Would I be able to undergo a tummy tuck to treat my abdominal apron?

Hi, thank you for sharing your question. It is always ideal to reach your goal weight before doing a tummy tuck. Otherwise, you risk developing an “apron” or loose skin again in the future. Also, your BMI should be less than 32 before doing this surgery. I hope this helps.

While not for weight loss, removing stubborn abdominal apron can be very helpful.

If your BMI is ok, can consider tummy tuck vs removal of apron (panniculectomy) which would be discussed during consultation with a plastic surgeon.

Thanks for your question. At my practice we have a max BMI (body mass index) limit of 33 for a tummy tuck. The BMI is based on your height and weight. You can figure out your BMI using an online BMI calculator. If you are over the BMI limit, I would recommend consulting with your primary care physician on a proper diet for you to bring down your BMI in order to be able to undergo the procedure. Please always consult with a board certified plastic surgeon. Take Care, Moises Salama MD, board certified plastic surgeon

Thank you for your question. As a healthcare provider, I cannot provide specific medical advice without examining you in person. However, I have had many patients with PCOS who struggle to lose weight and still undergo successful surgeries.

The most important factor when considering surgery is your overall health. We would conduct a thorough medical evaluation before proceeding with any procedure to ensure that you are a safe candidate for surgery.

Please note that a tummy tuck can address abdominal apron and excess skin, but it is not a substitute for weight loss or a healthy lifestyle. While we can achieve aesthetic improvements with surgery, it is important to maintain a healthy diet and exercise regimen to optimize your results and overall health.

I hope this information is helpful. Please feel free to schedule a consultation with a qualified plastic surgeon to discuss your specific case in more detail.

Sincerely,
Dr. Katzen

Hi! Body mass index (BMI) is a good indicator of surgical complications. It takes your height and weight into consideration (easiest way to calculate its by searching BMI calculator in google). For elective surgery, such as a tummy tuck, your BMI should be less than 35. To really decrease complications and optimize your results, you should aim for a BMI less than 30. But for patients that the apron interferes with exercise, at least less than 35 is an acceptable BMI.

Thank you for your question and congratulations on the weight loss. Each Surgeon will have their own protocol they wish to follow when it comes to a patients BMI. Typically as long as you are healthy and medically cleared it shouldn't necessarily be an issue. Most patients after weight would need to have a tummy tuck to help reduce the appearance of extra skin and to tighten the abdominal wall muscles that have stretched with the weight gain and loss. In regards to how much weight you would lose with a tummy tuck is hard to say. Most patients won't see a dramatic change on the scale but they will notice it is easier to exercise without the extra skin on the abdomen. I would suggest seeing a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in person to evaluate you and discuss your options. Best of luck to you.

Hello and Congratulations on your weight loss! I feel that the best procedure for you at this time would be a Panniculectomy. A Panniculectomy is a surgical procedure after recently having lost a large amount of weight and have loose belly skin that you want to remove. If you have not reached your goal weight continue your weight loss until your weight is more stable before having a tummy tuck.
Best of luck!
Dr. Julia Spears MD

Hi Magical853464,
yours is a great question. It is possible to remove the excess lower abdominal skin and fat, purely for functional reasons, in order to improve hygiene and to increase the ability to exercise. This is generally referred to as a panniculectomy, and as opposed to a tummy tuck.
There are several appointment differences between tummy tuck and panniculectomy. In a tummy tuck, goals are both functional and systemic. The maneuvers typically employed in a tummy tuck to achieve an optimal abdominal contour and include removal of excess skin and fat from the bellybutton to the pubic hairline, liposuction of the flanks, and plication or tightening of the 6 muscles, if they are split in the vertical midline.
In contrast, a panniculectomy will generally remove the overhanging skin and fat, producing a similar horizontal right to left scar. For a panniculectomy, which is a functional operation, liposuction would not be performed of the flanks, movement of the implants and the six pack muscles would not be tightened.
I always suggest that patients are at their goal weight, as this provides your surgeon with the optimal opportunity to optimize not only the function and aesthetics of her trunk. However, if your lower abdominal excess skin and fat is a significant hindrance, from a hygiene and/or functional perspective, then panniculectomy may be a good option.
Hope this helps.
Best,Christopher Pannucci MDBoard Certified Plastic SurgeonPlastic Surgery NorthwestSpokane, Washington

Hello and thank you for your question! Congratulations on your recent weight loss. In general, most cosmetic body contouring surgeries such as tummy tucks, will achieve the best results (i.e. flattest, tightest abdomen) in patients with a BMI (body mass index) less than 30. In our practice, patients with a BMI between 30 and 35 can still get good results with a tummy tuck surgery but there may still be some "fullness" to the belly because BMI's higher than 30 have a larger ratio of "visceral" fat behind the abdominal muscles than we cannot safely remove as plastic surgeons (this can only be lost through diet/exercise/bariatric surgery weight loss). It is important to know that tummy tuck surgery is not weight loss surgery. You will lose some weight after tummy tuck/body contouring surgery, but probably not as much as you expect.
Additionally, there are some patients who are in the middle of a major weight loss journey but need to remove a significant overhang of skin and tissue that keeps them from further activity/exercise. These patients may benefit from a panniculectomy surgery instead of a full tummy tuck (only remove the apron-like overhang instead of tightening the entire abdomen) while they continue to get close to their goal weight and perhaps return for a second surgery at a later point. In your case, I recommend an in-person consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your options.

Dear Magical853464,
it is hard to tell for sure without an examination. If you are considering surgery, I would suggest you consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination, you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery