Tummy Tuck: Prices, Photos, Reviews, Info, Q&A

According to recent studies, described in the official medical journal The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), tummy tuck can lead to significant and lasting weight loss for many patients, particularly those who are obese. Long-term weight loss after abdominoplasty may be associated with neuroendocrine mechanisms and related heightened sense of fullness after meals.

Researchers led by MD Edward Moulton-Barrett, California, evaluated the short-term and long-term weight loss after abdominoplasty (cosmetic surgery, whose purpose – to remove excess abdominal fat and skin) in 20 women. The average amount of tissue removed from the anterior abdominal wall was about 5 pounds (2.5 kg).

A year later, 14 patients lost more weight than the weight of the removed tissue. For these women, the average body mass index (BMI) decreased from 30 to 23. Thus, on average, women have moved from the stage of pre-obese to a normal weight range.

The remaining six women lost weight to some extent after a tummy tuck. However, a year later, they again gained weight, and body mass index increased again.

The study showed that long-term weight loss observed in most of those women whose initial body mass index after surgery was 24.5. It is bordered between normal and overweight. Only in one woman initial BMI was below 24.5.

Also in the course of the study, it was observed that the steady weight loss is more likely for women, in whom removes a large amount of excess abdominal tissue: it 12 out of 14 patients in whom the amount of tissue removed which totaled more than 4.5 lbs (about 2 kg).

Why is further weight loss after tummy tuck occurs?

Three-quarters of women who have had a tummy tuck, reported a heightened sense of satiety or after meals, or during the day.

As it turned out, the feeling of satiety is as significant a factor as the amount of extracted fat. Increasing the amount due to changes in the neuroendocrine system. A similar effect has been seen after surgery aimed at correcting obesity. Thus, removal of abdominal fat cells can reduce the level of hormones that affect the appetite, which are secreted by adipose tissue.

But what to do if you gain weight after a tummy tuck.

If you gain a lot of weight after a tummy tuck then the skin and subcutaneous tissue will stretch again. If you lose weight again, the result of a tummy tuck will look worse.  In order to belly was flat, you need to maintain a stable weight after tummy tuck surgery.

Gaining weight after abdominoplasty is always a problem, as the fat and weight can go back into the abdomen or back. Little changes in your weight will not influence the results of the surgery.

Nevertheless, you must not regard the tummy tuck as procedures for weight loss. Better to look at it as a second shift. You need to to eat properly, exercise, not smoking, and then you will have great results.

Small variations in weight between 10 and 20 pounds did not affect the skin of your abdomen. With an increase in weight greater than 20 pounds, is possible stretching of the skin of the abdomen.

If you gain weight after a tummy tuck, weight will be distributed wherever there fat cells. A tummy tuck is changing the proportion of fat in your tummy region in comparison with the rest of your body. Thus, your tummy will get much less in comparison with the rest of your body.

Necessary to carry out tummy tuck when your weight is stable and you do not plan to have children in the future. Weight gain after tummy tuck is not recommended because it can adversely affect your results. Excess weight can stretch the skin and distort the shape of the abdomen. In some cases, may require a second tummy tuck procedure. It is therefore extremely important a healthy lifestyle before surgery that help you easily maintain your weight after the procedure.

Weight should be maintained within a tight range after a tummy tuck to keep the maximum benefit. After a tummy tuck fat cells are still present  and these cells will grow in size with increased fatty intake.

Also, eating high sugar and fatty foods can cause your visceral fat (i.e., fat around your internal organs) to increase and this will cause distortion of your abdomen shape.

When you gain weight, you have more fat everywhere, including your stomach.  So your stomach can get bigger, but no more so than the rest of you

Although fat and skin are removed and muscles tightened after tummy tuck, the skin that is left behind and your intestines can continue to store fat if you gain weight. You can gain weight and increase the thickness of your abdominal skin and the amount of fat inside your abdomen after tummy tuck.

If this happens, the increased fat will definitely show and you will lose the nice flat tummy that was created by the tummy tuck. 3-5 pounds may not be visible but 10 lbs certainly will.

