Am I candidate for tummy tuck at current weight and bmi? Would other docs agree with mine?

Far more important than deciding if a tummy tuck is for you is the skill and experience of your plastic surgeon. Choose your surgeon rather than the technique and let him explain why one technique may be better than another and if you need a tummy tuck. Many board certified plastic surgeons provide a free first time consult and you should take advantage of that!See the below link on some suggestions on finding the most qualified Plastic Surgeon for you!I have also attached a video for a possible Tummy Tuck Candidate. #tummytuck#TT#findingthebestplasticsurgeon

Most of my patients lose 10 to 15% of their total body weight after a lateral tension abdominoplasty procedure. This is due to change in fat to muscle ratio as well as abdominal wall muscle tightening which provides early satiety after the procedure. While diet and exercise is an integral part of good healthy lifestyle, I find patients after LTA are at a discreet advantage in achieving and maintaining this.

It sounds like you're
making a very good life decision to get back to a healthier weight.

Before you embark upon
surgery and it's always best to achieve a comfortable weight that you feel you
can maintain in your future without starving yourself.

I know many patients who
try crash diets, drugs or other fads to lose weight. These are generally
prone to failure. The only way to loose weight and keep it off is through
diet, exercise, and even sometimes behavior modification. You may wish to
consult with your internist or nutritionist to help put you on the right track.

Body mass index charts
can tell you where you should be, but getting there is the hard part.

A few things to remember
as you bark upon your weight loss program:

True healthy weight loss
takes time. Don't rush it.

Rail thin is not
always healthy either, seeking a comfortable and healthy weight.

Be sure that you can
maintain your weight loss for a number of months prior to surgery to prove that
your weight is stable.

Don't embark upon
surgery without being stable and without having adequate nutrition or you wont
heal well.

Even though you're not
at your goal weight yet consult with a plastic surgeon so that you can be
followed during the process. It will help to define your goals as you
consider your future surgical options.

It is always best to do a tummy tuck when you are as close to your ideal body weight as possible. At your BMI, you have a much higher chance of having complications such as wound healing problems that could lead to permanent deformity if they happen. I think that your surgeon is wise and clearly is thinking of your safety above hi/her own interests. You would be wise to heed the advice...you will not only get a better result, but you will be much healthier as a result.Good luck and I hope this helps!

The reason your surgeon wants you to lose weight is probably two fold. 1. end results look better in people who start near to an ideal weight and he/she wants you to look as good as you can when your surgical results are healed and 2. Surgery is safer at a lower weight. That is not to say that the operations you describe cannot be done at a higher weight, just that you, as the patient, has to be willing to accept the higher risk as a consequence of weight. Those risks go down as your weight does and you doctor is likely encouraging you to get to this point to make your surgery as safe and as satisfying to you and to him/her as a result.Best,Dr. Pyle