Can you be too fat for surgery?

Question

Im 200lbs an 5"3 an have been told my bmi which is 35.4 is too much for my mid section lipo ! I thought lipo was for girls my size ! I see the tummy tuck pics! Of some huge girls way bigger than me get it done! Wats up wit the , go home lose weight stuff ? An r there doctors in nyc that do work that measures up the the D.R doctors cause i still want my body done! If i could lose weight on my own i would've done it already!!!

Mathew A. Plant, MD, FRCSC · Answer

While it is certainly possible to be too large for surgery to be safe I would not personally consider someone with a BMI of 35 to be in that category. If one surgeon turned you down then get a consultation with another, a BMI of 35 alone should not be an indication to turn you down. Best of luck!

Carlos Burnett, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello goodgirl1045. Thanks for the question. Yes one can be considered too obese for the performance of safe surgery. Your surgeons have recommended weight loss to minimize post procedure complications which is advice in your best interest.

Joseph Franklin, MD · Answer

Liposuction is performed for body contouring and not for weight loss.   Additionally, weight loss reduces your risk of having problems with anesthesia.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

The lower the BMI, the safer the surgery is, and more than likely they better the results.    Best of luck with your decision to move forward.

John D. Symbas, MD · Answer

Your BMI places you at elevated risk of complications such as DVT.  If you do have surgery with someone, consider prophylaxis such as lovenox.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

My practice is almost exclusively devoted to liposuction and fat transfer. I've had patients with BMIs well over 35 who were excellent candidates for liposuction, and I've had patients with BMIs of 20 that were terrible candidates for liposuction. I have also had everything in between.BMI does not make someone a candidate for liposuction.There are many factors to take into consideration. First and foremost is making the correct diagnosis. In general, for liposuction to be effective, the primary diagnosis should be an undesirable distribution of or excess subcutaneous fat. Some patients are obese but carry all their fat as intra-abdominal fat. The layer of fat between the skin and the muscle is the only fat that can be removed surgically. Intra-abdominal, or intestinal, fat cannot be removed except with weight loss. Loose skin can also determine if someone is or is not a candidate for liposuction.I suggest a few more in-person consultations. It sounds like you hold physicians in the D.R. in high esteem. The United States is considered to have the highest standards in both medical education and delivery of healthcare in the world. This is a fairly uniform position from most countries. I've heard mixed results from patients going to the Dominican Republic to have cosmetic procedures. Some are happy with the results, some come home with hellish nightmare stories and some haven't come home at all. There are certainly talented plastic surgeons all over the world. It's "buyer beware" no matter where you go, but the United States offers the overall highest consistency. Your BMI should not be the the determinant factor if you are a candidate for liposuction or not. An in-person consultation can determine if this procedure will give you enough benefits to warrant having it. Keep looking and try to stick with those who have to expertise in this field.Best of luck,Mats Hagstrom, M.D.

Robert Savage, MD (retired) · Answer

The medical literature  is clear that complications like infection,seroma,Skin slough,PE,Dvt and poor results goes up if your BMI is in the obese category.People do decide to proceed anyway but these are elective procedures,so safety first is not a bad idea

Can you be too fat for surgery?

Answers (7)

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