Tummy Tuck: Q&A

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I'm Still Overweight After a Substantial Weight Loss, but Am Interested in a Tummy Tuck. What Are Your Thoughts?

I have lost (and kept off) 100 lbs and am very interested in a tummy tuck. I am, however still overweight at 230lbs where I've hovered for some time. I have a decent amount of muscle, am quite large boned and am decently fit but am so tired of the appearance of my stomach. I realize I am above my ideal weight, but have done quite well keeping the weight off so far and feel I wold benefit from a tt. What are your thoughts at this weight?

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15 Doctor Answers | Asked by Moeb

Doctor Answers (15)
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Tummy tuck

After this large volume of weight loss you have a considerable amount of hanging skin and fat. The excision will not only take a considerable amount of extra weight off, it will also allow you to look better, and you will be able to exercise with greater facility

Weight Stable and Tummy Tuck

Tummy tuck can be considered in patients who have lost significant weight and have stabilized but who are still overweight. Attendant risks need to be managed on an individual basis, and all of this should be discussed with your board certified plastic surgeon.

Abdominoplasty with Mesh Reinforcement

Your abdominal wall strength is determined by 2 components, fascia and muscle. The muscle can hypertrophy with exercise but fascia cannot. There is a new technique called Abdominoplasty with Mesh Reinforcement. The mesh is used to reinforce the fascia, which has been damaged from your excessive weight and weight loss of 100 lbs. Mesh Reinforcement strengthens your abdominal wall, helps you lose additional weight and maintain the reduced weight. Best... more

Second Tummy Tuck

If you have lost over a hundred pounds, you most likely have a significant amount of extra skin in your abdomen and a tummy tuck would likely make a great improvement in the way you look. Since you are still a little heavier than is what is considered ideal, it is important that you understand that if you go on to lose a lot of weight (another 50-100 lbs) after your tummy tuck, you may develop some more loose skin that you would need a second tummy tuck to correct. If you are okay with... more

Less Than Ideal Patients Can Benefit From Tummy Tucks

Thank you for your question. Congratulations! While tummy tucks work best in patients who are near their ideal body weight, less than ideal BMI patients can benefit from a tummy tuck. There are some considerations that affect the outcome. The amound of residual intra-abdominal fat and flank and back fat can have a negative effect on the outcome. Procedures such as a lipo-abdominoplasty, extended tummy tucks and belt lipectomies can be helpful in these patients... more

Still Overweight After a Substantial Weight Loss-- Tummy Tuck??

The usual guideline for safety and good outcome is that a patient be as close as possible to desirable weight. That may be hard to define. A measurement that is useful is BMI-body mass index, which you can check on-line. Anything over 30 is associated with a higher degree of risk of complications, both minor and major. At 230 pounds you would have to be at least 6'1" to have a BMI of 30. I use the word guideline, because it is just that. There are... more

Ideal Body Weight And The Timing Of A Tummy Tuck

At what weight to do a tummy tuck is a good question and there is no exactly right answer. While the ideal weight answer is always correct, there are many patients who have lost a lot of weight and simply are never going to get there. Many weight loss patients 'hit the wall' where they reach a certain weight and just can't seem to get past it. Other patients need to have a more realistic weight goal even if it is above their ideal body weight. I think if one is within 10lb to 20lbs of their... more

Desparately Seeking Tummy Tuck, but still overweight!

Go for it! I'm sure that with a weight loss of 100 lbs., you have considerable abdominal laxity – and this is your concern. Although you may lose additional weight – and it’s always better to be at or near your ideal weight prior to surgery – I think a tummy tuck at this time would give you a tremendous psychological boost. As long as you realize that you may require a revision to enhance the cosmetic result if you do lose significantly more weight, then you are having surgery with... more

Doing well

Keep going --- get your BMI under 30. Don't short change yourself on a good result. Keep up the good diet and lose more weight.

Tummy Tuck if not at Ideal Weight?

Thank you for your question. You certainly have done well losing 100 pounds! You will have a substantial amount of skin laxity as well as hanging fat from your lower belly after this weight loss, so you would be a good candidate for a tummy tuck. You will have a great improvement to your belly with this procedure and sometimes this motivates patients to lose even more weight. Even if later you have a revision to the tummy tuck this is not the end of the world... more

Lipo-Abdominoplasty’s

Congratulations! A 100 pounds is allot of weight to loose. Some patients plateau with weight loss and others are just tall/ big. We refer to this as BMI or Body Mass Index. Yes, sometimes bigger patients are candidates for Lipo-Abdominoplasty’s. Consider a consult with someone in your local area that specializes in such a procedure. A good place to start is with a member of the ASAPS. Best, Gary R Culbertson, MD, FACS

Surgery after large weight loss

Congratulations on your weight loss. Body contour surgery after massive weight loss has come a long way in the past ten years. There are a number of different procedures that can be done in order to improve your appearance and get rid of the extra skin and folds. It is important to select your surgeon wisely. Your surgeon should have experience with this type of surgery and be able to support you with proper care afterward. Take your time and do your homework and you will be very pleased... more

Tummy Tuck and Weight Concerns?

Congratulations on your successful weight loss and maintenance of a stable weight thus far. I ask patients to achieve their long-term stable weight before undergoing any type of body contouring surgery. I generally do not ask patients to achieve a specific weight; rather I asked that they achieve a weight where they feel “comfortable” for the long-term. In other words, my hope is that patients do not experience significant weight fluctuation after undergoing the body... more

Tummy Tuck Weight Loss Goal

Dear Moeb, Although you may be feeling frustrated right now due to your weight loss being at a plateau , don't get discouraged. You have made a significant stride towards what your ultimate goal is appearance-wise, and should be congratulated! When you undergo a surgery such as a Tummy-Tuck, you want your outcome to be as dramatic and aesthetically pleasing as possible, so my advice to you would be to get as close to your goal weight as possible. In the end, you will be far more... more

BMI

One way to see how your weight compares to your height is to calculate your BMI or body mass index. This is what physicians use to categorize people into normal weight, overweight, obese, morbidly obese, etc. It takes into account how tall you are and how much you weigh. Congratulations to the weight that you have lost and kept off. Losing more weight can often times be difficult especially if your body has been used to living at a higher set point. If your weight has... more