Question:
Mini Tummy Tuck, Please tell me what that consist of?

Hi everyone, i went to my gastric bypass surgeon for a b-12 shot, and started talking about plastic surgery and he said that he would give me a mini tummy tuck for $1000.00. He specializes in gastric bypass and other cosmetic procedures and i know he is good, but i dont know what a mimi tummy tuck consist of. I know and abdominalplasty and where they go into the muscle right? But a panni just takes off the bottom flap of your stomach and they don't tighten the muscle. One Plastic surgeon told me i just have hanging skin, no lipo is needed during my tummy tuck, so i think a mini tummy tuck will be fine. Thank you in advance for your answers.    — sexysag37 (posted on October 30, 2004)

October 30, 2004
$1000.00 in a heart beat a TT usually runs in CA around $10,000
   — Kathleen M.

October 30, 2004
If you want to know what it consists of, you have to ask the surgeon himself -- anyone else would only be guessing. I'd also ask to see before and after pictures of his patients, preferrably people who looked as much like you "before" as possible, or maybe you know patients of his who can show you in person how their mini-tummy tuck results look a year later or more. Seeing the results is the best way to tell if he is "good" at plastics (I take it he's not a board-certified plastic surgeon). Also, if this is to be self-pay, ask if the original fee covers a revision if you are unhappy with the result (except for OR/anesthesia fees, obviously, those you'd have to pay again). And find out about whether that $1,000 covers the OR and anesthesia and *everything* to begin with. A thousand bucks for a tummy tuck, mini or not, sounds awfully low to me, and in plastic surgery, as in many things, you get what you pay for. I'd suggest investigating a lot further before jumping in.
   — Suzy C.

October 30, 2004
I would ask a whole lot of questions and know exactly what you are getting. My insurance reimburses the Dr. $1200 for a panniculectomy. I would guess that the $1000 does not include any muscle tightening.
   — **willow**

October 30, 2004
I had 2 consults. The first one said I justed needed a mini tummy tuck, only below the belly button and just skin removal. The 2nd one said I needed muscle repair with a full abdminoplasty and an anchor incision. (incision from hip to hip and breast bone to pubic area) I went with the 2nd one and he was right. it turned out fabulous.
   — Connie M.

October 30, 2004
I think the world of my WLS but truthfully I would never let him do any PS on me. He has started doing panni's at the request of patients, but it is a down and dirty panni. To those that just want the skin off and do not care how beautiful it is, then you will likely be very pleased with the results. However, they usually only do the hip-to-hip and do not wrap around the back at all, so be sure you do not need any over the hip done or you will end up with dog ears. Granted they can happen from a PS too, but it's the particular procedure and your anatomy that usually causes this. They can also be revised, so if it happens it's not the end of the world. <p>A PS, in my opinion, is going for a much more acceptable looking scar than a general or WL surgeon. My open scar, while totally flat was far from minimally noticeable. My PS scars, while tons of inches long (had an upper and a lower body lift (cut all the way around down low and at the bra line) plus the anchor incision) are very thin lines and fading wonderfully. I suspect they will always be somewhat noticeable but who knows in a couple of years, maybe the redness will fade. But regardless the fact that they are pencil line thin is great. The vertical incision and the horizontal one under my breasts is almost invisible and at only 5 months old. <p>When my WLS said he was going to start doing panni's I asked how he would close the incision. His answer was staples. I knew right then and there it wasn't for me. Even though I have no trouble with keloiding of scars etc., any kind of surface closing I end up seeing the holes forever. My carpal tunnel scars are flat as can be and light but you can see every stitch hole that came through the skin. It's just how my body scars. My PS has used glue to close the skin for my surgeries and it is the answer for me. It is more expensive but the end result is amazingly different. Not everyone's body has this issue, so you need to factor that in also. I certainly would not have wanted railroad tracks all over my body and that's what I would have had with staples. <p>Like other have said, ask to see pics. Talk to other patients who have had him do the mini tuck, which I believe is probably just a panni. Also the $1000 is just his fee I'm sure. So you need to find out the total with facility and anesthesiology charges before making any decision. The total list price (all charges listed separately) for my LBL was $36,000+ for facility charges and $10,160 for surgeon. Insurance paid $17,800+ for facility and $4500 for surgeon. I paid $3400 for facility and $2540 for surgeon. The anesthesiologist was also paid about $3100 by insurance. My portion was covered in my facility charge. Basically I was given a cosmetic package price for the facility and anesthesiologist for the lateral thigh portion that insurance would not cover. The rest was all written off as either the 10% write-off agreement with insurance or as part of my package. The total the was paid ended up being $31,340. Not exactly a cheap LBL. My uper body lift was handled similarly as I had insurance coverage but then I also had 4 liters of fat lipo'd out of my legs in preparation for the skin removal. The total insurance paid on that one was about $14,400 and I paid $2750 for the lipo work (surgeon, facility and anesthesiologist). The upper body lift also included some small revisions to 3 areas that were done in the LBL. I was not charged for any of it as the surgeon did his work for free and the facility and anesthesiology charges got absorbed in the insurance coverage. I'm going into my 3rd PS in 10 days and that will cost me $10,600. I have no insurance coverage on the leg skin removal so I am totally using a cosmetic surgery package pricing. However, the total for the work I am having done is upwards of $20,000 as my surgeon is not charging for some extensive revision work to the upper torso and reduced the fee for the leg work enough to cover the lipo he needs to do as part of the torso work. The only thing I have to pay for of the revision work is the facility charges which includes the anesthesiologist. <p>The moral of my very long answer is beware of deals that sound too good. It might be a situation of you get what you pay for! Like I said, I love my WL surgeon and would trust him to do any kind of surgery I needed except PS! He's a top notch cut and fix em kind of guy (trauma surgeon and general surgeon in addition to 17 years of WLS) and he's darn good at that, but a PS he ain't!
   — zoedogcbr

October 31, 2004
My personal view is....I would ask for pics of former patients and talk to them. I'm 6 months post op from a full TT. I thought the same thing...a mini tuck would do. I just wanted the fold gone and with it the severe rashes. Once, I saw my PS and he showed what he thought needed removed, plus stomach tightening I was amazed at what a mini tuck doesn't do! Like my PS said ...Do you want an OK look or do you want to look the Best you can, since your having surgery anyway. I opted for the full TT/Stomach Tightening and thrilled I did. No lipo involved. I'm 54 and have a flat defined tummy. I work out and have added to the definition. Hard to believe a good mini tuck would be $1000, not including surgery clinic/etc. Please don't be swayed by the cheap charge. Myself, I would only want a Board Certified Plastic Surgeron with great skills carving on me. lol In most instances .....You get what you pay for. I wish you much luck! (((HUGS))) Research is the key with any procedure, when your going under the knife.
   — Hazel S.

November 2, 2004
Listen to Hazel. Mini tummy tuck = mini result. For SURE look at pics. in patients who resemble you or have your body type. I do "minis" only on "string bean" skinny patients with the tiniest "pooch" above the pubic area. I ahve a few "before and afters" on www.drlomonaco.com
   — DrL