- Mini Tummy Tuck
- Standard/Traditional Tummy Tuck
- Lipoabdominoplasty/Brazilian tummy tuck
- Extended Tummy Tuck
- Torsoplasty – 360 Degree Tummy Tuck
- Circumferential Tummy Tuck, Belt Plasty, Lower Body Lift
- Dermolipectomy/Panniculectomy
- Fleur De Lis Tummy Tuck
Type-1: Mini Tummy Tuck
The skin of the abdomen can be divided into two parts. Above umbilicus and below the umbilicus. When only skin below the umbilicus is extra, there would be no need for a scar around the umbilicus. The lower abdominal skin can be removed through the shorter scar. There may or may not be needed for muscle tightening, depending on muscle tone. A young, post-pregnancy woman is a typical case for a mini tummy tuck. While doing mini abdominoplasty, there is a need to placate muscle up to chest bone. That can be done with the help of an endoscope, which is called endoscopic or endoscopic assisted abdominoplasty surgery.
When there is high umbilicus, very little skin is extra above the umbilicus, Floating Umbilicus technique can be applied without an umbilical surrounding scar. The umbilicus is detached from the underlying muscle and fixed at the new location.
Type-2: Standard Tummy Tuck/Full Tummy Tuck/Traditional Tummy Tuck
As part of normal anatomy, there is a fine line (linea alba) between the two vertical rectus muscles in the front of the abdomen. These are the muscles that create a six-pack when well developed. Oblique muscles are attached laterally and go up to the back. The stretching of the abdominal wall occurs as a result of the natural transformation that occurs during pregnancy or after a major weight loss. But, in some women, the linea alba between the two muscles stretches and does not return to the normal and this is called diastasis recti. This stretching of oblique muscle makesthe abdomen more protruding and pouch developsin the lower abdomen.
When a patient has a weakened abdominal muscle or they experience abdominal wall laxity, they may be a candidate for abdominal muscle tightening during the abdominoplasty procedure.
To repair diastasis recti during an abdominoplasty, the muscle edges are sutured together, thereby tucking in the loose abdominal wall. Sutures can also be placed on the facia of the abdominal oblique muscle of the abdominal wall to create a further tightening of the muscle and create the narrowness of the waist line.
Skin and fat undermined extensively and pulled down to suture at lower the lower ends. During this process, the extra skin along with stretch marks are removed.
Type-3: Lipoabdominoplasty/Brazilian Tummy Tuck
Abdominal fat has two components one has those fat that occurs beneath the skin and above the muscles of the abdominal wall. This fat is known as “pinchable fat,” and another component is that fat that occurs beneath the abdominal muscles surrounding viscera known as visceral fat. Thus, non-pinchable and pinchable fat is removed with liposuction.
In lipoabdominoplasty, pinchable fat and somatic fat are removed with liposuction and only the central part of the skin flap is dissected for muscle tightening.
Advantages of the Lipoabdominoplasty over standard tummy tuck are as follows:
- Fat is removed with liposuction results in a thinner abdomen.
- Liposuction sculpts the abdomen gives the more contoured natural looking flat abdomen.
- Skin slides get better so more skin is excised.
- Skin sliding with vascularity maintained and thus it is safer.
- A patient can walk on the same day, instead of bending unlike the standard tummy tuck
- As the skin tightens better the resultant scar is short and gets practically invisible below the bikini line.
- Mons pubis also repositioned a gets tighter at a youthful level.
- Advanced technology such as Vaser “Liposelection” target only those fat with a very minimal effect on the blood vessels, nerves, and structural tissues, which makes lipoabdominoplasty quite safer.
- High tension lipoabdominoplasty also tightens thigh skin and lift lateral slide, but it has some limitations.
Lipoabdominoplasty Limitations
Lipoabdominoplasty removes pinchable fat but doesn’t affect the visceral fat which is deep to abdominal muscle. Therefore, the potbelly cannot be improved with the lipoabdominoplasty. Visceral fat reduces only when one followsa healthy lifestyle.
Type-4: Extended Tummy Tuck
When there is extra skin on the lateral abdomen or a large amount of fat on laterally, incision of the tummy tuck for men or tummy tuck for women has to extend beyond hip to tighten the abdominal skin, which is called an extended tummy tuck. It also lifts the lateral thigh skin.
Type-5: Torsoplasty – 360 Degree Tummy Tuck
When lipoabdominoplasty is combined with back liposuction, it is called torsoplasty, which gives hourglass shape.
Type-6: Circumferential Tummy Tuck, Belt Plasty, Lower Body Lift
After massive weight loss or a large amounts of fat liposuction, there is evident extra skin on backside also. To remove this extra skin, an incision is made till back and meet each other in the mid line, which is called circumferential or belt lipectomy. It also tightens the lateral thigh skin and lifts the butt.
Type-7: Dermolipectomy/Panniculectomy
When only the skin is loose and muscle tone is very good and rectii are attached to each other in the mid-line, there is no need to plicate muscle. Only skin excision is done, which is called dermolipectomy or the only skin abdominoplasty. As muscle is not tightened, recovery is very fast. So many men just require dermolipectomy.
Type-8: Fleur De Lis Tummy Tuck
When skin is too much in excess, the fleur de lis name is derived from this type of incision. After removing fat and tightening of muscle, the skin is excised in three petal shapes. One reaches up to breast bone and two going lateral around the hip bone. The skin is pulled down and centrally. The resultant incision is like an inverted “T” shape.
