Will Low Body Fat Make a Tummy Tuck Easier?

You sound very informed about the procedure. You seem to be a great candidate for tummy tuck, since you have minimal fat, intact abdominal muscles and loose skin. Your recovery should be smoother if you do not require repair of the underlying muscle fascia. Additionally, since you have loose skin above your belly button, you will require a full abdominoplasty for the best result. For patients with loose abdominal muscles and/or extra fat, abdominoplasty is still an option. They will just require concomitant plication (muscle fascia repair) and/or liposuction, respectively.
I hope this helps.

Hello saggygrrrl,

Thank you for your question regarding tummy tuck surgery with low body fat. Having low body fat can indeed influence the extent and complexity of the tummy tuck procedure, particularly if you do not require extensive fat removal or muscle repair.

Since your primary concern is excess, sagging skin rather than a belly bulge or loose abdominal muscles, the surgery may be less extensive compared to cases where significant fat removal or muscle tightening is necessary. Not needing muscle repair can contribute to a potentially less painful recovery process.

However, it's important to note that tummy tuck surgery involves making incisions to remove excess skin and repositioning the remaining skin to create a smoother abdominal contour. Regardless of the extent of the surgery, you will still need to allow time for your incisions to heal, typically over about six weeks, before returning to full activity.

Given your description of sagging skin above and below the belly button, you may not be a candidate for a mini tummy tuck, which targets only the area below the belly button. A full tummy tuck procedure would likely be more suitable for addressing your concerns comprehensively.

I recommend scheduling a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon who can assess your specific situation, discuss your goals, and tailor a treatment plan that meets your needs. They can provide personalized recommendations based on your anatomy and desired outcome.

I hope this information helps guide your decision-making process. If you have any further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask.

Sincerely,
Dr. Katzen

Those near their ideal body weight typically have good results from a tummy tuck. The discomfort from recovery is in part from the correction of the abdominal wall, which you will likely need since you had large babies. We often use a medication in surgery called Exparel which helps patients better control pain the first few days after surgery.