How much weight should I lose before a mommy makeover surgery?

I always tell my patients that ideally they should be as close to their goal weight as possible before going into surgery. The closer you are to your ideal weight before surgery, the better the results of your Mommy Makeover (tummy tuck and/or liposuction) will be. Without a picture of you or knowing your height and build, I cannot make a specific recommendation to how much weight you should lose. During your consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon, your surgeon should inform you how much weight you should lose so that surgery can provide you with the best results possible.

In general, you want to be within about 10-15 lbs. of your realistic goal weight.As you lose weight, you'll see more laxity in the skin of your tummy.  Then, at surgery, your surgeon can remove all this extra skin for you, and give you an improved result with your TT.So, the weight loss should be the "homework" you do before the TT, so you get the best cosmetic result.

Without knowing your height, it is difficult to tell.  BMI would be a better indicator of whether you should lose weight before your surgery or not.  Ideally, you would lose as much weight as you could prior to your surgery.

Hi. Thanks for your question. The simple answer is yes you should be in your ideal weight. However, we don't live in an ideal world. Throughout 29 years of private practice in Miami, Fl, I have learned that the approach to a patient's weight should be practical. This means that there will be patients who can lose the weight but will have a difficult time maintaining it off. There are patients that given enough time, will NOT lose the required weight. For me it's a judgement call based on several factors to include body shape and how that is distributed in that particular patient.There are patients who will have a great deal of visceral fat, meaning within the abdominal cavity surrounding the organs and then there are those who will have distributed externally, outside the abdominal wall. I hope this is of some help.Always seek out the opinion of a surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery with years of experience in tummy tucks. Furthermore request to see before and after photos of previous patients by that doctor....not a clinic or surgery center. Do your homework......research and verify the doctor's credentials. Have they had problems with the Board of Medicine, disciplinary or otherwise. Any law suits? How about the center, clinic or facility? Are they accredited by a national organization or do they just have State approval. Understand that at the current time, there are three nationally recognized organizations responsible for the highest levels of patient safety, AAAASF, AAACH and JCHO. You owe it to yourself to position yourself for the best possible results but under the most stringent safety regulations, If you have kids, even more so.How about anesthesia? Will you have a medical doctor certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology or a certified nurse anesthetist (CRNA)? Understand that there is no substitute for research. Cosmetic surgery, no matter how simple it may be to the patients, are invasive procedures and as such carry certain risks and complications.In our office we use TouchMD which is a web based program in which patients have the ability to load their picture unto the program. I then evaluate them and can actually draw on the picture to show a potential patient where the incisions would be located and how the procedure is to be realized. It's all done to comply with HIPPA which is the federal law that protects the patient's medical information. Look them up.

It's not absolutely necessary to be at ideal weight when undergoing a mommy makeover. Sometimes procedure itself is a psychological springboard to further weight loss. Overall your situation will be discussed with your surgeon.

This question is difficult to answer because I have no idea about your height in relation to your weight and therefore I can not advise you on the actual amount of weight that would be beneficial for you to lose.  With that said, it is imperative that the weight loss is maintained for at least 3 months.  Obviously the more weight loss will lead to a better result in most cases.

It's a great question. In general, before a tummy tuck procedure it's best to have a BMI less than 30. BMI calculators can be found online.A BMI less than 30 reduces the risks of complications.It's also a good idea to reach your goal weight prior to undergoing surgery. If you are at your goal weight, the surgery will provide you with the best chance of having a nice result that is long-lasting. If you are planning future weight loss greater than 10 pounds, then it's likely best to obtain your goal weight prior to having surgery.

It is my pleasure to answer your question. I recommend you to lose all weight you can before surgery but with a healthy diet so you can't be with anemia. That way you are going to have better results.

Hi, thanks for your inquiry, I would be helpful if you'd share some pictures, but in fact the best is to be as close as your ideal weight as possible in order to obtain a more dramatic and beautiful result, please have an in person or virtual (Skype) consultation so you can discuss your concerns, options and expectations thoroughly, good luck in your PS Journey! Respectfully,Dr. Jaime Campos-Leon

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 patients to achieve a specific weight prior to proceeding with mommy makeover 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.  Seeking consultation with well experienced board-certified plastic surgeons will be your next/best step. The attached link may be helpful to you. Best wishes.