Tummy Tuck Types: Mini, Full, Extended, Fleur-de-Lis & More

Medically reviewed · Last reviewed July 2026

A tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) is not a single operation — it is a family of related procedures, and the right variant depends on where your loose skin is, whether you have muscle separation, and how much tissue needs to be addressed. This hub is your entry point to independent, medically-reviewed guides on each variant. Start with What Is a Tummy Tuck for the full picture, or jump straight to the variant that matches your situation.

Compare Incision Patterns at a Glance

Mini Short lower incision Full Hip-to-hip incision Extended Wraps toward the flanks Fleur-de-lis Vertical + horizontal cut Reverse Under the breast fold 360 All the way around

Illustrative — actual incision placement and length vary by surgeon and anatomy. "Drainless" is a technique, not a shape, and can apply to several of the variants above.

What Is a Tummy Tuck?

The complete overview — what abdominoplasty does, the six main variants, what happens in surgery, recovery, cost, and safety. Start here if you are new.

Read the full guide → Variant

Mini Tummy Tuck

Shorter scar, faster recovery, no muscle repair above the belly button. Best for mild lower-abdominal skin laxity without diastasis. Who qualifies — and who does not.

Explore mini abdominoplasty → Variant

Full Tummy Tuck

The standard operation — hip-to-hip scar, full muscle repair, umbilicus repositioning. What most post-pregnancy patients actually need.

Read the full guide → Variant

Extended Tummy Tuck

Full abdominoplasty plus lateral extensions wrapping onto the flanks — the option when loose skin continues past the hips.

Read the extended guide → Variant · Post-bariatric

Fleur-de-Lis Tummy Tuck

The "T-shaped" abdominoplasty — horizontal and vertical skin removal for patients with substantial excess after massive weight loss.

Read the fleur-de-lis guide → Technique

Drainless Tummy Tuck

Progressive tension suture technique — the same operation without post-op drains. Evidence on seroma rates and patient comfort.

Read the drainless guide → Comparison

Mini vs Full — Which Fits?

Side-by-side comparison: candidacy, scar, recovery, cost, and result. The single most useful pre-consultation read for post-partum patients.

Compare mini vs full →

How to Choose Between Types

The right tummy tuck variant is determined by three questions, in this order:

Where is your loose skin? Only below the belly button, or above it as well, or wrapping onto the flanks and back.
Do you have muscle separation (diastasis recti)? And if so, does it extend above the umbilicus.
Do you have a large amount of excess tissue vertically as well as horizontally? This is the specific fleur-de-lis question, most relevant for massive-weight-loss patients.

The answers usually point to one variant. Patients with mild lower-abdominal laxity and no upper diastasis are typically mini candidates. Post-pregnancy patients with diastasis reaching above the belly button — the vast majority — need a full abdominoplasty. The extended, fleur-de-lis, and drainless categories address more specific presentations.

For a structured self-assessment before consultation, see Are You a Good Candidate?. For cost across variants, see the tummy tuck cost guide. And for the option most US patients also consider on financial grounds, see the tummy tuck in Turkey guide.

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