Vishal Kapoor, MD

The most ideal / typical candidates for a tummy tuck are:

1. Those who have had children (often multiple pregnancies).

2. Those that have had massive weight loss (usually post bariatric or lap-band patients).

These patients both typically have:

1. Loose hanging skin with some stretch marks that extend from the belly button (sometime even above it) to the pubic area.

2. Bulging of the upper abdomen due to muscles that have been stretched out due to the cycles of weight gain / weight loss and have lost their ability to "snap back". In simple terms, this is sort of like a pair of sweat pants that have lost their elasticity. No amount of exercise (weight loss, sit ups) will help this.

So a tummy tuck is not a just a procedure to remove loose hanging skin, but to also re-establish the muscles of the abdomen and give one further improvement in their body contour.

Whether or not it's an option for you depends on:

1. The presence of the above factors (loose skin, stretch marks,etc)

2. The amount of excess skin you have (you might be a candidate for mini tummy tuck with some liposuction)

3. Whether you are willing to trade-off a moderate to fairly lengthy scar for an improvement in your abdominal contour.

4. If you have primarily fat deposits that might be amenable to liposuction

5. Whether or not you are at or at least close to your ideal body weight.

Having said all this, my personal experience has been that most patients (greater than 90%) are extremely satisfied with the results and say they would do it again. So if it's something you are seriously considering, definitely set up a consultation with a plastic surgeon in your area.