I am extremely obese. Can anything be done to lift my stomach? It interferes with walking, sitting and lots of other things.

Question

i had not lost the weight i have wanted to this definelty plays a roll. how much would i have to weigh before you could help me.

Dallas Buchanan, MD · Answer

Thank you for your honest question. Before considering any type of skin removal surgery, you need to achieve significant and stable long term weight loss. For those that struggle with this, often weight loss (bariatric) surgery such as gastric bypass is often the best answer. You need to discuss a referral to a specialized surgeon with your primary doctor. Cosmetic surgery should never be viewed as an option for weight loss.Hope this helps!

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

Without photos or an exam, I am unable to answer your question.  Stating that you are extremely obese indicates that you are not yet a candidate for a TT, panniculectomy, or lipo.  Would suggest that you discuss your difficulty in losing weight with your PCP who can recommend a diet and or exercise program that could help you to lose weight.  You may qualify for weight loss surgery if your BMI is over 35 and you have a serious weight-related health problem, such as high BP, severe sleep apnea or type 2 diabetes.Kenneth Hughes, MD, Board Certified Plastic SurgeonLos Angeles, CA

Austin Hayes, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. I would discuss your concerns with your primary care provider and strongly consider bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery will aid with weight loss, and then you can have areas of excess skin addressed once your weight has stabilized.

Scott Reis, MD · Answer

Unfortunately, it's impossible to comment on your specific case without any photographs. In general though, patients with excess hanging abdominal skin that overlap/rub/irritate (pannus) and interfere with activity and exercise are often good candidates for a panniculectomy. This procedure differs from a full TT as only the skin and excess tissue below the belly button are removed.
Ideally, patients should be at their goal weight and stable for several months prior to undergoing any abdominal cosmetic surgery to obtain the best final results. If you haven't been able to drop the excess weight with diet and exercise alone and are unhappy with your current weight, you may consider consulting with a bariatric surgeon to discuss the various surgical options that could help you achieve your goal weight. Not only would this help in that regard, but lower weight/BMI correlates with better results, safer surgery and less post-operative complications for cosmetic surgery not to mention the long term health benefits of being at a more ideal weight. Best of luck

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear softandfuffly,the optimal weight to have Tummy Tuck surgery is a very common question and for good reason. Having surgery before you reach your target weight can lead to suboptimal results if you were to lose more weight after surgery.
Good first questions to ask yourself are:
1. Am I at my goal weight?
2. Is my weight stable? have you lost or gained more than 10lbs in the past month? What was your weight last year?
3.  Are you eating a healthy diet and exercising?
If you are not at your goal weight or your weight is not stable, you should hold off on surgery.
Daniel Barrett, MD, MHA, MS 
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery 
Member, Am. Society of Plastic Surgery

Whitney A. Burrell, MD · Answer

Generally, body contouring should not be performed on someone with a BMI over 40.  There are exceptions for when the patient has a symptomatic panniculus - the overhanging skin and fat of the abdomen that can cause irritation, infection, and impediment to mobility.  The criteria for insurance coverage of this condition are very specific and other factors such as your overall health have to be considered to determine whether you are healthy enough for surgery.  Even this surgery carries many more complications for an obese individual than it would for someone of normal or even slightly higher-than-optimal weight, so be sure to discuss thoroughly with your board certified plastic surgeon all the risks and benefits. Best of luck!

Tom J. Pousti, MD · Answer

You are asking an excellent question that online consultants will not be able to respond to with enough specificity to be truly helpful. I would suggest that you start with your primary care doctor and discuss your concerns. Referral to a weight loss specialist (for example a medically supervised well-organized weight-loss program)  may be a good place to start.  As you know, working with nutritionists and personal trainers may be very helpful.  Having said that, there are a subset of patients who  are above the ideal long-term stable weight who benefit from panniculectomy surgery. The panniculectomy operation involves excision of the lower abdominal wall pannus or overhanging skin/adipose tissue. It is not considered an  aesthetically driven procedure;  it is often performed to help with concerns such as skin breakdown, infections/rashes…   When you  achieve your long-term stable weight, through (probably) careful attention to diet and exercise, it will be time to consider  specific procedures to achieve aesthetic outcomes that you will be pleased with.  At that point, it will be important that you select your plastic surgeon carefully. Make sure that he/she is a board-certified plastic surgeon who can demonstrate lots of experience achieving the types of outcomes you will be pleased with. Then, careful communication of your goals will be important as well.
  Best wishes as you work towards your goals and for a final outcome that you will be very pleased with.

Priti Shukla, Mch - Account Suspended · Answer

Hello, If you are morbidly obese , meaning weight double of your ideal weight, or Body mass index of 40 or above, you should prefer bariatric surgery to lose weight. You will lose a lot of weight through that surgery and that will be beneficial for overall health, like if you have pain in knee joints, diabetes, sleep apnoea etc. After an year or more , loose skin can be removed by tummy tuck . As you lose weight, your mobility will improve starting from 1-2 months after bariatric surgery as the flap will get lighter. Sometimes in selected cases , without bariatric surgery- just a plastic surgery is done. Surgery is called Panniculectomy . It helps remove only the hanging fat.

Ronald V. DeMars, MD (Retired) · Answer

If you have a hanging panniculus, without photos we don't know, you can have it removed. Your weight increases the risk of the surgery. Best you look into bariatric surgery. Cosmetic surgery such as a TT would not be done if you are obese.

I am extremely obese. Can anything be done to lift my stomach? It interferes with walking, sitting and lots of other things.

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