The incision is made. Because a mini tummy tuck only targets excess skin below the belly button, it is much shorter than a full tummy tuck incision. In delivering a mini tummy tuck, Dr. Rahban places the incision as low on the abdomen as possible, allowing it to be hidden by underwear or bikini bottoms.
What is a mini tummy tuck?
A mini tummy tuck after pregnancy is a surgical procedure that removes excess skin from the abdomen to create tighter, smoother contours in the tummy. When the skin expands to accommodate a pregnant belly, it unfortunately doesn’t always retract after childbirth. If the skin has stretched, there is no amount of diet or exercise that will reduce its bulk. A mini tummy tuck is usually performed during a Los Angeles mommy makeover when excess skin has accumulated only below the belly button. A mini tummy tuck will effectively eliminate this excess skin, leaving you with a stomach that is smooth and lean. The mini tummy tuck is called "mini" because it addresses less area on your belly as opposed to a fully tummy tuck that addresses the areas of the mini tummy tuck in addition to severe muscle separation.
Am I a candidate?
In determining candidacy for a mini tummy tuck during a Beverly Hills mommy makeover, there are several factors to consider. A good candidate for a mini tummy tuck has accumulated some loose, sagging skin on the tummy below the belly button, generally after pregnancy or significant weight loss. Such a patient may have some mild excess skin above the belly button, but this will not be addressed during a mini tummy tuck. For this reason, you and Dr. Rahban must agree whether this procedure is appropriate for your cosmetic goals.
As the belly expands during pregnancy, it does not only affect the outer skin—it also stretches the underlying abdominal muscles, known as the abdominal fascia, hence creating rectus diastasis. When this occurs, the muscles tend to bulge outward, creating a pooch and unflattering appearance. That being said, during a mini tummy tuck after pregnancy, the muscle separation is not often addressed. The reason is that if you address only the bulge below the belly button and not the bulge above the belly button, you will have a weird pooch above the belly button, creating an uneven appearance. If a patient has a significant muscle bulge, a full tummy tuck is necessary to get access to the entirety of the abdominal muscles.
When it comes to the stomach, stretch marks are an extremely common problem. There is no treatment that has been proven to reduce stretch marks, beyond surgical removal of the offending skin. If your stretch marks fall within the area being excised, they will be removed. The stretch marks that are left behind often look better when there’s tension from the stretched abdominal skin. No other treatment, such as lasers, creams, etc., has been proven to work.
This is pre-operative and post-operative of a Diastasic Recti patient.
The mini tummy tuck consultation
Note: while each surgeon approaches the consultation process differently, Dr. Rahban feels they should all have the same basic elements, ensuring patients leave very well informed regarding surgery. Below is how Dr. Rahban conducts a consultation.

