I am a heavier women with BMI 40. Looking for surgeon to perform TT without having to drop to BMI 30.

Studies show that patients with bmi’s over 35 have a higher incidence of complications including delayed wound healing, blood clots and hospitalizations. While it is feasible to do surgery on a patient with a high bmi it does come with increased risks. Traveling out of the country for elective surgery is also a factor associated with increased risk. Again, anything can be done....but the better question is does it make sense to take on all these risks for an elective procedure? Why not lose a bit of weight and bring yourself into a safe range for body contouring then visit with local surgeons and finance your procedure? Sometimes the safe way is the better way. Just my opinion. Take care of yourself and best of luck 

If you are in good health, there is no reason why abdominoplasty cannot be safely performed in a patient such as yourself with a BMI of 40.  I believe strongly that doing the procedure under deep sedation ( the patient has no conscious awareness of the procedure) combined with effective local anesthesia reduces risk and speeds recovery, but getting effective local anesthesia takes some experience.  I have written a number of articles on my technique available on my website.   However it is important to make sure expectations are realistic.

It is always safer to lose weight before a tummy tuck if you are over weight, an in person consultation would be best for a detailed exam and evaluation.Always see a board certified PS.

Safety is the number one priority in plastic surgery and the reason behind the suggestion of candidates having a BMI of 30 or under. Those above this threshold have a higher risk of complications such as poor wound healing, seroma, and infection. In addition subpar results can also occur. While BMI isn't the only consideration, being significantly above the threshold will usually postpone your candidacy for the procedure. I encourage you to keep these things in mind when exploring plastic surgery.

Thank you for your questions. Most surgeons will not perform surgery on patients with a BMI of 40, or more. The concern associated with a high BMI is wound healing complications. The higher the BMI, the higher the risk. You mentioned not needing a tummy tuck if you lost weight however it is important to remember the difference between fat excess and skin excess. If you have fat excess, and skin excess, and you lose weight (burn fat), the need for a tummy tuck will actually increase because the amount of skin laxity will increase. It is possible to lose fat by diet and exercise, however it is not possible to lose excess skin by diet and exercise, the only treatment for that is a tummy tuck. Another thing to take into consideration is any protruding appearance of the abdomen you might notice. You mentioned having a "big belly". Sometimes laxity can occur in the muscle from c-sections or weight gain/loss and the only way to get rid of it and get the results of a flat abdomen is to tighten those muscles while performing a tummy tuck. With all of that being said, I would recommend lowering your BMI prior to surgery, even if you do go to a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon who will perform surgery regardless. It is in your best interest. Good luck and best wishes!

Thank you for your question. There are many plastic surgeons who perform tummy tucks on bigger women and it is based more on health and expectation than just BMI. Regarding going outside the country for less expense I caution you to do your homework. Of course there are many qualified and excellent plastic surgeons worldwide who can treat patients for less but you need to have a back up plan lined up in case of complications. There would be a good chance that you would find it very difficult to have a local plastic surgeon take care of you if you had your surgery performed elsewhere.

Assuming you are otherwise healthy and have favorable abdominal structure, a tummy tuck may still be possible with a BMI of 40. See link below for examples. 

I have a lot of women in my "250 club." If your weight is intra-abdominal you will have to lose more weight. However, if you have skin and fat hanging down and not so much inside your abdominal cavity, we can probably perform a tummy tuck. I would be happy to see you for a better evaluation. Good luck.