Cosmetic surgery is the solution for stubborn fat deposits that won’t go away no matter how hard you work out or go on diet. However, liposuction is a risky procedure and you should consider alternatives and talk to doctors before taking a decision. Regarding a liposuction alternative, one of the trends in plastic surgery nowadays is mini liposuction, a smaller version of traditional liposuction that targets a smaller part of the body and sucks out less than 3 lbs of fat. Think of double chin, knees, ankles, arms as preferred body parts to treat with a miniliposuction. Mini liposuction is also performed on larger body parts that have that little extra fat. This is especially true for the stomach. If no matter how many crunches and sit ups you do, love handles are still there, a mini liposuction is what you need. But then, you research possible surgical methods and a question arises: “Mini liposuction or mini tummy tuck”?

A mini tummy tuck is a procedure that removes saggy, excess, skin and fat from the tummy area and tightens the abdominals. The procedure starts with a little incision just above the pubic area. Saggy skin will be cut away together with fat. The procedure is not comparable with (mini) liposuction in terms of fat removal as the liposuction procedure targets only fat but in larger amount and sucks out also the fat underneath the skin and tissues. In fact, sometimes a liposuction is performed before a tummy tuck. In that case the tummy tuck is done only to remove the saggy skin left by the loss of the fat deposits. After a mini tummy tuck, there’s no need to reposition the belly button as after a “full” tummy tuck.

Mini tummy tuck is performed in local anesthesia with mild sedation and the recovery period is 1 to 3 week to return to full activity, while for light activity just 2-3 days are enough. A compression garment must be worn for 2-3 weeks. This is to prevent from infection and to adjust the tightened skin.

As you can see a mini tummy tuck is a little more invasive than a mini liposuction, although both are less invasive and therefore safer than a traditional liposuction or tummy tuck. In a mini tummy tuck the incision is larger than the one in a mini liposuction, which is almost invisible and scarring is something to think about.

Now that you know what a mini tummy tuck is for you should understand which procedure you need. If your problem is some lose, saggy skin around the stomach area, go for a mini tummy tuck. If you have fat in the area but not excess skin, a liposuction is what you need. A mini tummy tuck is often performed after a massive weight loss, or after a pregnancy. The skin that has been stretched by the fat or due to pregnancy becomes saggy if the stretching cause is eliminated.

Mini tummy tuck prices vary a lot. The procedure is more invasive than a mini liposuction and go from $2,000 to $5,500. Being a cosmetic surgery, insurance do not cover the cost of the intervention.

If you want to see a real mini tummy tuck, the following is an excellent video of a mini tummy tuck performed by doctor Michael J. Brown (The Video Plastic Surgeon)

Also, for those considering mini liposuction or a mini tummy tuck, MyLooks plastic surgery is a popular option