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How Much Weight Can I Lose from Tummy Tuck Surgery?

How much weight (in loose skin/tissue) will I lose from a tummy tuck?

Asked 43 months ago by Debating in tampa

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weight loss weight

Tummy tuck is not designed for weight loss but to remove loose skin

Tummy tuck is not designed for weight loss but to remove hanging skin folds. Depending on the weight of this skin fold, patient do lose certian amount of weight with their tummy tuck. Ttherefore, the answere is yes and no.

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S. Sean Younai, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

+12

Not much weight loss after Tummy Tuck

Patients typically do not lose much weight as a result of a tummy tuck. Most of my patients report a weight loss of less than five pounds, but the real difference is in their size and contour. The satisfaction patients experience is not from a number on the scale, but the new ability to wear form fitting clothing, to tuck in a shirt or to wear a swimsuit with confidence. It is quite amazing to see some before and after photographs where men and women have literally been transformed and... more

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Michael Law, MD

Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

+10

Not a lot of weight loss from tummy tuck

This type of surgery is performed to remove excess, loose, hanging skin/fat and to tighten stretched muscles. While patients will lose some weight (~3 - 6 lbs), they don't lose a lot. However, they do end up with a flatter abdomen, tighter abdominal muscles, and better waistline.

Edmond A. Zingaro, MD

San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Not that much weight loss after a tummy tuck.

The tummy tuck operation addresses loose (droopy) skin, extra fat, and rectus muscles that have been pulled apart, (usually with pregnancy). We take off a substanital amount of tissue, but it does not weigh that much when placed on the scale. Remember bone and muscle weigh more than fat and skin. It will look like more "weight" was dropped by the patient as they will get into their clothes better and have a trimmer shape.

Jeffrey Roth, MD

Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

The amount of weight lost depends on how much extra skin...

The amount of weight lost depends on how much extra skin and fat you have that needs to be removed. The best candidates for a tummy tuck have reached a weight that is within 10 lbs of their ideal weight before having a tummy tuck performed. Consequently, the usual amount of weight found in the removed tissus is less than 5 lbs.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS

Seattle Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Measure your satisfaction on your pant size not the scale

The amount of weight lost with a tummy tuck varies depending on how much weight you are carrying in the tissue that is to be removed (specifically the tissue between the pubic area and belly button). Generally this is 1-3 lbs although I have removed an excess of 10 lbs in a few patients. If your goal is weight loss, you can loose three pounds easily in a week with diet and exercise, but you won't lose THAT three pounds!

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York Jay Yates, MD

Salt Lake City Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

You won't really lose weight from a tummy tuck

You actually lose much less than you expected from a tummy tuck. The surgery is meant to reshape the abdomen and not for weight loss purposes. However, most people lose some weight - usually about 1-2 lbs. That number dramatically increases with patients who have had massive weight loss from diet and exercise or gastric bypass. Those patients can lose much more from the surgery - the most I have removed has been 63 lbs and that was a panniculectomy and not a tummy tuck. The surgery is meant... more

Bahram Ghaderi, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Most often I see a pound or two of weight loss from tummy tuck

Hello, Unless you are a really large case, most patients only lose a 1-3 pounds from tummy tuck surgery. This is a shaping operation...and a really good one. Try not to concentrate on weight loss. Most tummy tuck patients enjoy the tightening they get.

John P. Di Saia, MD

Orange Plastic Surgeon

Abdominoplasty for contouring, not weight loss

Abdominoplasty procedures are commonly referred to as 'tummy tucks.' In these procedures, excessive skin and fat are removed in the area between the pubis and the umbilicus. Additionally, the abdominal muscles are tightened in order to reduce the protrusion of the abdomen. The amount of fat removed is dependent on the amount of skin laxity in the area. This often depends on the degree of stretch marks present along the abdomen. An abdominoplasty is thus a recontouring procedure of the... more

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD

Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

A healing wound can burn calories.

The goal of the tummy tuck is to improve contour and remove inches. In some cases dramatic weight loss may occur following this procedure, however it really depends on the initial indications for the procedure. For example, if you had a gastric bypass procedure to lose weight then chances are you have more skin and subcutaneous fat to be removed. That certainly differs from someone requesting a tummy tuck that has abdominal stretchmarks following childbirth. Tummy Tucks should... more

Nick Masri, MD

Miami Plastic Surgeon

Weight loss from a tummy tuck

While a tummy tuck can change the contour of your abdomen dramatically, it does not change your weight significantly. In women who have a very thin frame, the removed portion of skin may only be 1 lb--even if it is 8 by 12 inches in dimension! For larger women, a very large removal might only be 8 lb. Thinking about it, I'd say most tummy tucks remove about 1 to 4% of the patent's body weight. You should not think of a tummy tuck as a weight loss procedure, but rather a re-shaping procedure. more

Michael A. Bogdan, MD

Dallas Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

This depends on your body weight and shape before surgery

Tummy tuck surgery varies greatly from patient to patient. There are three components to the surgery that can be corrected. These are 1) excess abdominal fat 2) excess abdominal skin and 3) loose abdominal muscles. Most patients have all or only some of these indications and therefore each surgery is uniquely designed for each individual patient. Some patients will lose a significant amount of weight with this surgery and I have removed up to 20 pounds in some patients. However, most... more

David Rankin, MD

Jupiter Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Lose weight with a tummy tuck? Not as much as you'd think

For cosmetic abdominoplasty (tummy tucks) typically the weight is somewhere between 2-5 lbs. For bariatric patients who have lost significant weight and have a significant abdominal pannus (sometimes down to a patient's knees), I have removed as much as 20 lbs. Keep in mind those patients are not having a cosmetic procedure but a procedure to remove the excess tissue to help with hygiene and mobility. As the other plastic surgeons have pointed out, you should be close to your ideal body... more

Steven H. Williams, MD

San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

This question reflects a common misconception about...