Your consultation should be done by your plastic surgeon and not by his staff, such as his coordinator. In many cases, patients are offered free consultations, but you must understand that often means you’ll get a hurried consult. As a point of reference, Dr. Rahban on average spends up to an hour with each patient, reviewing not only what the patient came in for, but also explaining all the nuances such as the risks and alternatives to what that patient has requested.
There is no way to accelerate the dissemination of knowledge when it is so complicated and crucial.
During a mini tummy tuck consultation, Dr. Rahban covers several crucial points. Firstly, he gathers data regarding your specific cosmetic objectives. After all, the goal is your satisfaction and confidence. Plastic surgery is all about what you are trying to accomplish. Just because a surgeon likes a result, it does not mean you will like it. In all plastic surgery, you are the unique element in the equation.
Second, after an examination, Dr. Rahban defines the exact problem, allowing you to better understand what your body has been through. Next, he lays out your options, including incisions, amount of skin to be excised, and other factors, including which procedure(s) will produce the best results—liposuction, mini tummy tuck, standard tummy tuck or a combination thereof during a mommy makeover. Dr. Rahban will be with you every step of the way to guide you towards the right option for you and thus ensure beautiful results from one of the best mommy makeovers Los Angeles has to offer mothers.
As an extension of this, Dr. Rahban also reviews what patients should not expect from surgery. He is well known for telling his patients the truth and establishing a healthy level of expectation. Most patient dissatisfaction is related to inaccurate understanding and expectation of their surgery. Dr. Rahban deals in full disclosure to prevent this from occurring.
In the interest of helping his patients fully understand the procedure, Dr. Rahban will take this opportunity to review all potential risks. While some risks are quite unlikely, he still wants his patients to be aware of the potential downsides of surgery. All surgeries come with risks. Therefore, he believes the only time to engage in surgery is if the benefits far outweigh the risks. If you will only have a mild improvement, Dr. Rahban will most definitely recommend you do not undergo the procedure.
During a consultation, Dr. Rahban has one primary purpose—total patient education. He wants each patient to fully understand the nuances as well as limitations of mini tummy tucks post pregnancy, as well as every risk and exactly how the procedure applies to them, allowing them to make the best decision for themselves. During a consultation, he’s more interested in telling his patients what the procedure won’t do, rather than what it will do. With his honest, candid approach, Dr. Rahban brings a new level of care to ensuring his patients know exactly how a mini tummy tuck works.
Mini tummy tuck procedure
Note: while no two surgeons perform this procedure identically, most techniques have a similar series of steps. Below is a brief overview of Dr. Rahban’s technique, allowing you to gain a more detailed understanding regarding how your surgery will be performed. The more you know, the more control you have.
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There are several basic steps that comprise a mini tummy tuck. These are:

Once the incision is made, Dr. Rahban will release your skin and fat up to the level of your belly button. Then he can recruit and excise as much excess skin as necessary.

Next, Dr. Rahban pulls the excess skin down, allowing him to see exactly how much excess skin should be removed. While one may think that more is better, this is where Dr. Rahban’s decision comes into play. If too much skin is excised, your pubic hair and incision will be pulled upwards above your underwear line. Your scar will be under tension and thicken, and your abdomen will look shorter. Dr. Rahban carefully removes excess skin, leaving just the right amount for the abdomen to look naturally fit and firm.

Next, Dr. Rahban closes the incision. At many cosmetic surgery facilities, the surgeon allows another person to close the patient. This is not the case with Dr. Rahban—he doesn’t let anybody else touch his patient. His closing techniques are exquisite, using an enormous number of sutures so very little tension is placed on any single suture. With minimal tension, the resultant scar is virtually invisible.

