I'm 5'3" and 185 lbs. How close do I need to be to the goal weight before I have a Tummy Tuck, Liposuction, and Breast Lift?

Thanks for your question. The simple answer is yes you should be in your ideal weight. However, we don't live n 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.Give yourself the highest percentage of a sucssesful operation. Good luck

Many patients want to lose weight but don't necessarily have to achieve this before a successful mommy makeover. As a matter of fact, the aesthetic surgery can often times be a psychological boost to make further weight reduction a bit easier.

The closer that you are to your goal weight, the better the end results will be. With that said, once you get within about 10-15 lbs, it doesn't matter quite as much. Since you are planning on losing more than 50 lbs, it would also be advisable for you to maintain your stable weight for about 6 months before having your procedure. 

An ideal
candidate for a mommy maker is within 20 lbs. of their ideal weight.  Be sure that your goal weight is both
attainable and realistic for you to maintain. Through proper diet and exercise
once you have reached a plateau with your weight (even if you have not reached
your goal) and have been able to maintain it for three months then it would be
a good time for you to consult with a board certified plastic surgeon. At
that time your surgeon will be best able to evaluate if you able to proceed
with surgery.

   Achieving a stable, safe weight for surgery is the most important aspect.  This will also depend upon your overall goals for how you want your body to look.Kenneth Hughes, MDLos Angeles, CA

  Dear feellikemyselfagain, In an ideal world, all of our patients would walk through our doors at their ideal weight. However, in the real world, getting to "ideal" weight can be difficult or in some cases not possible. As a general rule of thumb, we like our patients to be within 20-25 pounds of goal weight. We have found that by using this parameter, if a patient goes on to lose the rest of their excess weight, that this does not significantly alter their result. If you are continuing to lose weight with a healthy diet and exercise, then by all means continue to do so before you have surgery. If you are having trouble losing any more weight or cannot lose any weight at all, then seek a consultation with an expert mommy makeover board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your options. Many patients can have procedures with very nice outcomes even if they are not at ideal or goal weights. Good luck.Dr. Gervais 

In my practice, we recommend patients be within 15 pounds of their goal weight. First and foremost, the risks of complications with anesthesia and wound healing increase exponentially the higher your BMI. Second, your result will be much more satisfactory if you are near your goal weight.

I usually counsel patients to be within 10-15 lbs. of their target weight (assuming I think that is a realistic/healthy target for them).  

Generally I tell my patients to be within about 20 pounds of their goal weight. Sometimes it is not realistic to say that you have to be at your goal weight. Try to get as close as you can and also at a weight you feel you can maintain. Good luck!

You are very wise to be concerned about your weight before undergoing this combination of procedures.  You will be investing considerable time and money achieving the improvements you are seeking.  It is great that you are taking responsibility for your part of this endeavor.  The closer you are to you're goal, the better results your surgeon can achieve.  Most people need to lose close to 20 pounds to look different.  Ideally you should be at least within 10 pounds of you're goal.  The closer however, you can come .to you're goal the better off you will be