Reach Weight Loss Goal Before Tummy Tuck Surgery?

In a perfect world, you would be stable at your goal weight.  Abdominoplasty is not for weight loss per se.  Its is designed to help the shape of your abdomen, repair stretched muscles, and remove excess tissue.  Usually patients are candidates if they are within a certain amount of their goal... more

Ideally, it is best to loose as much weight as possible before a tummy tuck.  However, most people plateau after a significant weight loss such as yours, and it may be very difficult to get that last 30 lbs off. Don't beat yourself up if you can't  loose all that you would like.  If a... more

Congratulations on your weight loss! That's a terrific achievement! For your health and to obtain the best results, it is best to hold off on your tummy tuck and wait until you've reached your target weight or a weight that you will be stable at. This will give the surgeon a better idea of how your body will... more

It is common that someone who is successfully losing weight will find that the last few pounds are the toughest. As a rule of thumb, I will typically go ahead with surgery if the patient is within 15-20 pounds of their realistic goal weight. The procedure I do won't change within that... more

I always want my patients to have a realistic and maintainable goals. If you believe you can realistically maintain a weight of 135 lbs. in the future with a combination of diet, exercise and healthy lifestyle, you should probably try to reach that goal before proceeding with the surgery. If 150 or 160 lbs. is... more

The classic teaching is to wait until you are done losing weight and remain at a stable weight before getting your tummy tuck. However, I have noticed patients often seem re-invigorated to lose weight and get fit after their tummy tucks, even if they had reached their goal weight before having surgery. They... more

It's always better to be at your ideal weight before having body contouring surgery. You've already loss a tremendous amount of weight, congratulations! If you have a significant amount of loose skin it would be reasonable to have the skin resected. This will help with the weight loss and allow you to feel... more

I have found that many patients have these ideal goals as far as preoperative weight loss and many can hit a plateau and never get to their goals.  These patients get frustrated and "stuck in a rut" and need something to "put them over the top"  towards their goal. ... more

The conventional concept is that you should be as close as possible to your ideal weight prior to undergoing body contouring surgery.  This approach results in the optimal aesthetic outcome and avoids the need for touch up surgery if you were to continue to lose significant amounts of weight after the... more

I may be going against the grain on this one as most of my colleagues in the thread recommend achieving your weight loss goal (losing an additional 30 lbs) prior to considering elective cosmetic surgery.  I used to do the same, as this is what we are taught. Historicaly, I saw patients... more