In closing the incision, Dr. Rahban employs layered closure. He starts from the bottom and meticulously closes each individual layer of tissue outward to the surface skin. By properly aligning the layers from the inside out, he ensures there is no depression on the resultant scar.
With layered closer, Dr. Rahban ensures the transition between abdomen and pubis is smooth, not creating an additional ridge or lip. He takes the extra upper skin out so it sits flush with the lower skin. As an added precaution, Dr. Rahban closes starting from the hips and works his way into the center of the abdomen. This ensures no dog-ear deformity is present.
A mini tummy tuck with Dr. Rahban takes 2.5-3 hours, but will vary if this procedure is part of a mommy makeover.
Preparing for a mini tummy tuck
For patients receiving a mini tummy tuck, preparation begins about two weeks before the procedure. Every patient goes through a thorough pre-operative process. This begins with a pre-op visit two weeks prior to surgery. This is similar to a second consult. During this time, you will go over the details of your surgery with Dr. Rahban, and you will get a second opportunity to ask questions and go over your procedure, thus ensuring a complete understanding.
In the world of plastic surgery, this second visit is unusual. However, because the first visit can sometimes be overwhelming, patients often come up with new questions latently. Dr. Rahban provides this second visit so his patients can be completely at ease with every question answered.
Dr. Rahban and his staff will provide all the dos and don’ts prior to your surgery. They’ll include a laboratory evaluation and any other workup to ensure your complete safety. If Dr. Rahban feels you are not ready to undergo your procedure for health reasons, he will assuredly cancel your procedure. His only interest is that you are safe to undergo surgery.
Dr. Rahban and his office will additionally give you step-by-step instructions for the days and weeks leading up to surgery. These instructions will include all actions necessary to prepare for your day of surgery, such as what medications to stop taking, and plenty of other guidelines to ensure you are physically fit to undergo surgery.
If you have any questions prior to your surgery, our office is available to you. Call or email us any time, and we will help with anything you need. Our goal is total peace of mind for our patients, as well as a safe, successful procedure.
Healing and recovery
Note: the recovery listed below is according to Dr. Rahban’s routine. Other surgeons may have a different approach to the recovery process.
Directly after a mini tummy tuck, you will remain in our recovery suite for an hour until you are ready to go home. Because the effects of anesthesia do not fully wear off for 24 hours, you will need assistance during this initial period, including a ride home. If you are alone in the city, Dr. Rahban and his staff will make arrangements for individuals who can help you throughout your process. At home, it is wise to set a centralized location to relax, with medications and other necessities within easy reach.
During the first week, you must use your abdominal muscles as little as possible. If you live in a house with stairs, it is best to avoid them if possible. Post partum mini tummy tuck patients need to sleep in what we call the lawn chair position. By bending at the waist, you will ensure your incision is not under tension while it heals. This also means that patients must walk bent over for the first week. Additionally, you will not be able to drive for the first week following surgery. Driving is allowed once you can respond to oncoming traffic, usually one week after surgery.
When receiving a mini tummy tuck, the healing process is crucial to a beautiful result. For this reason, our office will ask that you strictly adhere to our list of post-operative guidelines. It’s of paramount importance that you do your part. Dr. Rahban and his staff will hold you accountable to your portion of your own successful recovery. We will give you a full list in our office, but below are several examples so you know what to expect.
Learn more about scar management»Wound and incision care
At the time of your surgery, your wound will be sterile, and it will be covered with a sterile dressing. Dr. Rahban will ask you to keep that dressing on for seven days. While some patients feel as though their wounds are getting dirty, it is exactly the opposite. Non-sterile materials such as fingers and water introduce bacteria that cause infections. When you open your wound to clean it, you’re laying it open.
Because of the dressing, you should take sponge baths for the first week. This not only makes your life easier, but also helps ensure the incision doesn’t get infected. After that, Dr. Rahban will give you further instructions as far as maximizing your cosmetic outcome and minimizing your scars.
Activity level
During the first week, Dr. Rahban recommends that you get up and move around the house in order to prevent blood clots. At the same time, limit your activities to mild movement. There should be no lifting greater than 5 pounds and no cardio for 6 weeks. These actions will put strain on your wounds, leading to obvious scarring and, in some cases, the incision can open back up. Dr. Rahban will ask that you remain in the “lawn chair” position at all times during the first week, even walking bent over so as not to put any strain on the incision.
Medication
The first week following surgery, you will be taking pain medication, along with antibiotics to prevent infection. Additionally, you will take a stool softener, as the abdominal muscles will be healing from the procedure.
Surgical Garment
Dr. Rahban strongly believes in the use of an abdominal binder following his abdominal procedures. He will ask you to wear an abdominal binder for a total of six weeks to ensure the best outcome. He feels the abdominal binder helps mold the abdomen into the desired appearance, in addition to limiting complications such as fluid accumulations called seroma. This binder must remain on for the first week after surgery.
Surgical Drains
You will have two small drains following a mini tummy tuck, which will help eliminate fluid that is accumulated in the space created during the surgery. The drains will most likely be removed within 4-7 days, depending on the degree of fluid generated.
Dr. Rahban’s approach to drains is unique. Most surgeons use a completely separate incision for the drains, usually in the mons or the patient’s sides. The obvious problem with this is it creates new scars in addition to the primary mini tummy tuck scar. After a mini tummy tuck, the last thing a patient wants is a circular scar in the pubic area. Dr. Rahban uses the existing incision for the drains, preventing the need for further incisions and scars.
Follow-up
After a mini tummy tuck, Dr. Rahban schedules a total of five follow-up appointments. Most plastic surgeons schedule two follow-ups, during which time you may not even see the doctor. During every follow-up appointment, Dr. Rabhan sees his patients personally. He believes it is the patient’s responsibility to follow up with him. This is because patients may not know something is wrong until they see a professional. From Dr. Rahban’s viewpoint, plastic surgery is a team approach, and you must do your part by showing up to your follow-up appointments.
In addition to the pre-scheduled follow-up appointments, Dr. Rahban is available to his patients at any time after surgery. If there are any questions or concerns that arise, he and his office are available to help. Just give us a call and we will provide every bit of assistance.
Risks and complications of a mini tummy tuck
Mini tummy tuck risks include but are not limited to:
Tissue death/necrosis
This occurs when the tissue, such as the belly button or the edge of your wound, does not receive sufficient blood supply. When this happens, that tissue cannot survive and will die and turn dark, necessitating excision or removal of that tissue. Several factors that lead to this include smoking, poor health such as heart disease and diabetes, or excessive tissue dissection by your surgeon. In order to minimize this complication, Dr. Rahban requires his patients to quit smoking a month prior to surgery and generally be in good health going into surgery. His primary action, however, is to be conservative with his dissection during your mini tummy tuck.

