Mini Abdominoplasty

If you (male or female) suffer from excess skin, sagging, or deformed/weak abdominal muscles area after losing or gaining frequently weight, then you may need this surgery.

If you’ve had multiple pregnancies, your abdominal skin will automatically stretch and expand. Your lower abdomen stretches even further towards final months before you give birth. Some people’s skin has high elasticity and thus can tolerate it. Other people aren’t so lucky – their skin in that area may crack and deform after a certain point. After birth, some women’s abdomen recovers and goes back to being flat again; but others’ skin goes saggy and takes on a folded appearance.

Another post-pregnancy problem that a mini abdominoplasty can smooth out is the loosening of the abdominal wall. Your abdominal muscles weaken during pregnancy and separate to make room for your infant. Sometimes, the connective structure between the abdominal muscles ruptures due to excessive separation. While you can’t see this rupture from outside, you’ll know it there by your inability to suck your belly inwards and by its appearance. You’ll need your doctor to examine you for a definite diagnosis.

Although you diet and exercise to rid of this, some skins won’t recover entirely and you may be left with a slight amount of sagging. The mini abdominoplasty can help you rid of this memory.

Anyone over age 18 who is healthy enough to undergo surgery and has excess skin on/around their abdomen can apply to this surgery.

Mini abdominoplasty will:

• Give you a tighter and more voluminous abdomen by repairing its muscles and also compact and organize your internal organs.
• Free your abdomen of excess skin (a burden on both your waist and body).
• Make your abdomen smoother and make your waist curvier (if you’re a woman.) Having more feminine lines will give you self-confidence and the freedom to wear whatever you want.

(For men) – Give you a more chiseled abdominal and waist line. If you do sports, you’ll gain even more muscle, thus enhancing your results all the better!

During your pre-operative exam, Dr. Ozsular first will listen to any complaints, expectations, and concerns you have about the surgery and will determine you need. Keys to planning this surgery are how much excess skin you have, how strong your abdominal muscles are, how old you are, and the likelihood of you becoming pregnant.

After the doctor decides upon you having a mini-abdominoplasty, he’ll make drawings of that area – whilst taking your age, weight, height, waist thickness and excess skin amount into consideration – to give you a preview of what the results may look like. Next, he’ll requests specific examinations and analyses.

Before you undergo this procedure, you need to be in full agreement as well as in full communication with your doctor. You have to prepare yourself both physically and psychologically so that you are comfortable and ready to move onto the next step.

You’ll need to have x-rays taken and blood values checked beforehand.

If you smoke, quit before surgery if possible. Don’t forget to notify Dr. Ozsular of all medications you are currently using. If he orders you to stop taking them for a certain period, then do so. (If you take aspirin or any form of anticoagulant, tell your doctor and continue only if he tells you to do so.)

Try to reduce how much salt you consume as well a few days before the surgery. This will reduce your risk of developing edema.

You are allowed to eat as well as drink water six to eight hours prior to surgery. Since you will be under general anesthesia, you will need to fast for at least six hours prior to the procedure. (If you forget to do so, your surgery may be postponed or canceled.)

Don’t put on make-up.

Don’t wear nail polish or enamel.

Don’t wear wigs. Don’t wear any jewelry (including piercings) – your body should be free of metal.

Also, don’t forget to put together an overnight bag – including loose clothes (preferably with zippers/buttons)– before you come in for the surgery. You also should wear comfortable shoes.

On the morning of the surgery, you will be taken to your room. Dr. Ozsular and his assistant will come and visit you.

Your surgery will commence at the time specified. You’ll be under general anesthesia during the whole procedure and therefore you won’t be aware of anything whilst your doctor is working on you.

First, excess skin around your abdomen will be cut away and removed in a calculated and planned manner. If your muscles are damaged and loose, then they’ll get repaired too. Then, your skin will be closed with thin sutures. If liposuction is also planned in the same surgery, a fair amount of fat is removed. Towards the end of surgery, drains will be placed into you, then your dressings will be done and your corsets and compression socks will be put on you.

Last, local anesthesia is applied to your abdominal and waist area so that you won’t feel any pain when you wake up.

Once everything is complete, your anesthesiologist will wake you up.

You may feel dizzy for the first few hours after the surgery– this is caused by the effects of anesthesia.

We recommend you to rest for a few hours first.

Dr. Ozsular and his assistant will visit you later to tell you how your surgery went, and then give you orders to follow.

Patients who undergo a mini abdominoplasty recover and return to their normal lives faster than those who’ve undergone a full abdominoplasty. That said, all abdominoplasty surgeries are more painful surgeries than other plastic surgeries.

After you have abdominoplasty, we will monitor you closely for pain control and to see how you’re recovering.

Your drains will be removed two to three days after the surgery.

We will also apply the epidural anesthesia to you after mini abdominoplasty surgeries so that you feel comfortable during your first two days after surgery (the most painful period). For the first week after surgery, you’ll take analgesics so that you experience as little pain as possible. Your pain will gradually alleviate one to two weeks later – upon which you’ll be able to return back to your normal life provided you don’t do any heavy labor.

The procedure will take for 1 - 2 hours. You’ll be able to wear tight clothes again, show off your new body, and enjoy your new tummy two to three weeks after the surgery – provided you get plenty of rest.

Your first control will take place 3 to 5 days after surgery. Your dressings and corset will be changed as well. 

Your second control will take place 10 to 14 days after the first one.

International patients and those from outside Istanbul should allocate 10 to 14 days in Istanbul for their surgery and controls.

During mini abdominoplasty, your excess skin is removed from your lower abdominal area. If required, your muscles in that area get repaired as well. Mini abdominoplasty is a minimal operation than its full counterpart. It is ideal for those who suffer from mild abdominal deformation.

Full abdominoplasty also reshapes your umbilicus and stretches your whole abdomen. It’s a much more complicated procedure and ideal for those who suffer from larger/serve abdominal deformation.

Yes, it will look tighter and more dynamic since your abdominal wall and muscles will be repaired during the surgery. That said, the best way to make it look even more muscular is exercising after you’ve healed.

Note: no plastic surgery will give you strong abdominal muscles. They can only make your existing muscles stand out further after the fat around them has been taken via liposuction, or after excess skin has been removed via abdominoplasty (during which your muscles and tissues will be repaired).

If you want your abdomen to look extra muscular and strong, then you need to do exercises that will strengthen your abdominal muscles. You’ll need to do for Dr. Ozsular’s approval after surgery, of course.

Yes, but they’ll be right where your underwear and swimsuits covers– and thus won’t be visible to anyone.

How quickly your scars recover depends both on your genetics and how well you live after the surgery.

 Some people develop no scars at all when healing. Others develop very visible scars; again, in others scars may swell and then heal although rare. Anti-scar creams will help your scars heal better.

Yes, if your first surgery was unsuccessful and didn’t yield the anticipated results. That said, you cannot have a second surgery until at least one full year after your first one.

You may need a mini abdominoplasty following an unplanned pregnancy. In such cases, second surgery can be planned after your breast feeding period is over.

Yes, liposuction and full abdominoplasty can be planned at the same time if you want more striking results and a flatter abdomen.

Mini abdominoplasty will give you a tighter and flatter lower abdomen. Hence, if you get pregnant, you risk undoing that and deforming your skin.

If you’re married and planning on getting pregnant, then you postpone undergoing surgery until you’ve had your baby. Only then you can benefit from the full effects of mini or full abdominoplasty.

If you’re not married or planning on getting married or pregnant in the near future, then you can go ahead and undergo a mini abdominoplasty.