This question reflects a common misconception about 'tummy tuck' abdominoplasty surgery. An abdominoplasty is not a means for weight loss. It IS a way to recontour your abdominal wall and flanks AFTER losing a significant amount of weight. Surgical results with abdominoplasty are optimized in patients that have made an effort to lose as much weight to approximate their ideal body weights. So the real question should be: how much weight should I lose BEFORE I have an abdominoplasty? In... more

Scott Sattler, MD

Bellevue Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Tummy tuck and weight loss

I would not consider a tummy tuck a weight loss procedure. While you might lose a few pounds, it should not be a procedure that helps you get to your goal weight. A tummy tuck is best for someone who is stable in their weight and is using the procedure to improve their shape.

Young R. Cho, MD, PhD

Houston Plastic Surgeon

How much weight will you lose after an Abdominoplasty?

Because an abdominoplasty is performed for reshaping the abdomen not losing pounds, I require my patients to be within 10-15 pounds of their ideal weight before I will perform this procedure. The important thing to remember is that although you may not lose a lot of pounds, your clothing will fit better. Best wishes!

Christine Sullivan, MD

Columbus Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Less weight than you would think

Even with the dramatic final results from a tummy tuck,the amount of skin and fat that is actually removed does not weigh as much as you would think.I would guess that with my standard abdominoplasty patient, I'm removing between five and 10 pounds of skin and fat. I have removed 20-25 pounds in some of my more extensive cases. Most patients will continue to lose weight after the tummy tuck, particularly in the first three weeks, because they don't have much of an appetite. In... more

Joseph M. Perlman, MD

Houston Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Tummy Tuck results in less weight loss than you would think

Actual weight loss is less than you would think. A tummy tuck is performed to remove droopy extra skin, and address things like rectus muscles that have been forced apart due to pregnancy, as well as excess fat. For most patients the actual ‘weight’ loss is less than a few pounds. There are some instances if a person is extremely overweight where more pounds may be lost, but it is still not a significant amount even then. However, the APPEARANCE of weight loss is big because... more

Scott W. Mosser, MD

San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Tummy tuck surgery should not be viewed as weight loss surgery

We as plastic surgeons frequently encounter patients asking us to estimate how much weight the patient might lose after their upcoming body-contouring procedures. These are all common misconceptions and should be clarified with patients prior to surgery. Inadvertent or direct attempts to suggest amounts of weight loss will invariably leave patients dissatisfied, by having them focus on the estimates, rather than the true value of the operation, which is their overall improved aesthetics... more

Jeffrey D. Hoefflin, MD

Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Weight loss after tummy tuck

Stay off the scale after your tummy tuck. There are many changes that occur after surgery including healing and fluid shifts for several months. The goal of a tummy tuck is to dramatically change your appearance in and out of clothes. Don't look down at the scale. Look into the mirror to assess success after surgery. All the best, Talmage J. Raine MD FACS

Talmage J. Raine, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Weight loss after tummy tuck

I will say the largest section of skin I have removed following an average tummy tuck has been roughly 12 lbs. Yesterday I removed about 9 lbs. on a patient following 100lb weight loss. So, in essence, we do not look at tummy tuck surgery as a method of weight loss. In fact, many people lose very little weight at all. Despite this, the appearance of someone's midsection after an abdominoplasty is one of the most satisfying experiences in one's life especially in a woman who has... more

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Timothy Fee, MD

Jacksonville Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Weight Loss...up to 24 pounds in some cases!!!

When we do Abdominoplasty and combine it with Liposuction we often see anywhere from 8 to 24 lbs of weight loss.. This however really depends on the size of the patient initially. Patients that are quite small may not lose any weight. I caution you though sometimes after an abdominoplasty patients will look better but have a propensity to gain weight. So after tummy tuck make sure you continue to exercise when your surgeon allows you to. Good Luck... more

Kimberly A. Henry, MD

Greenbrae Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Tummy tuck changes body shape but not always with significant weight loss

Tummy tuck tightens the abdominal muscles and removes loose skin and lower abdominal fat. Although the skin and fat removed will weigh something, this is generally not more than a few pounds at the most. Tummy tuck and or liposuction should not be viewed as means of weight loss but rather as shaping procedures. It is best to be close to a healthy weight before having this surgery. Your risks are lower and your healing will go more smoothly. Also, you will... more

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Elizabeth Lee, MD

Bay Area Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Weight loss with tummy tuck is not the proper question.

Tummy tuck surgery is designed to remove loose, sagging skin that does not tighten with diet, exercise, or weight loss of any kind, including massive weight loss after gastric bypass or lap band surgery. If you are not at "ideal" weight, you can still have tummy tuck surgery, but you may not have as good a result as someone who is close to their ideal weight. However, placing yourself on some sort of "fad" diet to starve yourself to an artificial number just so you... more

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Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS

Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Tummy Tuck is About Contouring

Tummy Tuck is not a weight loss procedure. Depending upon how much extra skin and fat there is to remove, the weight removed at surgery can vary from a few ounces to 4 or more pounds. But tummy tuck success is measured in the mirror and the drape of your clothes; not on the scale.