How much weight can I lose from tummy tuck 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... more

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... more

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.

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... more

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... more

You have to understand that a tummy tuck is not primarily performed for weight loss. A tummy tuck removes excess skin and fat from the stomach and tightens the abdominal muscles so that you can expect a flat stomach after a tummy tuck regardless of how much weight is removed.   In general, in a... more

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... more

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... more

This really depends upon how much tissue is removed from the lower abdomen and how much the patient's lower abomen weighed. In general, for a patient of normal weight it probably would range from 3-5 lbs. For post weight loss (morbidly obese) patients, it may weigh 10-15 lbs or more.

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... more