Can I Weigh 280lb and Get a Tummy Tuck?

Obesity is defined as having a body mass index in excess of 30.  Body mass index is calculated based on height and weight.  Obese patient are known to have a much higher complication rate after plastic surgery than patients that fall into normal BMI measurements.  

Hello,

Abdominoplasty or tummy tuck is a surgery designed to remove skin and fat from the tummy, tighten the abdominal muscles, and tighten the remaining skin.  It is a powerful and transforming surgery as you have probably seen from before and after photos.  However, this surgery is not for everyone.  There are both safety and aesthetic (cosmetic) considerations that will make this a successful and safe surgery or a surgery that did not meet your anticipated result or worse, caused you harm.

There are many scientific studies looking at the complications after tummy tuck associated with a high 'body mass index', which is a number that looks at your height and weight.  The higher this number, the greater your weight compared to your height, and the much more likely you will have complications after a tummy tuck, some of which are life threatening.

From a cosmetic perspective, if you are too heavy, your result may not be what you were hoping for either.  This is not a surgery that is designed to make a heavy person thin.  The best candidates for a tummy tuck are those fairly close to their ideal body weight (within 20 to 30 lbs).  Without looking at your photos, you may be a good candidate for a simpler and faster surgery that will remove any hanging skin and allow you to exercise and diet more effectively.  This surgery is called a panniculectomy and it carries less surgical risks for people who are still too heavy for a tummy tuck.

Remember it's 90% diet and 10% exercise!  I wish you the best of luck in your endeavor to loose weight and get healthy. 

Best results are obtained with tummy tucks when a patient is as close as possible to their ideal body weight before proceeding.  As such, if you weight 280 pounds, it would be best to lose at least 100 pounds before moving forward with this type of procedure.

However, if the excess skin is bothering you and you just can't weight, there is an alternative.  A technique known as a panniculectomy can remove excess skin without addressing muscle laxity.  You could certainly look into this procedure and then plan to have a definitive tummy tuck in the future when you are closer to your ideal body weight.

I hope this helps!

I recommend patients to be at their ideal weight before any tummy tuck or liposuction surgery for best results.  Weight gain and weight loss significantly increase the chance of undesirable results. 

Thank you for the question. Generally speaking, it is always best to achieve long-term stable weight prior to proceeding with  body contouring surgery. Doing so, will increase the safety of the operation, will likely improve the outcome of the operation, and will decrease chances that additional surgery will become necessary subsequently. 





In my practice, I do not ask specific patients to achieve a specific weight prior to proceeding with tummy tuck surgery. I simply ask patients to achieve a long-term stable weight where he/she feels comfortable and does not expect significant fluctuation postoperatively.  As you know, recruiting other professionals such as personal trainers, nutritionists, physicians who specialize in weight loss concerns etc. may be helpful to you. 



 Having said the above,  occasional patients do benefit from panniculectomy surgery as a “jumpstart” to achieving their final goals. You may find the attached link, dedicated to patients who have experienced significant weight loss, helpful to you as you consider your options. Best wishes.