A tummy tuck is a body contouring procedure designed to improve the shape and appearence of your abdomen. It is not designed as a weight loss procedure. I encourage patients to reach their goal weight before they move forward with the surgery for best results. Consult with a board certified plastic surgeon who is experienced in the tummy tuck procedure for best results.
Tummy tucks are not done for weight loss but rather for shape change. The ideal patient is one that has a good balance with a healthy lifestyle and moderate exercise and can’t make any further improvement in their shape. That said many patients who are not “ideal” can still benefit from a tummy tuck. Tummy tucks get rid of the excess skin and fat. In most cases the muscles, which are often stretched from pregnancy, are tightened.
The amount of weight loss is due to the amount of skin and fat removed. This varies from just a couple of pounds to up to 10 pounds, depending on the size and shape of the patient. The effect of tummy tucks are to reshape the waist, helping patients to look better both in and out of their clothing.
Weight loss from a tummy tuck can vary greatly depending on the size of the patient and how much tissue we’re going to remove during the procedure. For most patients, a tummy tuck surgery will give less than 5lbs of weight loss. However the heavier the patient and the more extensive the surgery, the more weight a patient may lose from the procedure.
I routinely weight my specimen following an abdominoplasty. It varies from 2 lbs up to 15 lbs. It obviously depends on how much excess skin and fat the patient has. Most of us can give you a good idea of how much the removed specimen will weight. The operation is intended to improve the contour of your abdomen. Lossing a few pounds is just an added benefit 🙂
If you’re asking this question, you need to do some more research on tummy tucks (abdominoplasty). An abdominoplasty is done to remove excess skin and extra-abdominal fat and improve abdominal contour. It is NOT a weight-loss procedure. If you want to lose weight, you should look into gastric bypass/banding techniques.
With an abdominoplasty, the weight loss you experience will be negligible, especially if very little tissue is removed. On average, the amount of tissue removed weighs between 2-10 pounds.
The idea behind a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty is to remove excess skin and some fat in order to contour that area of the body. There is usually not a large amount of weight removed but rather a different shape will result to help streamline the body.
The tummy tuck is not considered a weight loss mechanism.
The tummy tuck procedure is not geared towards weight loss – rather it is designed to improve the size, appearance, and contour of the abdomen. You will probably not lose more than 5 pounds most likely in the range of 3 -5 pounds.
Weight loss should occur prior to your Tummy Tuck. We encourage our patients to schedule their abdominoplasty when they are at their lowest and sustainable weight.
This surgery removes a wedge of loose or excess skin and fat above the abdominal wall in a shape (usually an ellipse) discussed with you at the time of your consultation.
The tummy skin and fat removed commonly weighs anywhere from over a pound up to 3-4 pounds. With tummy tuck and lipo, the removed weight can be a bit more.
The weight of the tissue removed can be even greater in surgical (bariatric) weight loss patients.
A person’s weight is a function of the calories eaten and the calories burned. To change one’s weight one must eat less or exercise more or both. Fat is just the place where your body stores the extra calories. After significant fat loss with abdominoplasty or liposuction, other areas of the body increase in size, to compensate, if nothing else changes.
The answer to the question will always vary from one patient to another, but the real answer is that tummy tuck surgery is for contour and waist line improvement.
The tight and flattened appearance is the goal. Some weight is always lost, but the value is not easily determined pre operatively.