While there are no standard weight requirements for a tummy tuck, there are some guidelines most cosmetic surgeons follow. If your BMI is not over 35 and you are within about 30% of your ideal weight and in overall good health, you should be a viable candidate for plus-size tummy tuck surgery.
But why is this so important? In order to get the best results from a tummy tuck procedure, you need to be your ideal weight and BMI. A BMI that is less than 30 is considered to be ideal for a tummy tuck procedure. Of course, you can still have the surgery even if you're overweight and still get good results.
BMI below 30 considered as an ideal BMI for tummy tuck, but you can have a tummy tuck with good results even if you are overweight. BMI 35 is the maximum acceptable BMI for tummy tuck. One thing that you should keep in your mind is the closer you are to your BMI, the better the final result you can get.
A BMI of less than 30 is considered ideal for a tummy tuck procedure because it lowers the risk of complications. A BMI of 30-35 is the maximum when it comes to a tummy tuck. Few plastic surgeons will perform abdominoplasty on patients with a BMI higher than 35.
Even skinny individuals can enjoy more attractive and sculpted figures with a tummy tuck. As long as they have loose abdominal skin or weak muscles, the procedure can deliver amazing results.
Troy Pittman, a board-certified Washington D.C.-based plastic surgeon, patients who have obesity, a lot of visceral fat (located near vital organs), underlying medical conditions or blood-clotting disorders should refrain from having tummy tucks.
If your BMI is over 40:
Unfortunately, you are not an ideal candidate for liposuction, tummy tuck, or gastric balloon. Your best option is to reduce your weight with diet and exercise, or with semaglutide weight-loss injections.
Most women lose between 2 and 3 pants sizes after a tuck, but there are patients who lose even more. If you had a lot of loose skin before the procedure, for example, you could go down 4 more pants sizes.
Larger patients can safely have a tummy tuck when done by a board-certified plastic surgeon with experience treating those who have experienced massive weight loss or are carrying substantial weight.
If you have a BMI over 30, it is very likely in your best interest to lose some weight before embarking on the tummy tuck process. Obese patients may have health concerns that make elective surgery a bad idea. That said, if you are overweight but generally healthy, a tummy tuck may be beneficial for you.
NOTE: Most plastic surgeons will not perform a tummy tuck on patients with a BMI of more than 40. Patients with a BMI > 40 would be advised to lose additional weight before surgery.
Who are candidates for liposuction? Generally, people of normal weight who have localized areas of protruding fat achieve the most desired results, however, persons who are slightly overweight can also benefit from liposuction.
Most patients return to work after a tummy tuck within 7-10 days and resume strenuous exercise in about 4-6 weeks. By 3 to 6 months post-op, most patients are enjoying their permanent results.
It is important that you be close to your desired weight for six to twelve months before undergoing a tummy tuck. Most surgeons will recommend patients be between 10-15 pounds from their goal weight. This is important as gaining or losing additional weight can undo the contoured shape achieved through your surgery.
Some lose 10-15 pounds from their surgery. Those choosing a tummy tuck to regain their body shape due to pregnancies or aging lose fewer pounds. Some don't even notice any signs of weight loss, and others experience a nominal weight loss; usually five pounds or less.
Abdominal obesity is defined as a waist circumference of more than 88 cm (35 inches) in women and more than 102 cm (40 inches) in men.
The tummy tuck is very useful when exercise and diet have failed to tighten the abdominal muscles. However, a tummy tuck is not really designed to make you look “thinner.” Rather, the tummy tuck improves the muscle profile of the abdomen, which in turn can have the effect of making you look more fit and toned.
Fortunately, a tummy tuck can help to reduce your waist size by removing excess skin and fat. For patients struggling with a pooch or pouch-like appearance on the lower abdomen, tightening the abdominal fascia and repairing diastasis recti can further slim their contour.
Even in most normal weight and extremely fit women, the abdomen may not be completely flat following abdominoplasty. It is realistic for patients to expect improvement in the flatness of the stomach, but should not immediately assume that their abdomen will be entirely flat.
A tummy tuck surgery not only has a big effect on the look of the abdomen, but it can also affect the appearance of other bodily structures. It is not uncommon for patients to report that people believed their breasts looked bigger.
With a full tuck, you will lose more weight than you would with a mini tuck because you probably have more excess skin and fat to be removed.
Losing 5-10kg after a tummy tuck will not drastically affect your results. In fact, it may help the skin shrink comfortably around the abdominal area and enhance your new contours. However, losing more than this may result in loose and excess skin again after the surgery.
Liposuction to Contour the Upper Abdomen
As a result, some patients still have upper abdominal fullness following surgery. This area of concern can be addressed with liposuction three to six months after the tummy tuck procedure.
It's not possible to remove visceral belly fat with tummy tuck surgery. This is because a tummy tuck targets only the fat that is on or above the abdominal muscles. So, if you're considering surgery, be sure to ask your surgeon about the type of belly fat they are targeting.
Whether you're contemplating a Mommy Makeover package or just want to undergo a tummy tuck, you'll be relieved to know that any pain from this cosmetic procedure is far less than that experienced after a C-section.