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Is 61 Years Old to Old for Tummy Tuck and Breast Reduction?

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age 55-64

22 Doctor Answers | Asked by joann47 in 15931

Doctor Answers (22)
Community Comments (0)

Absolutely not too old.

As others have said, it is not your age, but your health. You would need a primary care doctor to see you and do a complete physical exam and physical. You would also require an EKG and chest x ray. If all those are good and you are in good health than defiantly do the surgery and make yourself look as young as you feel.

Getting there but may still be okay

Your chronological age is working against you but if you are physiologically and emotionally younger it might still be safe to do. Go to a few excellent plastic surgeons for a complete evaluation and ask them.

61 years years old is not too old for a tummy tuck and breast reduction

The combination of a tummy tuck with a breast reduction is a very popular one. The chronologic age does not matter as much as the patient's physiologic age. What I mean by that is that before proceeding with the surgery, you should receive a full medical clearance to make sure that you are healthy enough for this combination of procedures. If you have a good heart and lung function, and have no active medical issues you can be an excellent candidate for this combination. Your best... more

Tummy tuck and breast reduction

61 is not too old to have a tummy tuck and breast reduction. If you are healthy it should be fine. I routinely have patients get medical clearance prior to surgery.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

If you are healthy, then age does not matter

As long as your are healthy for surgery (strong heart, no lung problems, etc), then there is no reason why you can have surgery. You may want to consider having your breast done at one time and the belly at another if there is any concern about the length of anesthesia or the recovery time.

Health is the major consideration for surgery

Dear Joann: When deciding whether to have surgery, health is more important to consider than age. I have performed both of these surgeries on patients older than you, however, I have done each surgery separately. Performing both procedures at the same time would increase the risk of developing a complication. As long as you are in good health, I see no reason why you can't have the surgeries you are intereseted in if you are a candidate. Good luck.

Your health, not your age, is the primary issue

As long as your overall health is ok, you should be fine. I would recommend have a regular checkup and a medical clearance from your doctor, and as long as all of that is normal, most plastic surgeons would be fine performing your procedure. Good luck! Dr. Salemy

Age is not the major factor.

Overall general health of a patient is the most important factor when considering anabdominoplasty . If you are in good health and don't have any major risk factors, such as cardiac or pulmonary disease and have had a recent full physical exam and found to be in good health, then you are most likely a good candidate for the surgery.

Combining surgeries

A patient's age is in itself not a reason not to have surgery. However it may be best to perform large surgeries at separate times. The proper accreditations and credentials of support personnel are also important for patient safety. It is our protocol to obtain a cardiac stress test in all patients undergoing an anesthetic over the age of 50. A stress echocardiogram may also be wise, depending on the circumstances. These tests give an additional margin of assurance against... more

I would think twice before combining these procedures in a 61 year old

This is an excellent question and you are absolutely right to be concerned. First, it is important to have clearance prior to any elective surgery at your age. Second, assuming you pass with flying colors, it is still prudent to consider having these procedures done in two separate surgeries. It is well known that combining procedures with an abdominoplasty increases the risk of a DVT (deep veous thrombosis), which could result in a PE (pulmonary embolus), which can be fatal. Increased... more

Your health is what counts - not your age

Age is reletive - as long as you are healthy have have reasonable expectations, this surgery can be for you. See an experienced plastic surgeon and make sure they answer all of your questions and get medical clearance and you should be good to go.

You overall health is more important than your age.

typically your age is less important than your overall health. In preparing for surgery it is highly likely that you will be asked to undergo a medical evaluation including a history and physical examination as well as laboratory testing and EKG and chest x-rays to assess your general health. In the process, obvious conditions which make you an unsuitable candidate will be assessed.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

32 reviews

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

No

It is dependent on your health more than anything else. I would recommend a full work up with your primary doctor first. Get in the best shape you can. If there is a concern, you can stage the produres and that may be safer. sek

It depends on your wants and health.

In someone that is healthy and understands that we cannot make you a prefect body, these procedures are very reasonable. One of my happiest patients was a woman over 70 that had this combination. That was quite a few years ago and I still hear from her. The major risk in this age group is use of hormone replacement that increases the risk of blood clots in the legs. If you are on such, we recommend that you stop as far before surgery as possible.

61 years old not too old for tummy tuck and breast reduction

JoAnn, 60 is the NEW 40 these days; But - only IF you are healthy. All operations have complications; The unwanted, bad side effects that are not foreseeable or preventable. When people are classified by risk factors, young/healthy people are classified as ASA Class I. But as soon as we go over age 35, regardless of health, anesthesiologists classify our risk as Class II. But if we have major health issues at that age, people get pushed into class III. I am in total agreement with my... more

It depened on your overall health.

There are very healthy 61 year-old patients who could undergo both procedures at once. We try, with the use of an assistant, to limit those procedures to less than 5 hours. Make sure you have a medical evaluation and clearance by your primary care doctor. If you don't smoke, don't have diabetes and have minimal health issues, you may be a candidate. Age is not as much an issue as your health. We have rejected 45 year-olds and accepted 65 year-olds who were in better health!. Best of luck. more

Your overall health status and length of surgery are the most important factors

Your level of fitness and general health should dictate whether you can tolerate an elective cosmetic surgical procedure. I don't have a arbitrary cutoff for age but I do highly recommend that you get a complete physical before your elective cosmetic surgery. The decision to separate or combine the two procedure is really based on you health and anticipated length of surgery. In general for outpatient surgery, I prefer to keep the total length of surgery 6 hours or less. If the surgery is... more

6 hours or less

No in a word, using 60 as a magic number to determine what surgery is appropriate is not based on sound medical judgment. Overall health is the most important factor. A good evaluation by your medical doctor wound be needed. If your health is good then you can consider surgery and possible both at the same time. The size of your breast and abdomen are also very important because the larger they are the longer each procedure would take. A goal would be to keep the procedure under 6 hours... more

Health is more important than age

A young patient who is not in good health is not a good candidate for surgery. However, a patient at a more mature age who is healthy would be a good candidate for surgery. So the condition of your health is more important as well as your expectations and goals for the surgeries. Both procedures you are describing are complex and extensive so I would suggest discussing with your surgeon about possible staging of the procedures - doing one at a time. The risks and recovery will be much better... more

It's the physiological age that matters, not the chronological age.

Hi! In New York, we have an arbitrary cut off of 60 years old to do abdominoplasty and breast reduction together. But this is obviously flexible, because it's your physiological age that matters. Some 60 year olds act and feel 40,and some 60 year olds have the health of an 80 year old. So if your weight is normal, and you are in excellent health, it's fine to do both operations together.

Elective Surgery related to Health Condition (and age)

Dear Joann, The answer really depends on your overall health status. If you are "fit as a fiddle", it might be reasonable to consider the combined procedure. In aesthetic surgery, we have to balance the expected outcome vs the risk taken to achieve it. You should be evaluated by a board certified plastic surgeon who commonly performs those procedures and have your health status reviewed. The older you get, the more likely some organ systems are not functioning at their ideal... more

You can have body contouring surgery at any age

Dear Joann, Your age does not preclude you from having a tummy tuck and/or a breast reduction. Your overall health is much more important. If you do not have any significant medical problems, are in good physical condition, are close to your ideal body weight, and don't use tobacco products, you may be an ideal candidate for surgery. In addition, prior to a breast reduction, it is important to have had a mammogram within the past year, in accordance with American Cancer Society... more