alone.

How much does a mini tummy tuck cost?

The price of a mini tummy tuck will vary depending on the surgeon you’re seeing and where you live.

Generally, a tummy tuck in the United States will fall somewhere between $3,500 and $8,000. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the average cost for a tummy tuck in 2019 was $6,092.

So, you may want to get several opinions to find a plastic surgeon who fits within your budget. Because it’s an elective cosmetic procedure, a mini tummy tuck won’t be covered by your insurance.

How does a mini tummy tuck work?

A mini tummy tuck flattens the lower abdomen and can help eliminate the pooch that often occurs in the lower belly.

During the procedure, the muscles in your lower abdomen may be sutured together, but this isn’t visible from the outside. Excess skin will be trimmed and laid flat.

In some cases, liposuction will be done to remove excess fat.

A mini tummy tuck may get rid of certain stretch marks, too. Whether or not your stretch marks will be removed really depends on their placement on your body and how much excess skin you have.

Diastasis recti, the separation of ab muscles, often occurs during pregnancy. It affects your full stomach above and below your belly button (think the six-pack muscles), so a full tummy tuck is a better course of action to correct this.

Procedure for a mini tummy tuck

During a mini tummy tuck procedure, an incision about 4 to 8 inches long will be made to your lower abdomen.

This is about the length of the average C-section scar. In fact, if you’ve had a C-section, they’ll likely use the same incision for a mini tummy tuck, although it may be longer.

The surgeon may tighten loose muscle and remove any excess skin, resulting in a flatter lower stomach. Results are best if you’re close to your original weight and not planning to get pregnant again.

Targeted areas for treatment

As you probably guessed from the name, a mini tummy tuck targets your tummy, specifically the lower part of your stomach between your belly button and pubic area.

Your belly button won’t be changed with a mini tummy tuck, whereas with a full abdominoplasty, it would change.

If you’re looking to flatten your entire stomach from the rib cage down, a full tummy tuck is likely the better option.

What to expect

You’ll likely wear an abdominal binder for several weeks to help support your abs as they heal.

You’ll see some results immediately, but you’ll see the full results once the swelling goes down, around 6 weeks.

Results should be permanent, barring weight gain or pregnancy.

Before-and-after pictures

When deciding whether the procedure is right for you and your body, it can be helpful to see before-and-after photos of real people who’ve had tummy tucks. Below you’ll find some before-and-after pictures.

Preparing for a mini tummy tuck

Days before your scheduled mini tummy tuck, you’ll likely need to get a blood panel to make sure you’re in good health.

You may also be told to:

stop smoking
limit alcohol
refrain from taking anti-inflammatory drugs (like aspirin) and certain herbal supplements, which may worsen bleeding or prevent proper clotting

Mini tummy tuck vs. full tummy tuck

During a full tummy tuck, your doctor will put you under anesthesia. They’ll then make a horizontal incision above your pubic hairline.

If your muscles have stretched, they’ll be sewed together so they tighten. Sometimes liposuction will also be done to remove excess fat.

Then the skin will be pulled taut around your abdomen to create a flat stomach. Excess skin will be cut off. In some cases, a surgeon will reshape your belly button.

A full tummy tuck can better correct diastasis recti, a splitting of the ab muscles that often occurs during pregnancy.

The difference is that a mini tummy tuck is only performed on the lower abdomen, while a full tummy tuck is done on a larger area of the stomach.

How to find a provider

A mini tummy tuck should be performed only by a board-certified plastic surgeon — and if the price for the procedure seems too good to be true, it probably is.

You may want to meet with the surgeon beforehand to talk about your desired results and what to expect from the procedure, as well as to see before-and-after photos of real clients.

You can use the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ surgeon finder tool to find a list of board-certified plastic surgeons near you.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Bhargava D. (2008). Abdominoplasty today.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2825125/
Branford O. (2018). Abdominoplasty procedure.https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/full/10.12968/joan.2018.7.10.542
How the modern tummy tuck can do more than ever before. (2018).https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/blog/how-the-modern-tummy-tuck-can-do-more-than-ever-before
Tummy tuck guide. (n.d.).https://www.americanboardcosmeticsurgery.org/procedure-learning-center/body/tummy-tuck-guide/
Tummy tuck. (n.d.).https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/tummy-tuck/animation
Which tummy tuck is right for me? (2016).https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/blog/which-tummy-tuck-is-right-for-me

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Medically reviewed by Catherine Hannan, M.D. — Written by Grace Gallagher on December 7, 2020

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