Should I Have a Tummy Tuck Now if I Plan to Have Children?

asked 1 year ago by annie84 in London
Latest answer by Kenneth Bermudez, MD
Question viewed 694 times
Tags: age 25-34, female, African American, after weight loss, candidate, pregnancy

26 Years Old Black Woman with No Children Considering a Tummy Tuck After Weight Loss

I am considering a tummy tuck after losing 80 lbs with the help of a gastric band. I am very unhappy with the unsightly stretch marks on my stomach and was told that abdominoplasty is the only way to get rid of them. I am not in a relationship now and don't think I will have children in the next 5-6 years but having children one day is on my plan. I want to be happy with body while I am young and not wait until I've had my children. Is it really not advisable or should I go for it?

11 answers to Should I Have a Tummy Tuck Now if I Plan to Have Children?

Should I Have a Tummy Tuck Now if I Plan to Have Children?

While it is advisable to wait after you are done having children, you may elect to have the tummy tuck procedure done now, especially if you are not planning to have children any time soon. It will be a great improvement for you after your weight loss and you can always get a revision after you have children . If you are planning to get pregnant in the near future then I would advise you to wait, have all the kids you want, and then, see a board certified plastic surgeon. more

Kenneth Bermudez, MD
San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

No reason to wait

Since you do not have any plans for pregnancy in the near future, I don't think there is any reason to wait. If you have post-pregnancy changes, that can always be revised in the future. Enjoy your new mid-section!

Lawrence Iteld, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck before children

Yes, if you want to get rid of the extra skin/hanging rolls and enjoy the benefits while you are young, then do it now. But, you should not get plication, more of a panniculectomy than a true tummy tuck. When I plicate, which means sewing the muscles of your abdomen together in the midline, I use a double row of thick, permanent sutures. There is no point to doing that if you are planning on having kids later. You will most likely have to redo that tummy tuck... more

Eleanor J. Barone, MD
Tampa Plastic Surgeon

Massive weight loss and tummy tuck

I am usually a fan of waiting to perform a tummy tuck on patients that are still contemplating becoming pregnant. However, in massive weight loss patients this is often a different story with more loose skin hanging and requiring circumferential treatment. It is a personal choice.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Advantages/Disadvantages of Tummy Tuck Before Pregnancy

You certainly would benefit from a tummy tuck following your 80 pound weight loss. You must simply weigh that benefit with the strong liklihood that you would need another tummy tuck following pregnancies in the future.

John Whitt, MD
Louisville Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck prior to pregnancy

In your instance, a tummy tuck may be a reasonable option as long as you are willing to accept the fact that tit may need to be repeated.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Tummy Tuck before pregnancy?

Congratulations on your 80 lb weight loss. In your situation, as long as you understand that pregnancy may cause a recurrence of your stretchmarks, then a tummy tuck is only a solution that is an investment for your short term future. Consider the risks and benefits wisely. You will be trading the stretch marks for a surgical scar, but you may well become more attractive for a significant partner. You may have to consider a second procedure after... more

Randy Wong, MD
Honolulu Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck before or after children and weight loss?

You do not state how much you weigh now. Looking at your limited exposure and one angle photo, you planning to loose 80 pounds might be excessive. Gastric bypass and or lap band is usually done if a person is 100lbs over their ideal body weight. You might benefit from liposuction after your weight loss using the VASER to help skin tightening. I do this around the midsection for optimum results. After you have children, you might consider a tummy tuck. If you have one now, you will for... more

George Marosan, MD
Bellevue Plastic Surgeon

To Have a Tummy Tuck now or wait 5-6 years after Wight Loss and Pregnancies

The TIMING of a Tummy Tuck is crucial in its success and duration. A GREAT Looking Tummy Tuck will remove a lot of the lower tummy stretch marks, flatten the tummy, narrow the waist giving you an hourglass figure and even lift a sagging Mons pubis. To achieve such a result it MUST be timed to when your weight is both STABLE (for 6 months) and NOT obese (below BMI of 30). So youi really should lose as much weight as you can to get the best result. As regards pregnancy, there is NO... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Abdominoplasty before having kids

Thinking about having children in the next 5-6 years should not preclude you from having the procedure if you are very unhappy with your shape. After having lost 80 lbs., you may have excess redundant skin with stretch marks that may respond best with a tummy tuck, even at your young age. Consider a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon for further evaluation.

Stephen Delia, M.D.
Boston Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck before having children.

There are many factors to consider when thinking about an abdominoplasty, especially since having children in the future is a possibility. When my patients think that they may be trying to conceive in the upcoming 12-18 months, I have them wait on the tummy tuck. In your instance, you mentioned that you are not in a relationship and your timeline is around 5 years. What that in mind, I would go for it.