Tummy Tuck: Q&A

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Should I Postpone?

I am 5'5" and weigh 183 lbs with a pretty muscular build.. I've had two c-sections with the last to include a hysterectomy 4 years ago. I have what may be a hernia or lipoma or just separated muscles between my belly button and my sternum. I am scheduled for a full tummy tuck with lipo of flanks and Mastopexy in 4 days. Should I postpone until I am able to lose more weight????? I only care to lose 15-20 pounds but have been attempting this for years.

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8 Doctor Answers | Asked by georgia_tt

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Lose the Weight First

I urge all my patients to lose weight first and then have surgery. Your results will be that much better. Plastic surgery is not a substitute for weight loss. I know it is not easy but put your mind to it and just do it,I know you can do it. At my office I have a full gym with trainners and diet consultants. GOOD LUCK!!!

Lose Weight First

I recommend that all of my patients be at a comfortable stable weight before considering plastic surgery. A weight loss of 5 to 10 pounds will not make much of a difference but 15 to 20 may. We do not know how your body will change with the weight loss so this could have an effect on your results, especially the breasts. I would think about the weight loss and have a realistic expectation on whether or not you can and will lose the 15 to 20 pounds.

Lose weight before mastopexy and tummy tuck?

Dear Georgia. If you were my patient, I would say "Yes" and "No". I would recommend that you go ahead with the tummy tuck and lipo, but not the mastopexy. If you have the tummy tuck/lipo and go on to lose 20 pounds, it will only enhance your result. If you have the mastopexy and then lose the weight, your breasts will probably lose volume and droop again.

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Lose weight before tummy tuck?

It sounds as though you may not be able to fully lose the weight at this time. I feel that at this point you should go ahead with the procedure since in my experience you will lose weight from it initially and then be more motivated to continue to do better.

Tummy Tuck While Overweight?

Thank you for the question. Your plastic surgeon is in a much better position to advise you, as opposed to online consultants. The easy answer, of course is to achieve as close to possible as to long-term stable weight prior to undergoing body contouring surgery; if necessary, additional work with personal trainers and/or nutritionist may be helpful (depending on your history). However, some patients (despite best efforts) are not able to achieve their “ideal” weight;... more

Postponing surgery for weight loss

If you have been attempting for years to lose the last 15-20 pounds, do you think you can do it in a reasonable amount of time? I wouldn't recommend any weight loss programs that are very calorie restrictive as this could have a negative impact on recovering from a major surgery. One thing to keep in mind is that if you did lose the weight after your surgery, you might have some sagging/loss of volume to your breasts. If you have a gradual weight loss, then it shouldn't... more

Hello

There is no need to post pone your surgery if you’re only planning to lose about 15 pounds. Post-Surgery it usually helps patients to lose weight; it will not change your outcome.

Should I Postpone

It's hard to answer this without at least photos, which are of less value than an actual exam. Therefore, your own surgeon can give you a better answer than can we who answer these on-line queries. Twenty pounds may or may not make a small difference in the amount of excess skin and the amount of abdominal wall tightening. Fifty pounds, by comparison, most certainly would. If you have tired without success for years to lose that amount of weight, my thoughts would be that you might as... more

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These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.