Dehiscence or wound separation
This can occur if the wound is closed too tight or not closed well enough. In order to minimize the potential of wound separation, Dr. Rahban is very careful with how much skin he removes during your mini tummy tuck. All too often, surgeons are overly aggressive, removing too much skin, thereby putting too much tension on your scar. This can lead to separation of your wound.

Scars
While an inevitability of surgery, the issue is not whether you will have a scar, but rather the quality of your scar. The goal is for you to have a well-healed, faint or fair scar with time. In order to prevent the unsightly scar that so many people are worried about, Dr. Rahban takes steps to minimize it.

Dr. Rahban believes in a 50-50 rule. Fifty percent of scar healing has to do with the technique of your surgeon’s closure, or how well the incised tissues are brought back together. The other fifty percent is the patient’s biology. Because a patient has little control over her biology, there is a lot of emphasis placed on your surgeon and his closure technique. While many surgeons place their emphasis on post-operative scar management, there is very little science that any of these modalities actually work. Therefore, Dr. Rahban focuses on an unusually fastidious closure technique to ensure that all tissues heal with minimal scarring.
Please refer to his timeline on wound management for more information.
Scar management and healing»Bleeding
This is a very rare complication. Despite this, we take action to minimize the risk as much as possible. This primarily includes having the patient stop all medications that promote bleeding at least two weeks in advance, such as anti-inflammatories, aspirin and supplements.
Infection
Also quite rare, infection is thoroughly combatted before, during and after surgery. The night before surgery, we have patients wash themselves with an antiseptic soap. We give patients antibiotics directly prior to surgery, as well as after surgery. Additionally, Dr. Rahban has very strict post-operative instructions regarding wound management that he believes reduces the risk of infection.
Pulmonary embolism—blood clots
There are several types of blood clots. They can occur in the leg, which will produce undesired effects. Much more severe and dangerous, they can also occur in the lungs.
When performing surgeries, especially abdominal surgeries, the risk of blood clots increases. In order to minimize or reduce that risk, Dr. Rahban performs several key steps. Number one, he uses compression stockings on your legs during surgery, in order to cause blood to flow smoothly while you’re asleep. Second, he gives you an intraoperative dose of a blood thinner known as heparin. Finally, he requires for you to immediately walk around after surgery, allowing your circulatory system to continue working properly.
Seroma formation
This occurs when your body generates fluid underneath your skin that it cannot absorb, thereby necessitating aspiration of the fluid during your recovery. In order to minimize this complication, Dr. Rahban is very adamant that you wear your binder for the entirety of the six weeks. This compression will limit or minimize the chance of a seroma forming. In addition, he is very strict about no exercise during this timeframe, as exercise will promote fluid formation.
Dr. Rahban’s Approach

