25lbs Overweight, Am I Still a Candidate for a Tummy Tuck?

I am 5'3" and 160lbs. I can not seem to get my weight down past 150 for the past 10years even though I have tried numerous diets & exercise. I will be 40 years old next month. Am I a good candidate for a tummy tuck or do I need to continue on my endless battle of trying to lose weight without success? I had twins @ 30 years old and most of my excess weight is in my midsection. Thanks!

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8 Doctor Answers | Asked by InneedofTT in DFW - Texas

Doctor Answers (8)
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Yes, if you are 25 pounds overweight you can still be a good candidate for a tummy tuck.

In an ideal world, everyone would be at ideal body weight. That's obviously not the world we live in and telling someone to go lose weight and come back is rarely effective. My criterion for recommending a tummy tuck is that I need to be able to bring the muscles all the way together in the midline. At your height and weight, this is definitely possible to do. You can go on and lose weight after surgery and you'll be fine. You won't suddenly have extra lose skin... more

Tummy tuck candidate

I encourage my patients who intend to lose weight to do so before surgery. However, if they are unable to lose it and their weight is stable, then it should be okay to pursue a tummy tuck. I encourage you to meet with a Board Certified plastic surgeon who will also need to review your medical history and perform a physical exam to know for sure if you are a good candidate.

Mennen T. Gallas, MD

8 reviews

Houston Plastic Surgeon

Go for it

Your BMI is about 27 which is reasonable for a tummy tuck. The surgery is not for weight loss, but it will make your midsection look MUCH better. A consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon is your next step.

If your weight is stable, and you have excess skin and fat on your belly that you can grab with your hands...

If your weight is stable, and you have excess skin and fat on your belly that you can grab with your hands, then you can benefit from a tummy tuck. There is no point in trying to reach your ideal weight before getting a tummy tuck, if you it's simply something that you cannot do. Thus, weight should not be the limiting factor. Sincerely, Martin Jugenburg, MD, FRCSC

Lose weight AFTER tummy tuck

Dear Amy, I am asked a similar question nearly daily from patients in consultation. Unless you are morbidly obese and have not given diet an exercise a good try the answer is to have your tummy tuck now. In my practice, most patients lose an average of 10-15lbs after Lateral Tension Abdominoplasty (LTA). This happens partially because of an early satiety patients feel because of a tight internal corset after surgery. This is especially true in someone who has... more

Tummy Tuck Candidate if Overweight?

Thank you for the question. As you know, it is always best to undergo body contouring surgery once you have reached a “long-term stable weight”. Sometimes, patients benefit from professional help from physician, personal trainer, and/or dietitian once they have done their best and have reached a plateau with diet and exercise. On the other hand, there is no absolute number (weight wise) to achieve prior to undergoing tummy tuck surgery. If you are comfortable that... more

Weight loss and Abdominoplasty

I recommend that patients achieve desired weight loss before abdominoplasty. This will help attain the best cosmetic result. If your weight has been stable for such a period of time, then you are likely ready for surgery.

Weight and abdominoplasty

Realistically, if this is your stable weight and you haven't been able to reduce more, then you would be a candidate for abdominoplasty at this time. There is a point at which, if you've really tried to lose weight and just can't, there is no point in prolonging the battle. Happy 40th!!