Is Tummy Tuck Safe for Overweight Patient?

I tell my patients prior to surgery that results are best if they are close to their ideal body weight and at a stable weight. Many of my patients, however, are not close to their ideal weight; they never have been and it's not realistic to expect them to ever reach it. They still get great results from a tummy tuck; their abdomens get much flatter and more contoured. To say the least, the results are dramatic.
If you've met with a board-certified plastic surgeon with whom you feel comfortable, by all means you should proceed with surgery. Best of luck!

Thank you for sharing your concern with us. I recommend you to loose weight before considerate get these procedures done. You must be a healthy person, within an appropriate BMI of below 30, for safety reasons, to be a good candidate for the procedures you want at the same time, your labs and cardiovascular preoperative evaluation must be optimal.
Respectfully,Dr. Emmanuel Mallol Cotes.

There’s no question that being close to your ideal body
weight improves the results from tummy tuck surgery.It also decreases the potential for
complications with this type of surgical procedure.For these reasons, we prefer that patients be
within 10% of their ideal body weight at the time of surgery.Unfortunately,
reaching an ideal body weight is easier said than done.The vast majority of patients are
unsuccessful at losing this additional weight.It’s also important to realize that even when patients are overweight,
they can potentially benefit from abdominoplasty.We therefore evaluate every patient on an
individual basis.We
encourage patients to lose weight before surgery and prefer that their weight
be stable for at least three months.We
realize that some patients will have difficulty losing weight.We therefore encourage patients to be in a
supervised weight loss program.Even
with that help, some patients will be unsuccessful in their effort to lose
weight.Even without weight loss, many
of these patients will still potentially benefit from tummy tuck surgery.It’s
important to realize that weight loss following tummy tuck surgery can affect
the final result.This could be even
result in the need for revisional surgery.For these reasons, it’s important to thoroughly discuss this issue with
your plastic surgeon.

 It really depends on your health.  Sound like you have already made your decision.  Since your asking on line, it may be a good idea to see your surgeon again.  Both of you need to be on the same page and if your apprehensive, obtain your physical exam sooner vs later.

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.

You ask a very good question if tummy tuck is safe when you are overweight. All surgery carries risk. The risks are higher when the patient is overweight. In my practice we use a BMI cutoff of 30 for patients electing for cosmetic surgery. Your BMI is 30.4. If you lost the 10 lbs, your BMI drops to 28.9. In our plastic surgery literature, there have been studies that show the risks of complications are much greater in patients with BMIs over 30 than those under 30. These patients tend to have wound complications including seroma (fluid collection), delayed wound healing and dehiscence of the wound.

Assuming a patient has no significant medical problems and has a "healthy" heart, a tummy tuck is a safe procedure when done with someone who has a normal BMI (Body Mass Index). Patients who are overweight (BMI between 25-30) can be good candidates for a tummy tuck, but do carry a higher risk of complications. Patients who are in the obese category (BMI above 30) are at a much higher risk for complications. It is generally advisable to not perform a tummy-tuck in patients who are obese. The results are usually not as impressive and the risks are higher. Having said that, there are many physicians who have performed numerous tummy-tucks on patients who are slightly obese, with only a marginal increase in complications.
It would certainly be a "no no" to combine a tummy tuck in an obese patient with any other procedure. Talk about your concerns once more with your plastic surgeon. If you have had a good medical evaluation, then you can likely go through with the procedure. Good luck!

For the sake of argument, I will assume that the surgeon evaluated you and you are a good candidate for the procedure from a medical and cosmetic perspecive.
What is most important is your health, what you want to accomplish, and the risks associated with achieving your goals.
If you are healthy and a non-smoker, you should be fine. If you are middle aged, a clearance by your internist may be a good idea. During this period, you should work on getting your cardiovascular reserve up - walk, run, exercise, whatever might be safe for you.
Depending on your body type, you may be happy with a lesser procedure- the panniculectomy which only removes the skin/fat apron without tightening the muscle. Another option is a "modified" tummy tuck which is like above but with lipo of the tummy too and some muscle repair below the navel.
sek

Lovelylady,
Your surgeon has already decided that you will look much improved with your tummy tuck. If he/she felt that you were dangerously overweight, they would recommend against surgery. Of course, they have all of the pieces of the puzzle; your medical history, medications and an examination. Also, of course, the risks of any surgery are lower at a lower body mass index (BMI). Good luck!

You have found a doctor who will operate on you so why second guess him? All cosmetic surgery gives a better result if your BMI is normal -- between 25 an 30 - usually OK - but the skinner you are the better the result. Talk it over with your doctor or get a second opinion.