Can I get a full tummy tuck done with BMI 40?

Your abdominal wall issues very likely are contributed to by the high BMI. Ideally you should lose weight and then seek the abdominoplasty and correction of the ventral wall issues.

Thank you for your question. I recommend an in person consult with a board certified plastic surgeon. You BMI alone does not necessarily exclude you from getting a tummy tuck, but it sounds as if you may have some other health concerns you might want to address first. You should see a plastic surgeon to  develop a plan personalized to your needs. Best wishes.

Hello.  A BMI of 40 puts you into a higher anesthesia risk category - ASA III.In Florida, this requires the surgery to be done in a hospital or free-standing surgery center, rather than an office surgery center.  You may want to go to a university center for your surgery.Losing weight, and getting your BMI lower, will help to reduce your risks of complications.

Thank you for sharing your excellent question and I am sorry to hear of your stomach hernia difficulties.  In general it is best to be close to a BMI of 30 prior to any body contouring procedures because the risks of significant complications increases exponentially above this mark.  I higher BMI will also limit the aesthetic improvement that can be obtained.  Hope this helps.

Hello dear!
Thanks for the question and provided information as well.
Unfortunately no. Your BMI needs to be 33 or less, for you to be considered a good candidate for plastic surgery
l recommend you to make an appointment with a board certified plastic surgeon to talk about your goals and the best options for you.
Good luck :)

Trying to fix a diastasis or hernia on a larger patient is usually not a good idea, with high likilihood of tearing through. As suggested, bariatric surgery prior would likely be your best option to prepare you for a panniculectomy down the road

Hi! Thank you for the question.  You should aim to bring your BMI down to at least 32 (preferably 30).  This will give you the best chance for a good result but most importantly, it will minimize complications. I hope this helps and good luck to you!

When considering elective plastic surgery it is recommended that you have a BMI of 30 or under.  This is to keep your risk profile lower for complications such as poor wound healing and infection.  A higher BMI will also affect your surgeon's ability to maximize your results.  I hope this is helpful.

The risks of any surgery increase with a high BMI.  Risks such as wound healing abnormalities, infection, seromas, DVTs and many other complications are significantly increased with a high BMI.   In addition to that, you have nerve damage, multiple hernias, and mesh which all add to the increased risks.  Reduction of your weight may reduce the incidence of complications and would certainly also improve the aesthetics of this type of procedure.   

Thank you for the question.  I agree with you that specific calculations, including BMI,  are not always helpful when it comes to determining a specific patient's suitability to proceed with surgery.


Having said that, it is always best (or ideal) to achieve long-term stable weight prior to proceeding with tummy tuck surgery. Doing so, will increase the safety of the operation, will likely improve the outcome of the operation, and will decrease chances that additional surgery will become necessary subsequently. 


In my practice, I do not ask specific patients to achieve a specific weight prior to proceeding with tummy tuck surgery. I simply ask patients to achieve a long-term stable weight where he/she feels comfortable and does not expect significant fluctuation postoperatively.


 Generally speaking, the “ideal” patient for tummy tuck surgery is one who has completed pregnancies, is psycho socially/emotionally/financially stable, has an excellent social support system surrounding him/her, is capable of arranging enough recovery time, does not smoke and who has reached a long-term stable weight.


 My best advice: when the time is right select your plastic surgeon carefully. Make sure that he/she has significant experience achieving the types of outcomes you would be pleased with.   Then prepare yourself and your support system for a significant recovery experience (physical and often emotional).
 
 Best wishes.