If my BMI is over 35, can I still have surgery?

I appreciate your question.

Best to be at a healthy, stable weight for 6 months prior to surgery for optimal results.



The best way to assess and give
true advice would be an in-person exam.

Please see a board-certified
plastic surgeon that specializes in aesthetic and restorative plastic surgery.

Best of luck!



Dr. Schwartz

Thank you very much for this important question.Trying to lose weight before a surgical procedure its a very delicate matter, since in many cases a restrictive diet can cause problems, such as anemia, electrolyte disturbances, decreased protein, etc ... retarding the healing process and damaging the surgery.For these reasons, if your purpose is to lose weight, i recommend you have a BMI less or equal to 30.In this regard, you must to have a support with a nutritionist, so you can achieve the desired goal, in the most healthy way, without incressing complications risks in the plastic surgery to perform.On the other hand, I recommend you yo be treated by a board certified plastic surgeon, with special training in Plastic Surgery After Massive Weight Loss. Therefore, it will use different surgical techniques and special safety measures for ex- obese patients.It's very important to make a preparation weeks or even months before the surgery, advising the patient to take certain measures that helps to have a successful surgery with very good results.You only can perform multiple procedures at the same time if the blood work and pre-op cardiovascular evaluation are in optimal range that allows us to make a safe procedure.Respectfully,Dr. Emmanuel Mallol.-

Hi.. thank you for the question.. is near the limit... You can have your procedure done, but i suggest you to start working on loosing some weight while getting ready for your procedure, to have better results. 

Hello dear!
Thanks for the question and provided information as well.
To be a candidate for plastic surgery, in general, you need to be physically healthy and at a stable weight, have realistic expectations, be a non-smoker and your BMI needs to be 33 or less.
l recommend you to make an appointment with a board certified plastic surgeon to talk about your goals and anything you need to know.
Good luck :)

Thank you for your question. A very high BMI increases the patients risk for complications during surgery. You would need to be evaluated by a plastic surgeon, anesthesiologist, and your primary care physician to see if you are candidate to have surgery. I hope you find this information useful. 

There are no hard rules regarding BMI.   There is no question that patients who have a higher BMI have greater risks when they undergo surgery.  Under 35 has less risks and under 30, the risks are less still.  Everyone is an individual with individual reasons for undergoing surgery, and may have additional risks on top of their BMI.  When you undergo elective surgery, you want to minimize your risks as much as possible.  Losing weight is a great idea, but not the only factor to consider when undergoing Plastic Surgery.  

Having a high body mass index can increase the risk of complications from surgery. It is best to reduce your overall weight before undergoing a procedure.

There are risks with surgey in high BMI patients, as there risk in all surgery. See a plastic surgery board certified surgeon who operates at a certified facility and has done a ton of tummy tucks. Do not hesitate to ask: How many tummy tucks have you performed on patients with a BMI like mine? Don't settle for vague answers, and ask to talk to a patient. Unlike most plastic surgeons I do not ask any of my patients to lose weight "before" surgery, though a small multiple feeding diet with a specific weight goal is a must "after" surgery, to assure a great result. Choose your surgeon carefully and good luck.

Thank you for your question. I would encourage you to lose some weight before considering getting a surgical procedure done, the reason is that if you are not in a healthier weight, it could be dangerous for you during and after surgery. Neither procedure should be considered a weight loss tool. As physician, my first priority is keeping my patients safe and not perform surgery that could be risky. Hope this helps. Good luck.

Yes, you can have BBL assuming that you are a good risk candidate for surgery and your health is optimal. The beautiful thing about BBL is that it allows you to
lose fat from the areas where you have more than enough, while adding that same
fat to the areas where you do not have enough! That way both the donor and the
recipient sites improve. I have been doing buttock implant surgery for 20+
years with very nice results and few complications. Nonetheless, I do now
recommend BBL to patients who have sufficient donor site fat to achieve a
result that meets their expectations. I have found that we can transfer a much
greater volume of fat than the volume of implant that we can place into the
inter-muscular pockets that I use (beneath the Gluteus Maximus and above the
Gluteus Medius & Minimus muscles. In rare cases, we can even place an
implant at a later date to maximize volume. Fat can be placed throughout the
buttocks region while gluteal implants are used in the upper buttocks. I do not
place buttock implants where my patient would sit on them because that would
increase the risk of complications. Lastly, some patients think that if they
put on weight that we will get a better result. The problem is that if you then
lose that weight, the grafted fat will also likely be lost in proportion to
your weight loss. Good luck!