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

I know you are excited about your body contouring procedure. A tummy tuck is best done when you are near your stable body weight. As long as you are less than 10-15 pounds away from your stable weight you would be ready to go. The closer you are to your final weight the more skin redundancy that can be removed and the better the results. (Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS, FACS, Orange County Plastic Surgeon)

I have found that my patients get the best result if they are within 10-20 pounds of their ideal body weight. Keep up the good work – you are almost there! (George John Alexander, MD, FACS, Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon)

If 130 is a goal weight that is maintainable for you then I would say try to be within about 15 lbs from there to get the most lasting tummy tuck results from surgery. In the meantime I would meet with board certified plastic surgeons in your area to see their recommendations and perhaps even set a surgery date to give you a real tangible goal to shed a few last pounds. (Mahlon Kerr, MD, FACS, Austin Plastic Surgeon)

Photo weight loss before tummy tuck

This is always going to be a matter of choice for you to make. If you truly want to have the best result possible you should plan on losing the desired weight first. It does not look as good if you continue to lose another 30 pounds after the procedure is performed. This is true for tummy tucks as well as breast reductions, arm lifts, etc. If this last 30 pounds of weight loss before tummy tuck becomes particularly difficult, I don’t think you would be dissappointed with the final result if you proceeded from your present weight, however. Congratulations on doing so well to get to the weight that you currently are at! (Francis (Frank) William Rieger, MD Tampa Plastic Surgeon)

As long as you are healthy and your current BMI (Body Mass Index) is 30 or below you actually have two options. 1 – Have your surgery know but know that you may need some touch up or additional tummy tuck surgery after another 30 lbs of weight loss before tummy tuck or 2 – Wait until you reach you goal weight and then plan your surgery. I have done things both ways for my patients.

Weight loss before abdominoplasty

Some patients choose to have surgery now which gives them further incentive to continue towards their goal weight and some choose to wait. Weigh the pro’s and con’s of each option and make sure your PS is also on board whichever option you choose. (Renato Saltz, MD, Salt Lake City Plastic Surgeon)

If you feel like you are at a plateau schedule a consultation. Most good plastic surgeons have busy schedules and it will likely be 6-12 weeks following a consultation that you can be scheduled for surgery.

This will give you time and motivation to lose some additional weight. At your pre-operative visit the surgical plan might be altered slightly, but it shouldn’t change dramaticallly. (Michael Law, MD, Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon)

Weight loss before tummy tuck operation

I believe you can go either way without having any detriment to your eventual result. You have already lost 100 lbs. 30 more is about 20% of the total. I would have no problem doing your surgery now and then having you lose the rest of your weight at your convenience. (Talmage J. Raine, MD, Chicago Plastic Surgeon)

If you are still in the process of weight loss before tummy tuck, it is probably best to wait until you have lost all the weight that you are going to lose. However, since you are so close and if you find it difficult to lose the last part before your surgery, I would suggest that you can go ahead and have your surgery and still lose some more weight later. I would follow the advice of your surgeon. (James Tang, MD, Houston Plastic Surgeon)

The question of when to have a tummy tuck depends on several factors. Ideally, you want to be as close to your goal weight as possible before having a tummy tuck to avoid the need for additional tightening if you lose more weight.

Weight loss before tummy tuck photo

On the other hand, a tummy tuck performed before you are close to your goal weight gives a psychological boost enabling you you make the healthy lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise to lose additional weight. With this approach, you may need to have a second procedure to tighten the skin.

Frequently during weight loss before tummy tuck, a plateau is reached and it is so difficult to lose those last pounds. I recommend consulting with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon early in the weight loss before tummy tuck process to determine what is a realistic goal weight you you. It has been my experience that what many people perceive as fat in the lower abdomen is actually loose skin. This loose skin and fat is removed during a tummy tuck or lower body lift.

Weight loss before tummy tuck surgery

The weight of this excess skin and fat can be significant and contribute to even further weight lose. (Andrew T. Lyos, MD, FACS, Houston Plastic Surgeon)

In a perfect world, you would be stable at your goal weight. Abdominoplasty is not for weight loss per se. Its is designed to help the shape of your abdomen, repair stretched muscles, and remove excess tissue. Usually patients are candidates if they are within a certain amount of their goal weight, (depending on their body habitus). The other thing is you don’t really want to do the operation twice…

Continue to get healthy and lose weight. Please do not be on a protein deprived diet, and then go to the O.R. This can cause wounds to not heal well. (Jeffrey Roth, MD, Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon)