If your main concern is a bulge below the level of your belly button and you have minimal skin laxity around the belly button, you may be a candidate for a mini-tummy tuck, or "partial abdominoplasty". This less complex procedure can be done under general anesthesia; epidural anesthesia, which numbs the body below the belly button; or, less commonly, under local anesthesia with sedation.
One advantage to the mini-tummy tuck is that it requires a much shorter incision--usually 2 1/2 to 4 inches in length--usually along the pubic line. Unlike the full abdominoplasty, there is no secondary incision around the navel. The result: much less scarring.
After making the incision, the surgeon lifts the skin of the lower abdomen to expose the muscles. The surgeon then removes excess fat and a strip of skin, usually an inch or so thick, and tightens the muscles of the lower abdominal wall. The skin is stretched down and the incision closed. Mini-tummy tucks are sometimes performed with the help of an endoscope.
Because partial abdominoplasty usually takes 1 1/2 to 2 hours, the fees may be about 30 to 50% lower than the fees charged for the full tummy tuck.
Surgeons disagree on whether the mini-tummy tuck should be done on an inpatient or outpatient basis. Some prefer to keep patients in the hospital overnight to help them remain quiet and still to reduce the risk of postoperative bleeding. Other surgeons are comfortable sending patients home with strict orders to avoid any physical activity for at least 24 hours.
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