How Many Sizes Will I Lose From Tummy Tuck and Lipo?

sarahortega,
The amount of weight loss and dress size decrease is very variable after a tummy tuck and liposuction.
The most important question is: how much of your fat is on the inside, and how much is on the outside. It is impossible to determine from your picture how much fat is directly under the skin. You need to understand that the volume of fat inside your abdomen (underneath the abdominal muscles, where your liver, stomach, and intestines are held) contributes significantly to your belly size. Best test you can do is to try and push your fingers into your belly and see how deep they push in before hitting your muscles. This represents the thickness of fat on the outside and it is this fat that is removed in liposuction and tummy tucks.
Sincerely,
Martin Jugenburg, MD

Hi Sara,

 It can be very frustrating trying to lose weight prior to having an abdominoplasty.  I have seen patients successfully lose weight using the South Beach Diet and Weight Watchers.   I think both of these diets are safe and effective, but must be combined with exercise.  Walking 30 minutes 4-5 times each week is a good start and will keep your metabolism going.   Increase your meal frequency to 5-6 small meals each day and avoid processed foods and excess carbohydrates (white bread, sweets, crackers, cookies, ice cream, surgar laden foods). Try to eat lots of green or fibrous vegatables and fruits (especially berries).  Do these things and you will lose weight.  I know this is all easier said than done!  In summary, it is your diet that is holding you back, not your willingness to exercise.  

A key point about whether you can procede safely with abdominoplasty at your present weight is whether you carry the weight in your midsection.  If the fat is high and deep in the abdomen, then you must lose at least part of it first.  If the weight is in your hips or low in the abdomen and just under the skin then sometimes you can procede.  A board certified plastic surgeon can determine where the fat is and if it is safe for you to procede.

If you can procede, I have found patients often find it easier to lose weight after their tummy tuck.   They get both a mental and I think physical boost from not having all that extra tissue and commonly lose weight after the surgery.  It makes the result look even better.

I find patients change in size is  dependent on this weight loss after surgery more than the surgery itself but a 2 -3 dress size decrease would be a reasonable estimate.

Thank you for your questions regarding how many sizes will you lose from a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty and abdominal liposuction. Your question is difficult to answer without a thorough physical examination. However, I still would suggest liposuction of your abdomen (tummy) and superior iliac crest (love handles). Based solely on one single picture and without a physical examination, I believe you should be able to get into single-digit dress size. It appears that you have a significant amount of excess abdominal skin and fat. At first, you will be swollen, and you and you may weigh more after the procedure than before the procedure. However, give yourself two to three months for the swelling to decrease. I would highly suggest you start conscientiously exercising and eating right after your procedure. This will yield the best results. I would suggest you follow a high-protein, low-carb diet for maximum results.  If you have any more questions regarding liposuction, or tummy tuck or abdominal liposuction, please contact my office. When seeking plastic surgery, please seek an experienced, board-certified with years of experience. Examine their before and after pictures carefully.

Sincerely,

Dr. Katzen

As mentioned previously by the others the number of sizes
lost in any tummy tuck and/or liposuction will vary with the patient and
procedure, and you should discuss your ideals and expectations with your
surgeon when researching the procedure you would like to have done. It is good
to consider both the fat under the abdominal muscles and that between the
muscles and skin as being separate, and that not both will be removed with a
tummy tuck. It is always a good idea to work on some fat/weight loss of that
underneath the muscles before the procedure in order to see more pleasing
results upon recovery. Also remember that fat and skin weigh much less than
bone and muscle, so the procedure alone will not necessarily meet your goal
weight, but it will definitely be helpful in reaching a goal dress size and
trimming your overall figure. This is definitely something to discuss closely
with your plastic surgeon when making plans for a procedure as this is an
expensive venture and it would be difficult to end up with disappointing
results.

It’s not unusual for patients to be concerned about the fit
of clothing following body contouring procedures.In many cases, patients will note a drop of
two to three dress sizes following abdominoplasty.Unfortunately, how surgical procedures impact
the fit of clothing is hard to predict.In some cases, clothing sizes won’t change despite aggressive surgical
procedures, while in other cases dramatic changes may be seen.This
unpredictability occurs for a variety of reasons.For instance, removing a hanging panniculus
may have no impact on the waist size despite dramatic aesthetic
improvement.It’s therefore important to
discuss this issue with your plastic surgeon prior to surgery.Your surgeon may be able to give some insight
regarding this topic.

Quite frequently, major tummy tucks will not produce significant changes in clothing sizing despite dramatic differences in aesthetic appearance.

You really have two options.  You could have a tummy tuck now (with the weight) and have an "okay" result.  The surgery will basically involve cutting away some of the excess fat.  Your other option would be to loose weight first and then have the surgery.  This should lead to a "great" result.  If the weight is already gone, then the focus of the surgery can be contouring and shaping which will give you much nicer results.  Good luck.

Hi sarahortega, Suffice to say you will find a surgeon who will do a tummy tuck on you at this moment, but I can almost guarantee you won't be pleased with the result. When patients are overweight, there is too much existing intra-abdominal fat.This kind of fat can't be liposuctioned. It's internal around your organs.This can make the surgery riskier. It also makes it harder for your surgeon to give you a good result because he can’t tighten the abdominal wall as much. A tummy tuck will trim away localized lower belly fat to create a flatter tummy. However, it is not a weight-loss surgery. While you don’t have to be at your all-time low weight before surgery, we do recommend that you be at a healthy weight, within 20 lbs. of your goal weight, and stable at this weight for at least six months.

Thank you for your question.In general, patients who undergo tummy tuck surgery may lose 3-5 pounds.   I do not perform this procedure for weight loss but rather for body contouring purposes.Most patients who have the tummy tuck procedure are so pleased with their new look that they start exercising more and eating more healthy and therefore may lose weight.I hope this helps.Best Wishes.

I agree with Dr Rand. But to directly answer your question the decrease in sizes would be about 2 to 3 sizes. It is ALWAYS best to lose weight before this surgery. Best of luck.