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

Ideal weight loss and cosmetic surgery.

Recommendations for cosmetic surgery typically involve losing excess weight first, then stabilizing your weight prior to undergoing body contouring procedures.

This allows for more predictable results, safer anesthesia, and usually longer lasting results.

No result from body contouring is permanent, however large weight fluctuations up or down following surgery can ruin the results from an otherwise great operation.

If a person does plan on losing weight following a tummy tuck, it is important that they realize that they may have loose skin and wish to have a revision after the weight loss.

Do you have to lose weight before a tummy tuck surgery

Typically, the revision is a much smaller operation than the original tummy tuck procedure. It is important to note that weight loss should be done in a controlled fashion without starvation diets or fasting. Appropriate nutrition is critical in healing the incisions from a large operation such as a tummy tuck.

Thus, although losing weight is advantageous in body contouring, weight stabilization is just as important to ensure that proper healing occurs following the operation.

I commonly look for a stable weight for at least 6 months prior to surgery to improve predictability of surgery and lower complication rates. (David Bogue, MD, Boca Raton Plastic Surgeon)

Good candidate fro tummy tuck with weight loss

Do you have to lose weight before a tummy tuck operation

There is no weight related reason to even consider cancelling your planned tummy tuck surgery in seven weeks. You have already successfully lost more than 30 pounds, are not too far from your targeted weight and have a lax, protuberant abdomen.

Consequently, you should experience a significant improvement in the appearance of your abdomen. In the ensuing weeks, you could probably lose some additional weight without being on a starvation diet. It is important that you are in a nutritionally good state for surgery in order for proper healing to occur. (Steven Turkeltaub, MD, Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon)

Tummy tuck works best with liposuction

Do you have to lose weight before a tummy tuck procedure

By the time you have the surgery, your weight is not likely to be crucial to the result. Hopefully your surgeon will use liposuction to reduce your flanks and upper abdomen at the time of the tummy tuck. Even without more weight loss you could do very well! (Hugh McLean, MD, Mississauga Plastic Surgeon)

Ideal Body Weight

Ideal body weight is different for everyone. A stable comfortable weight with no aspirations to fluctuate more than 10 to 15lbs if perfectly safe and acceptable prior to any form of plastic surgery. (Patrick J. Viscardi, MD, South Bend Plastic Surgeon)

Do you have to lose weight before a tummy tuck

I recommend patients to be within 10% of their goal weight. Losing the remaining weight after surgery improves the results in my opinion. I would find you are close enough to your goal weight in my experience. (Michael Hueneke)

Do you have to lose weight before a tummy tuck image

I don’t believe you need to be concerned about cancelling your surgery. Based upon your weight and photographs, most plastic surgeons would expect a very good result as long as you do not smoke.

Tummy tuck and ideal weight

This is ideal and I do not feel you have achieved that yet, certainly not in a stable way since this requires maintainng the lifestyle and the weight over a significant time period. Seven weeks is not nearly long enough to define as stable. Having said that, you might not get an ideal result, but you can get some result.

You need to review the goals and the realistic expectations with your surgeon to see if they coincide. There are many routes to the same end goal. Make sure that what will satisfy you and something your surgeoncan acheive, or that what he can achieve is something that is meaningful to you.

Finally, while you have set this summer aside, what I like to say to my patients is “your body does not care what your social calendar us.” If your body is not ready for surgery, it doesn’t matter how much time and money you have set aside, your results will not be optimal. (Robin T.W. Yuan, MD, Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon)