How old is too old to have body lift, mommy makeover or tummy tuck to remove loose skin - which procedure is best?

Question

I am 66 year old female. I am in good health and workout 2 to 3 hours, 5 days per week. Lost about 87 pounds and have kept most off, over 30 years. I am 5ft 4.5 and 175LBS. Working on losing 20 more. Have lots of sagging skin, especially over the abdominal area, which appears to be the cause of back pain. Which procedure would be best to have the loose skin removed?

Randy Wong, MD · Answer

Thanks for your inquiry.  As you are describing healthy activities and a clear personal goal to trim your weight and look your best, congratulations!  You should have minimal risks in proceeding once your surgeon has reviewed your labs and other preop medical variables.  Discuss your priorities to consider combination or staged procedures with your ease of recovery and safety in mind.

Ozge Ergun, MD · Answer

Thanks for the question. There's no age limit for body lift procedure. However, patients must be over 18 years of age and have good health condition.

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FACS · Answer

Hi Tahita66, Thank you for your question regarding a lower body lift or mommy makeover or tummy tuck to remove loose skin after an 87 pound weight loss. First, congratulations on your massive weight loss. Great job! Second, I would reach your goal of losing 20 more pounds and then reevaluate your body.  It sounds like you will need at least an abdominoplasty or even an extended abdominoplasty. If you have excess skin and fat of the hips and buttocks, you may need to continue the tummy tuck incision around the back. This will result in a 360 circumferential lower body lift. This is also called a belt lipectomy or lower body lift. If you do not have a significant excess skin and fat of the hips and buttocks,  you may not need the posterior portion of the body lift. Again, I would re-examine after you have reached your goal weight. These procedures can help to relieve back pain, but are not a guarantee to decreased back pain. Low back pain maybe attributable to many factors. Certainly carrying weight on your lower abdomen can contribute to your back pain. Last, your age is not a deterrent to plastic surgery. Your medical history and surgical history will be important in assessing if you are a good candidate for a tummy tuck or 360 circumferential body lift.  Another option, would be to have the abdominoplasty first and then several months later, you could have the posterior body lift.  This would lessen your time under anesthesia, but double your recovery time.  Please seek a very experienced, seasoned, board-certified plastic surgeon who is performed hundreds a body lifts. Good luck in your weight loss journey! You have any further questions regarding an abdominoplasty, extended abdominoplasty or circumferential body lift, please contact my office. Sincerely, Dr. Katzen.

Dallas Buchanan, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. With cosmetic surgery, there is no specific age limit. Your overall health and medical history is much more important. It sounds like you have worked hard and would get much improvement with an abdominal contouring procedure. As to which procedure would be right for you, that can only be determined by a consultation and exam. I suggest you schedule some consultations with local board certified plastic surgeons to discuss your goals and expectations.Best of luck!

Kara K. Criswell, MD, FACS · Answer

There is not an age limit on specific procedures.  However, a patient's overall health and physical history will be evaluated and reviewed, before any procedures would be considered, since general anesthesia would be used for these procedures. Also, additional protocol such as labs, EKG or medical clearance from your primary care physician may be required prior to your surgical procedure.

Manuel Ventura Gonzalez, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question, according to your story the recommended surgeries would be a body lift or abdominoplasty, there is no age limit to undergo a surgical procedure. What we have to take into account is that the patient is in good health to be able to undergo the surgery.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

You can always stage it by doing a tummy tuck first and then considering the remainder, or if you are healthy to do it all at once.  Best to be evaluated in person.

Nick Masri, MD, FACS · Answer

Thanks for your question, Tahita66.
There’s no strict age limit for the procedures you mentioned. The important thing is that you’re healthy, fit for surgery, and a good candidate for your chosen procedure.
A lower body lift might help get rid of all the sagging skin in your lower body. This procedure tightens and sculpts the areas below the waistline, which include the buttocks, thighs, hips, and abdomen.
Still, the best thing to do is to consult a board-certified and reputable plastic surgeon to know which procedure is best for you.
Good luck!

Alex Kim, MD · Answer

Congratulations on successful weight loss.  When you lose a large amount of weight, the skin over the abdomen, thighs, and arms tend to sag causing discomfort, pain or rash.  There is no age limit for this type of surgery, however, you may consider limit the amount of procedure.  For instance, if you are planning to do both breast and abdomen and hips, you may consider dividing them into 2 procedures, so that your recovery is not too stressful.  If you have overall good health, like yourself, I suggest you to proceed with surgery in stages.  Best,Alex Kim, MD

Samuel Maurice, MD, FACS - Account Suspended · Answer

Tahita,  First of all, congratulations on your weight loss.  What a great accomplishment!!  I do not have an age criteria  in my practice.  What is more important is your overall health.  When I see a patient in my practice, I look at their overall health... Do they have heart disease or  lung issues?  Are they a smoker?  Do they have diabetes?  Are they on medications that suppress their immune system?  etc...  If you are planning on loosing more weight, I would wait until you reach your goal and your weight is stable.  Whether a tummy tuck or a  lower body lift would be better for you will depend on your exam.  I would recommend visiting with a local board certified plastic surgeon.  Good luck!  Congrats again!

How old is too old to have body lift, mommy makeover or tummy tuck to remove loose skin - which procedure is best?

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