Is my BMI too high for my upcoming tummy tuck procedure?

Thank you for your question regarding if your BMI is too high for a tummy tuck. This is a very common question. I tell my patients that it’s not a matter of how high their BMI is, it’s about a healthy they are. We run a series of health tests preoperatively to make sure that patients are healthy enough to undergo the procedure. I trust that you are having your tummy tuck with a board-certified plastic surgeon who will examine you thoroughly before your tummy tuck. Best of luck and I wish you a healthy and smooth recovery.

If you have any more questions regarding a tummy tuck, lower body lift, 360 circumferential lower body lift, belt lipectomy, belt abdominoplasty, or belt dermolipectomy please contact my office. Since the body lift is a big procedure, please seek an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon with significant experience performing the lower body lift. Do your research. Make sure they have performed at least 100 tummy tuck or circumferential lower body lift surgeries and have the before and after pictures to prove it. Carefully examine their before and after pictures and check their reviews on RealSelf. If you cannot find an experienced, tummy tuck or lower body lift surgeon in your neighborhood, consider traveling out of state if you must. Sincerely, Dr. Katzen. (“Verified” Plastic Surgeon, President of the American Society of Bariatric Plastic Surgeons, certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Fellow of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American College of Surgery, and International College of Surgery and member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and RealSelf Hall of Fame.)

Hi Gorgeous534959,
it is important understand, that while surgeons will often have a binary cup points for body mass index, the body mass index is actually a continuous scale. More importantly then you being 33, when may want to to be 32, is to really consider whether you are active goal weight.
Being at your goal weight is important and tummy tuck surgery. This is because the more deflated your skin envelope is, the more aggressive your surgeon can be with skin removal. In addition, for patients to hold there extra fat around their intestines (something called visceral fat), the lower weight you are at, the more aggressive your surgeon can be with the abdominal wall plication. This plication ultimately directly impacts your postoperative abdominal contour.
Ultimately, I would suggest that you touch base with your surgeon about your current weight, and the open to the idea of rescheduling, if your surgeon believes that a substantially lower weight would positively impact your outcome.
Hope this helps.
Best,Christopher Pannucci MDBoard Certified Plastic SurgeonPlastic Surgery NorthwestSpokane, Washington

If your goal is to make your breasts perkier, then a lift is all you need. A lift removes only a bit of tissue so you’ll be about the same size as you are now. Implants are only recommended if you’d like to be bigger or want significantly rounder breasts.

Thank you for your question. Each Surgeon will have their own protocol in which they will follow regarding high BMI's and surgery. I would suggest speaking with your Surgeon directly and follow what they recommend. Best of luck to you.

Thanks for your questions. BMI is a number where we can check how if your weight vs height, as a plastic surgeons we recommend you to always have a lower BMI because that can guarantee you better results and less probability of complications during and after surgery. When you have a physical consultation your surgeon can check how is your fat distributed in your body and that also can helps you to qualify you for your procedures or need to reschedule. If you are traveling out of your country I recommend you to have a video consultation with your surgeon and make sure you can have surgery.

Hope this helps.
Dr. Quiroz

Dear Gorgeous534959,
generally speaking, you want to reach your goal weight before you consider a tummy tuck, otherwise your results will be suboptimal if you continue to lose weight after the surgery. 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

I would suggest calling your surgeon's office and discussing this. Otherwise, try to lose a little more weight.

Hello, thanks for your question. It's not easy to answer without an in-person exam. The optimal BMI for Tummy Tuck is 28 or 30. If you are over that measures, your results may not be the best. After a physical exam, a surgeon can recommend a bariatric procedure to reach your optimal weight and then go ahead with a tummy tuck. Good luck!

Bmi isn’t always a reflection of a patient’s health and ability to heal. For example someone who’s very fit and extremely muscular may have an increased bmi and not have increased surgical risks .

Thank you for your question. Different surgeons can use different BMI criteria before surgery. You seem quite close to the cut-off that your surgeon is using. I would reach out to them with your concern and just confirm that they will still offer to do your procedure. All the best with your upcoming surgery.