When surgeon performs a full tummy tuck, he brings the tummy muscles back together (the ones that run along side of your belly button) and surgeon takes the extra skin ( the skin that usually hangs over). Surgeon also make a new belly button.So, if one gains weight and they have a tendency to gain in the abdomen, then it might effect the tummy tuck result. If one gains a less than 10 lbs, then most likely the results won’t be effected. However, if one gains 20-30 lbs. then it might effect the results.

If you gain weight after tummy tuck, it will not likely affect the muscle tightening or the skin excision that has been performed.  It will however affect the abdominal contours.  If you gain an extreme amount of weight it can stretch the skin out.

Weight gain of a few pounds may not make much of a difference, but significant weight gain can compromise the skin. Weight gain after a tummy tuck should maintain the contour, just increase the thickness of the skin throughout your body.  Tummy tucks are not done as a means of weight loss, but often encourage further weight loss ude to motivation from seeing the results that can be achieved.

After a tummy tuck, the skin and muscle layer should be optimally tightened.Any subsequent weight gain that significantly distends the abdominal wall could have a negative impact on the improvement achieved through the previous tummy tuck.

Ideally, a tummy tuck should be done after a patient has reached their optimal weight. This allows for maximal tightening and optimal results.

The tummy tuck is a significant investment in time and money.It is important to protect your investment by taking good care of yourself after this procedure.

Excessive weight gain can result in thickening of the abdominal region because of extra fat in the abdominal flap and intra-abdominal fat. With excessive weight gain, a new abdominal pannus, or drooping belly “pooch,” can develop.

But is really depends on how much weight you put on.  Most likely with a little bit of weight gain the fat will go else where.  Most patients are extremely motivated to stay fit and maintain their figure after having invested the time and money on an abdominoplasty.

Fat will typically stretch the skin.  If you lose weight, the skin may snap back, or it can be loose again. We advise that you stay in a “normal” range of weight after having the surgery.  Please let your plastic surgeon know your concerns.

The most important thing to consider if you’re having body contouring surgery (it ranges from liposuction to abdominoplasty or central bodylift) is you must change your diet, exercise and lifestyle.

I tell my patients, I will do 50% of your re-shaping and contouring with the body contouring surgery. However, the other 50%is done by the patient with diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes.

Those patients get the best aesthetic results and look the best long-term.

The effects of weight gain after tummy tuck depend on the maginitude of the weight gain. In the most severe case another tummy tuck may be warranted. In one instance, I had one individual requesting release of her muscle repair due to discomfort and sensations of tightness and early post prandial satiety.

Standard abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) includes several components: internal fibrous / muscle support, fat removal, and skin removal. Each of them causes long term (permanent) changes in your body.

They do not stop you from gaining weight, although you will gain proportionately less in your abdomen afterward. You may lose some of the shape or silhouette benefits if you gain weight post-op.

However, your abdominal contour will be better than if you gained weight without having the surgery.

Most patients want to make the most of their surgery results, so major weight gains are to be avoided. In addition, specific abdominal exercises can enhance the results your surgeon produced, but don’t start them until he or she approves.

Weight gain is not advantageous after abdominoplasty surgery. Although most surgeons reccomend that women avoid pregnancy after abdominoplasty surgery, there is some limited evidence to suggest that the results may still remain satisfactory even after pregnancy.

Generally speaking, most patients have invested such a large amount of time and energy towards achieving this goal, they are very motivated to keep that last bit of weight off.

Usually abdominoplasties are performed for loose skin problems. I try to excise the skin from the top of the pubic hair to or above the umbilicus. Generally the upper abdomen is thicker than the lower, so I combine liposuction with abdominoplasty.

I will also suction the sides, hips, as well as other areas. By suctioning these areas at the same time, I have removed a large number of the fat cells in that area. Therefore, a small weight gain will not be that noticable. You will still have the benefit of a tighter contour.

Naturally everything has limits. A large weight gain will worsen your appearance. This should be looked at as a life style change.

Ideally, do not undergo abdominoplasty unless your lifestyle and weight are stable and sustainable. If the weight gain is insignificant, 1-2% of body weight, then the results after abdominoplasty will not be impacted.

At some point, some weight gain will change the results of the abdominoplasty depending on why the surgery was done and what was done. If you had excessive fat that was removed, then weight gain may produce an increase of fat thickness but probably less than if you hadn’t had the surgery performed. Obviously, any significant or excessive weight gain may cancel out the benefits of a cosmetic abdominoplasty.