What is involved if obese and get a Tummy Tuck for muscle separation?

     It is best to get to at least a BMI of 35 to help reduce risks associated with surgery.  A BMI of 30 would be better.

I would recommend that you lose weight if you are obese and considering a tummy tuck.  Almost all risks increase substantially if you are obese when you have your surgery. That includes having the muscle separation recur following your surgery.  You would be much better off losing weight first through diet and exercise. Good luck.

Thank you for sharing your question. Typically a muscle tightening is performed at the time of a tummy tuck to help obtain a flatter stomach appearance.  There is no reason to repair any muscle separation until you have lost weight and lowered your risks of surgery.  If however the muscle separation is a hernia, this may require a repair depending on your current symptoms.  Even in cases of a hernia it is wise to lose weight first (if possible) before repair as it will minimize your risk of recurrence.  Hope this helps.

For safety reasons, you should lose weight and get your BMI below 30 before surgery. Good science shows you have a much higher complication rate at this weight or above. Also, for cosmetic reasons, you should lose weight and get your BMI below 30. You will NEVER get a flat belly at a BMI over 30 because at this weight you still have fat deposits inside of your belly that aren't touched with a tummy tuck. In the end you will have had all this increased risk surgery and still end up with a round belly. 

It is best to loose weight and have a Bmi below 30 if you want a tummy tuck.  Good luck with your weight loss and future surgery.

Thank you for your question.
I have a number of patients who have similar concerns. Loosing weight can be difficult for many patients. Many times patients who lose weight can not get rid of the resistant fat. This can result in some patients in giving up of their new healthy lifestyle. My patients work hand in hand with me. They lose weight to a point where they are a good candidate for surgery. They then undergo a surgical procedure, eg Tummy Tuck. After surgery they look in the mirror and are happy with their new look. Patients tell me that they have significantly more self esteem and that motivates them to lose more weight. My patients tell me that after a Tummy Tuck they find it much easier to lose more weight. I believe they are now more motivated because they are happy with their new figure. The Tummy Tuck I use gives a natural looking tummy and belly button, a relatively flat tummy, significantly LESS PAIN and FASTER RECOVERY versus traditional techniques. The patients typically wake up from surgery in no pain. They walk to the recovery room. It is not uncommon for patients to only take Tylenol for pain after surgery. The oldest patient I performed this type of tummy tuck on is 80 years old and she only took Tylenol for pain. It is not uncommon for patients to be driving 7 days after surgery. I did have a 64 year old woman who drove 4 days after surgery. For more information please watch the enclosed video. I hope you find this information useful. 

It sounds as if you need to see a bariatric doctor first to get down to a manageable weight. Thereafter a board certified plastic surgeon can assist you with various body contouring procedures, including abdominoplasty with muscle tightening.

Thank you for the question. 
Generally speaking, it is always best to achieve long-term stable weight prior to proceeding with body contouring surgery. Doing so, will increase the safety of the operation, will likely improve the outcome of the operation (best chance to achieve an optimal aesthetic outcome), 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. 

Having said that, there are a subset of patients who  are above the ideal long-term stable weight who benefit from panniculectomy surgery. The panniculectomy operation involves excision of the lower abdominal wall pannus or overhanging skin/adipose tissue. It is not considered an  aesthetically driven procedure;  it is often performed to help with concerns such as skin breakdown, infections/rashes… 
 
The vast majority of patients who have had children and/or weight gain/loss benefit from muscle plication during tummy tuck surgery. Muscle laxity is usually easy easily determined with physical examination prior to surgery. The separation is also easily visualized during surgery.

When the time is right, seeking consultation with well experienced board-certified plastic surgeons will  be your next/best step.  Best wishes.

That's a great question.  It can vary from patient to patient. However, in many cases, it is often better to loose weight first - in a controlled, healthy way - prior to considering a Tummy Tuck or Rectus muscle (hernia) repair or an Abdominoplasty/Diastasis Recti repair- especially for patients who are obese but planning to lose weight. Significant weight loss may sometimes be accomplished with professional guidance and medical supervision or even the assistance of a Bariatric Specialist or Surgeon. An early consultation by a respectful Surgery Specialist may also help obese patients discover resources to help them reach a stable weight or healthier BMI before scheduling their hernia repair surgery, as well as help the patient assess when it might be appropriate to consider surgery. Hope that helps.