“My approach to mini tummy tucks is different from other surgeons:
- “Number one, it’s really important that the incisions be placed very low. All too often they ride high, and after the entire procedure is done, you still can’t wear your bathing suit.
- “Number two, it’s very important that you’re not overly aggressive and take out too much skin because then you have what’s called a shortened abdomen.
- “Number three, probably the most important thing is the way the incision is closed. Most surgeons have their tech close half the incision. I don’t allow anyone to touch my patients. As an artist, I take such pride in the way I close. I close several individual layers, and that’s critical to a lasting and beautiful result.”
Mini tummy tuck cost
There is no standard cost for a mini tummy tuck as there are many unique variables. Below is a list of the elements that will determine the cost of your procedure so you understand what exactly you are paying for.
- The skillset of your surgeon. Is he or she a plastic surgeon or a cosmetic surgeon? Is he or she board certified? A board certified plastic surgeon will often be more expensive.
- How long it takes to perform the procedure. Generally the faster your surgeon, the less facility and anesthesia fees and the greater the surgeon’s profit. Therefore, surgeons have an incentive to work more quickly. When it comes to surgery, faster is not better. Be sure to ask your surgeon how long the procedure will take and be wary if it seems too quick. The average time for a mini tummy tuck is: 2.5-3 hours. This timeframe will change if it is performed as part of a mommy makeover.
- The anesthesia provider. There are many types of anesthesia providers. An anesthesiologist who is a medical doctor will be more expensive than a nurse anesthetist. Do your research and find out who provides anesthesia for your plastic surgeon. Dr Rahban is partial to using an anesthesiologist as opposed to a nurse anesthetist.
- The facility in which your operation is performed. Unfortunately, surgery centers and hospitals are not all created equal. The more sophisticated the facility, the more expensive its hourly fee. Facilities that are Medicare-certified tend to be more costly as well.

Questions to ask your surgeon
Below are specific questions to ask your surgeon during your consultation. Each of these will allow you to understand his or her approach and thus make an informed decision. To print these questions so you can ask your surgeon, see link below to download a copy take with you to your consultation.
Do I have rectus diastasis? Is it severe enough that I need a standard tummy tuck or is a mini tummy tuck sufficient?
As the belly expands during pregnancy, it does not only affect the outer skin—it also stretches the underlying abdominal muscles, known as the abdominal fascia, hence creating rectus diastasis. When this occurs, the muscles tend to bulge outward, creating a pooch and unflattering appearance. That being said, during a post-pregnancy mini tummy tuck, the muscle separation is not often addressed.
During my mini tummy tuck, will you tighten my stomach muscles below the belly button only?
If you address only the bulge below the belly button and not the bulge above the belly button, you will have a weird pooch above the belly button, creating an uneven appearance. If a patient has a significant muscle bulge, a full tummy tuck is necessary to get access to the entirety of the abdominal muscles.
Which part of my abdominal skin is being removed? Will that fully address my stretch marks?
When it comes to the stomach, stretch marks are an extremely common problem. There is no treatment that has been proven to reduce stretch marks, beyond surgical removal of the offending skin. If your stretch marks fall within the area being excised, they will be removed.
Do you close my incision or does someone else?
At many cosmetic surgery facilities, the surgeon allows another person to close the patient. This is not the case with Dr. Rahban—he doesn’t let anybody else touch his patient.
Do you use layered closure?
In closing the incision, Dr. Rahban employs layered closure. He starts from the bottom and meticulously closes each individual layer of tissue outward to the surface skin. By properly aligning the layers from the inside out, he ensures there is no depression on the resultant scar.
Do you offer a second consultation prior to my procedure?
Every patient goes through a thorough pre-operative process. This begins with a pre-op visit two weeks prior to surgery. This is similar to a second consult. During this time, you will go over the details of your surgery with Dr. Rahban, and you will get a second opportunity to ask questions and go over your procedure, thus ensuring a complete understanding.
How many follow-up appointments do we have?
After a mini tummy tuck, Dr. Rahban schedules a total of five follow-up appointments. Most plastic surgeons schedule two follow-ups, during which time you may not even see the doctor. During every follow-up appointment, Dr. Rabhan sees his patients personally.