After a Tummy Tuck Will I Be Limited on my Food Intake for the Rest of my Life? Will my Stomach Get Enlarged Again?

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diet restriction

11 Doctor Answers | Asked by darkgirl in Chicago, IL

Doctor Answers (11)
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Tummy tuck can help you loose weight

The answer is no. What you are experiencing now is the tightness of your abdominal muscles. This creates intra-abdominal pressure which translates into early satiety by your brain. Without additional support (large mesh placement) your muscles will eventually stretch out and you will no longer feel full early. You could however take advantage of this and prevent re-stretching by not overeating. In the long run, this will help you maintain a healthy weight. Of course, implementing a healthy... more

Keeping weight off after tummy tuck

Most women who have a tummy tuck feel "full" afterward, which results in about a 10-pound weight loss, but this is temporary. This is a result of tightening of the muscle, which increases the pressure on the stomach area. Try to maintain a diet and exercise program after surgery to help sustain your great result. Best wishes!

Tummy tuck and eating

You must be thinking of bariatric or weight loss surgery. Abdominoplasty has nothing to do food absorption and will not affect your ability to eat. The loss of appetite or feeling of fullness initially after surgery is based on a combination of the swelling and the effects of general anesthesia. Full appetite returns quite quickly, much to some patient's chagrin.

Diet after tummy tuck

Thank you for your question. Tummy tuck with or without liposuction is no substitute for weight loss and does not prevent weight gain in the future after surgery. It is recommended that you get as close to the weight you want to be before undergoing either of these procedures. Afterward, maintaining a healthy lifestyle with good diet and exercise will help you keep the results you get from surgery. If you gain a significant amount of weight or if your weight... more

Stomach fullness after abdominoplasty

Nothing is done to the stomach during an abdominoplasty. Often the abdominal muscles will be tighten which may produce a sense of fullness that often resolves. An abdominoplasty is not a license to eat however.

Tummy Tucks, Stomach Size and Long-Term Results

While a tummy tuck will reduce the size of one's abdomen and reshape the waistline, it has very little to do with one's true stomach. One's abdominal area gets big because of the accumulation of fat and stretching of the skin and stomach muscles. It is not due to the size of one's stomach which lies behind the abdominal wall muscles and is surprisingly small compared to the shape of one's abdomen. One may feel fuller after eating after a tummy tuck for awhile due to the... more

A tummy tuck does not impact how the inside of your abdomen functions

Hello, A tummy tuck is performed above the abdominal cavity and therefore does not impact the intra-abdominal function (the way the organs work). Initially you may feel full sooner just because the abdominal wall is tighter but this is a temporary event that relaxes within the first month or so. All the best, Dr Repta

After a tummy tuck will I be limited on my food intake forever?

If you seem to be getting full sooner while eating, that is a temporary sensation. If your fascia/muscles were tightened during a tummy tuck, as they usually are, your intra-abdominal pressure is increased as your bowels are "pushed back" where they belong. Although the fascia repair is essentially permanent, you will accommodate over time and your sensations after eating should return to normal.

Tummy Tuck and Stomach?

Thank you for the question. After the tummy tuck surgery many patients report that they feel “full” with smaller amounts of food intake. This may be related to the abdominal muscle repair and Increased pressure on intra-abdominal organs including the stomach. This feeling of “early satiety” results with time (several months). Stomach size itself is not altered with the tummy tuck surgery. I hope this helps.

Food intake not affected

Although you may feel full after having a tummy tuck for a while, this will go away with time. The tightening of the abdominal wall has no effect on the stomach directly. That only occurs with lap band or gastric bypass surgery.

Michael Hueneke, MD

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Nashville Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck should not restrict diet

You can eat whatever you wish after tummy tuck. There will be no limitation after. Keep in mind though that if you do not choose an active healthy life style you will gain weight and your result and investment in yourself will suffer. Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd.com