Full abdominoplasty versus mini
Judging from your picture, it is my impression that you would be most satisfied with a full tummy tuck.
However, I would seek an evaluation by a board certified plastic surgeon to discover if you are a good candidate for this procedure. (Otto Joseph Placik, MD, Chicago Plastic Surgeon)
A mini abdominoplasty will not help the loose skin around your belly button
You really would benefit from either option – the mini abdominoplasty will flatten your lower tummy and tighten the skin. However, I see loose skin above your belly button, stretch marks and after 3 children I would guess that your muscles underneath are also lax.
In this case, a full abdominoplasty may give you a better result. Be most concerned with which procedure will give you the best result-that is what will make you happy. If the full abdominoplasty requires a little longer recovery it will be worth it if you are happy with your result. (Brooke R. Seckel, MD, FACS, Boston Plastic Surgeon)
Full versus mini abdominoplasty
You’d get good results from a mini abdominoplasty and great results from a full tummy tuck. Your photos reveal muscle laxity (bulging) below the bellow button, as well as some excess skin and stretch marks in the lower abdomen.
To make a dramatic difference in the shape of your abdominal wall, the muscle bulging needs to be tightened, regardless of whether you have a mini or a full tummy tuck.
With that muscle tightening comes the majority of your postoperative discomfort and restrictions; I make my patients refrain from vigorous exercise for a full 6 weeks after surgery. With that in mind, your results would be superior from a full abdominoplasty. More skin could be removed and the upper abdomen could be tightened as well. Tightening the upper abdomen is quite important because, in some patients, tightening the lower abdomen while neglecting the upper abdomen can result in upper abdominal bulging (Sam Jejurikar, MD, Dallas Plastic Surgeon)
I would recommend the full abdominoplasty
Looking at your abdomen, you have a bulge in the lower abdomen consistent with muscle weakness, and a large amount of stretch marks (mostly below the belly button). If you went with a mini abdominoplasty, you could tighten the lower abdomen, but your stretch marks would basically stay.
A full abdominoplasty would get rid of the majority of stretch marks, and drastically flatten your abdomen. Before considering either procedure, I’d like you to consider if you are done having children. A tummy tuck does not prevent future childbearing, but having another child will really undo the results. It is really a good decision to hold off on a tummy tuck until you are done with kids. Recovery is basically the same if muscle tightening is done, so don’t short change yourself over that. (Michael A. Bogdan, MD, FACS, Dallas Plastic Surgeon)
You will have a better result with a full tummy tuck
If you are looking to have as many stretch marks removed as possible then you should have a full abdominoplasty. This will take the healthy skin that is above your belly button and pulls that down while eliminating all if not most of the skin below your belly button. There is a bit longer recovery from full tummy tuck but an extra week healing now will save you years of wishing you had the full abdominoplasty in the first place. (Robert B. Pollack, MD, La Jolla Plastic Surgeon)
From your photos i believe that a standard tummy tuck and not a mini tummy tuck would get more dramatic results. Hard to say how much of the tattoo could be excised. A discussion with a plastic surgeon after an exam should help finalize the what and why of your choice. (Craig Harrison, MD, PA, Tyler Plastic Surgeon)
You are going to be better served by a full abdominoplasty. A mini-tummy tuck is a small procedure with little improvement in the mid/upper abdomen. You have a good amount of loose skin and stretch marks and the mini is going to do very little. The tattoo appears to be too high and out to the side to be removed during the full abdominoplasty.
I would suggest looking into new tattoo laser removal such as Picosure which can often remove the tattoo in 3-4 treatments. (Evan Sorokin, MD, Cherry Hill Plastic Surgeon)
You should be a good candidate for an abdominoplasty. The tattoo will probably not be removed.
All of stretch marks from the navel to the pubis will be gone. (Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD, Atlanta Plastic Surgeon)
A mini tummy tuck often gives mini results
While a mini tummy tuck is an excellent procedure for a lot of women, based on the photo you submitted, I would not consider a mini tummy tuck for you. You have too much skin laxity to give a satisfactory result. If you are considering having more children, I would delay the surgery until your family is complete. Unless the incision is located higher than the usual location, most of the tatoo will remain. It would not be essential, but losing a few pounds, either before of after the procedure, would enhance the final result. (Roger J. Oldham, MD, Bethesda Plastic Surgeon)
Full Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck)
A few patients are ideal candidates for mini abdominoplasty. In individuals similar to yourself, the skin needed to be removed is more than what can be acclmplished by a mini abdominoplasty. Please seek to have a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon with expertise in this area will show you before-and-after pictures of similar patients with excellent results. (Kevin Tehrani, MD, FACS, New York Plastic Surgeon)
A full tummy tuck would give the superior result. Only a small portion of the tattoo would be removed. Find a plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of tummy tucks and liposuction procedures each year. Then look at the plastic surgeon’s website before and after photo galleries to get a sense of who can deliver the results.