Tummy Tuck: Q&A

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How Much Weight to Lose Before Tummy Tuck and Liposuction?

I'm thinking about getting a tummy tuck. I have 3 kids and that awful hanging tummy flab that won't go away. I'm 5'9", 51, weighing about 190 lbs, and used to be in really great shape. Now it's just coming off so slowly and I really want to look nice for myself. How much weight should I lose before the prcedure? Can I also have Liposuction at same time to underarms and just get rid of the flab that won't go away?

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age 45-54 abdomen under arms female weight loss 190-209 lbs flab

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9 Doctor Answers | Asked by AikenMom in Aiken South Carolina

Doctor Answers (9)
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How much weight loss before body contouring surgery?

Ideally, before any body contouring procedure, you will be within 10-15 pounds of your proper weight. That way, you will get the best result and won't become lax by loosing alot of weight after the surgery.

Tummy Tuck Results?

Thank you for the question. There is no magic number of pounds to lose. You will know physically (when you are at your baseline weight) and emotionally when you are ready to proceed with this major operation. This planning would involve making sure you have enough help for your kids and yourself during the recovery period (approx. 3-4 weeks). I do however have another word of advice for you. Patients who are about to undergo tummy tuck surgery spend a lot of... more

Weight loss before tummy tuck

You should be at a stable weight prior to a tummy tuck. Whatever your goal weight may be, the number is not that important to the surgeon but it should be a realistic number for you. The more weight you lose prior to surgery, the better your result will be and fewer complications will occur; in general. If you are planning to lose weight, do this before your surgery and not after surgery. If you lose too much weight, too quickly after surgery, you may be left with loose skin which can... more

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Weight loss and a tummy tuck

The ideal candidate for liposuction is about ten pounds over the ideal body weight. Don’t go on crash diets which will make you unhealthy, and possibly risk you healing poorly. Liposuction can be done on the arms but there is a limit during one session of how much fat is removed for safety reasons. The surgeon should be able to tell you in consultation how many areas can be treated at the same time. A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is designed to tighten the muscle over the abdomen,... more

Weight loss prior to body contouring surgery

Your general health is the most important determinant for any type of surgery. In body contouring surgery, I will ask the patient what their realistic goal is regarding their weight. If they can get to within 10-15% of that weight, the surgery can be tailored reasonably well with little chance that any further weight loss (or gain) will give an odd appearance. Ideally, the more you lose, the more can be tightened and shaped. Good Luck!

Weight Loss Before Tummy Tuck

The closer you are to ideal body weight, the better the result you can expect from a TT. You can certainly have the procedure performed now, but I would expect a better result and better recovery with some weight loss. You can have the lipo at the same time, but some patients require excision of skin rather than lipo alone for this area.

Tummy tuck and weight loss

Hi AikenMom! If you're healthy and your primary doctor is agreeable, you would do well with a tummy tuck and liposuction. I find that post-partum tummy tuck patients are amongst the happiest of my cosmetic surgery patients. With regard to preoperative weight loss, any weight you can lose before surgery is in your best interest. Your results will be that much better if you are able to lose weight. Also, the complication rate is decreased. There is no set amount of weight to lose--this... more

Losing Weight before tummy tuck and liposuction

You should be at your long term stable weight which is generally within 20 pounds of your target weight for optimal results. Generally, patients can have tummy tuck and liposuction at the same time. see video

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