Mini tummy tuck cost is determined by several factors that include, the size of the patient, extent of skin laxity, whether umbilical hernias will require repair, whether liposuction of the abdominal flap will be required, and whether liposuction or excision of lateral flanks will be required.
The size of the patient can affect the cost of the mini tummy tuck. This is because the larger the size of the patient, the longer the surgery will take. The best means of assessing the size of the patient is to calculate the BMI, that is short for body mass index. The body mass index ranges between 18 and 35 in units and is calculated with your height and weight.
The extent of skin laxity will affect the mini tummy tuck cost by virtue of requiring a larger excision of skin tissues and subsequent incision line repair. The excision of tissues and repair of these surgical incision lines is what takes the longest time to complete in the operating room. If you have skin redundancy isolated to central abdomen, then you can have a shorter incision line that mimics a C-Section scar. If you have a lot of skin redundancy that stretches around your back, then you may need an extended mini tummy tuck that wraps around your back.
When an umbilical hernia is present, it can be repaired during your mini tummy tuck surgery. The advantage of repairing the umbilical hernia at the same time as your mini tummy tuck is that it can be repaired using an indirect approach that avoids an extra incision around your belly button. As a result, there will be no evidence of this repair when completed. The only incision will be your mini tummy tuck incision which will be hidden underneath your bikini bottoms. Regardless, an umbilical hernia repair will increase the surgical time and subsequently your mini tummy tuck cost.
When a mini tummy tuck requires liposuction of the abdominal flap, then considerable increase in surgical times might be realized. In fact, high definition liposuction that involves abdominal etching is actually possible during a mini tummy tuck since undermining of the abdominal flap is limited. Abdominal etching provides for remarkable unveiling of the underlying abdominal muscles that is unique to high definition liposuction; however, this unique type of liposuction does require an additional hour of surgical time.
Mini tummy tuck cost is affected by need to contour the lower back and flanks. When the lower back and flanks are prominent, then these areas need to be contoured in order to avoid soft tissue and skin fullness of the flanks, termed dog ears. If not attended to dog ears can become even more prominent following tightening of the belly such as during a mini tummy tuck. As a result, a combination of both liposuction and/or excision of skin may be required to make sure that the lateral hips are smooth and aesthetically pleasing.
In summary, mini tummy tuck cost is affected by the extent of surgical time. Any number of maneuvers may be required to achieve appropriate abdominal contouring results. These include eliminating all skin redundancy and fat excess as well as correcting functional concerns such as an umbilical hernia. A comprehensive physical examination with a body contouring expert is required to create an accurate mini tummy tuck cost determination.