Whats the Typical Process for Someone Who Wants a Tummy Tuck That Has LOTS of Excess Skin

Im 5`8 and 270lbs, ive been maintaining this weight for a lil over a year now but i really want to get rid of this huge belly Help!?!?

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female 270-289 lbs

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11 Doctor Answers | Asked by 1387anon in NY

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AT 5'*' 270 pounds a panniculectomy may be in order. Tummy tuck is not.

With all due respect, at 5'8", your ideal weight should be approximately 150 lbs and you are close to twice that. Therefore, your problem is more than just loose skin. If you are experiencing ulcerations, intertrigo, skin breakdown, then a panniculectomy could provide you with some relief but do little to correct the weight problem.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

32 reviews

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Tummy Tuck in very heavy patients

You are at increased risk and can have complication if you undergo Tummy tuck without additional weight loss. Please loose at least 90 pounds and then a board certified plastic surgeon can help you get a good result. If you are unable to loose the weight, a bariatric surgeon can help. Best wishes, Dr. Sajjadian

You need to lose weight before a tummy tuck

Patients need to take ownership of what they bring to the table in plastic surgery and not expect the doctor to work magic on them if they are not a good candidate for surgery. Before having a tummy tuck, I would suggest you lose about 100 pounds. Then you can get the skin off and look nice.

Not Ready for Abdominoplasty

It would be advisable to continue to lose weight prior to any cosmetic surgery. Patients should get close to their ideal body weight and maintain it FIRST! Risk of complications increase dramatically with increasing weight. Dr. ES

Tummy tuck not safe if you are very overweight.

Hi. 1) I don't think you need to be at "ideal weight" to benefit by a tummy tuck. 200 pounds might be a reasonable upper limit for you to have surgery. 2) You need to be examined anyway. A lot of your "belly" might be due to fat deep to the muscle (around the gut), and a tummy tuck does not help with that.

You'd be better off losing more weight before having a tummy tuck

Hi, No one appreciates a surgeon telling her that she should lose weight. It's an easy thing for me to say, but not so easy for you to do. That being said, results from a tummy tuck would be disappointing at your current height and weight. If diet and exercise have not been successful for weight loss, you may be a candidate for bariatric surgery. Surgical weight loss would allow you to get closer to your ideal body weight. Once your weight has stabilized, you'd be a much better... more

Options for tummy improvement in the overweight.

There is only one ideal solution for you, or anyone with excess fat and skin of the abdomen when you are significantly overweight. That is weight loss down to a BMI of near 25 (which, for you, is 164 lb.) and then abdominoplasty for removal of the residual excess skin. Other options include use of an external, noninvasive laser (Zerona) first to start weight loss and doing abdominoplasty with liposuction now with further correction in the future. After jump starting weight loss with... more

You should be evaluated by a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Ideally, you'd go in and be seen by a reputable, Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon. Let him or her work with you to decide your best option. Dr. Joseph Capella is in Ramsey, NJ, and would be a good resource for you. It is likely that you will be referred to a Bariatric Surgeon to consider a surgical procedure to assist with weight loss if other maneuvers are not effective. Good luck and keep working towards a healthier weight!

An option for overweight patients

While I agree that obesity can increase the chance of complications after a tummy tuck, there are some options for you. A combined liposuction and skin removal procedure can offer significant improvement for you. It is important that you are realistic in your expectations. I have developed my own technique for this procedure and have been performing this since April '09 on patients with high BMIs. Assuming that your are medically cleared for general anesthesia, you... more

Large patients

Dr. Aldea is right; however, I have found that many large ( obese) patients who are not willing to lose the weight or have bariatric surgery can somtimes benefit from a smaller procedure that gets rid of the overhang only. Here we do a "panulectomy" and perhaps a small amout of liposuction which gets rid of the overhanging skin. A full tummy tuck is a dangerous procedure when your bmi is as high as it is. I try to reserve tummy tucks for patients with a bmi under 30. ... more

Tummy Tuck in Heavy Patients

Operating on obese patients produces less than ideal results and is associated with a higher risk of significant complications (wound related, infection and blood clots). Your weight gives you a BMI of 41 which qualifies as "morbidly obese" (with over 30 as obese) and below 20 as the normal range. The best you can do is obtain bariatric surgery (Roux en Y bypass) which will lower your risk of diabetes, drop your blood pressure, save your joints and prolong your life. After your... more