Overweight and Thinking of a Tummy Tuck? How Your Weight Affects Abdominoplasty Surgery Results
A common question that many patients have is “Am I too fat for a tummy tuck?”
BMI is important but not the only factor to consider before having a tummy tuck. Body fat distribution and excess skin should also be taken into account. Surgeons may have different limits, but those with a BMI over 40 are generally advised against the procedure.
Most people turn to plastic surgery because they want to change their body for a better physical appearance somehow. However, the public’s perception and reality are at quite a distance from each other. If you thought “tummy tuck surgery” could help you lose excess weight, you’re not alone. The truth is that an abdominoplasty is not a magical fix for your weight problems.
Internal vs External Fat
Abdominoplasty: Not a Weight-loss Surgery
An abdominoplasty is not weight loss surgery. It’s a cosmetic procedure for body contouring after the patient has experienced significant weight loss or post-pregnancy. Rather than obese people, the ideal candidates for tummy tucks are new mothers whose bodies are recovering from their pregnancies or people who have shed kilos and transformed their bodies and have excess skin. An abdominoplasty operation won’t help you lose weight but will help remove loose skin and strengthen your abdominal wall.
The Ideal Weight For Abdominoplasty
Is there an ideal weight at which to have an abdominoplasty? The answer is a nuanced yes.
Firstly, it’s important to remember that a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) is preferable in an abdominoplasty. That’s why being close to or at the ideal weight for your height and body type is advised before the surgery. The benefits of having a healthy BMI before an abdominoplasty include:
- Better response to anaesthesia dosage during the operation
- Faster recovery compared to overweight patients
- Lower chance of minor or major complications post-surgery
- Maintaining the desired body contours long after surgery
Your ideal weight could be different from the next patient’s. BMI is based on the ratio of body height to body weight. Let’s look at BMI and what it means for abdominoplasty patients.
Understanding Body Mass Index
BMI
Calculating the ratio of your body’s height and weight yields your BMI. Physicians have used BMI as a rough yardstick of patients’ obesity levels since the 19th century. Your BMI indicates whether you are underweight, healthy, overweight, or obese. The corresponding values for each category are:
- Underweight: A BMI of less than 18.5 could indicate nutritional deficiencies
- Healthy weight: A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is ideal for adults
- Overweight: A BMI of 25 to 29.9 means a person is overweight but not obese
- Obese: A BMI of 30 and above qualifies a person as clinically obese
Obesity is further categorised as Class I, Class II and Class III, starting at BMI values of 30, 35, and 40, respectively.
Formula to Calculate BMI
You can calculate your BMI using a simple formula:
Weight ÷ Height squared = BMI
For example, if you weigh 80 kilograms and you are 1.72 metres tall, your BMI will be calculated as follows:
80 ÷ (1.72*1.72) = 26.8
As we now know, a BMI of 26.8 would mean you are slightly overweight, just above what is considered healthy for an adult.
How BMI Affects Abdominoplasty Results
When it comes to abdominoplasty surgery, the ideal BMI for patients is below 30. Most surgeons will not advise the procedure for a patient with a BMI over 40. As mentioned above, there are several benefits to being close to a healthy BMI (20 to 25) before the surgery. It’s also worth noting that a higher BMI comes with increased risks for abdominoplasty patients.
A study published in the World Journal of Plastic Surgery titled “The Effect of Body Mass Index on Outcome of Abdominoplasty Operations” found a clear link between a higher BMI and increased patient complications. In their conclusion, the authors state, “We found that increased BMI significantly increased operative time, hospital stay, drainage duration, and drainage amount. Our findings showed that obesity alone could increase the incidence of complications and poor outcome of abdominoplasty.”
A higher BMI increases the risk of several post-surgery complications, including:
- Seroma formation
- Wound infection
- Wound dehiscence
- Undesirable scar formation
Of course, a BMI higher than 30 does not automatically make you ineligible for the procedure. Plastic surgeons and specialist general surgeons will evaluate every patient on a case-by-case basis.
There are many instances of surgeons successfully performing abdominoplasties on overweight patients. In 2019, a study published in the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) found that abdominoplasties have been found to have benefits even for overweight and obese patients. Forty-six patients were studied over 12 years, all with BMIs higher than 25, the cut-off for obesity. Of this group, 94% were satisfied with their abdominoplasty results, and 97% said it improved their quality of life.
It’s worth mentioning here that being overweight or obese is a problem that affects a majority of Australians. According to the latest data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), 67% of adults in the nation are either overweight or obese. Further, 12% of the population can be classified as severely obese with a BMI higher than 35. Interestingly, Australian men have higher obesity rates than women.
You can expect your BMI to come up as a topic of discussion during your consultation with your specialist general surgeon. It will play a significant role in determining whether you are eligible for the abdominoplasty procedure.
Achieving Your Ideal BMI Before Abdominoplasty Surgery
If your BMI exceeds 30, you might be too fat for a tummy tuck. Thankfully, there are many ways for you to lose weight if you are considering surgery. Having an abdominoplasty after reaching your ideal weight means there’s less likelihood of your body contours changing again after the surgery.
If your weight and BMI fluctuate after the abdominoplasty, it will affect the results and may cause you to require revision surgery.
Some methods recommended by doctors include:
Avoiding Crash Diets
Crash diets just aren’t sustainable. These extreme, fad-driven diets encourage followers to cut out entire food groups, which wreaks havoc with your nutrition. And after a few weeks or months of unhappily sticking to the diet, most people tend to end it with a crash. When you abandon the crash diet, there’s a high likelihood that the weight you shed will come right back.
Healthy Diet
On the other end of the spectrum from crash diets is a healthy, balanced diet. Healthy eating nourishes you both physically and mentally. It’s more sustainable than a crash diet. Make smarter choices with what you eat if you are trying to lose weight. Cut out sugar and salt, eat more protein and less carbs, and stick to smaller portions.
Regimented Meal Plans
Eating clean without a proper meal plan is only half the job done. Sticking to a well-defined meal plan helps speed up your metabolism and stops your body from storing fat. Preparing meals in advance will help you plan your diet. And remember never to skip meals, as that leads to unhealthy weight loss, which is quickly reversed.
Healthy Sleep Cycle
Your lifestyle plays just as much of a role in losing weight as food. When you’re well-rested, you will make better decisions regarding nutrition and exercise. Lack of sleep can affect your hunger hormone levels, leading to binge eating. Ensure you’re getting quality sleep every night when trying to lose weight.
Exercise
The food you eat is the most important determining factor of weight. Exercise however has many positive benefits other than weight loss. When preparing for an abdominoplasty, focus more on strength training than cardiovascular workouts. Building your muscle tissue and having a high muscle-to-fat ratio boosts your metabolism and helps your body burn fat. Stay motivated and regular, and you will start seeing weight loss results.
Optimum Hydration
Staying hydrated helps you maintain consistent progress with your weight loss. You should conscientiously drink at least eight glasses of water daily while trying to lose weight. Additionally, you should introduce water-rich foods, like watermelons, cucumbers, and radishes, into your diet.
The excess fat, skin and tissue the surgeon removes will be the only weight lost during the operation. For this reason, if your surgeon decides your weight might cause complications after the abdominoplasty, it’s better to focus on losing weight naturally.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you get a tummy tuck if you are overweight?
Yes, getting a tummy tuck surgery is possible if you are overweight. However, a higher BMI increases the chance of complications after an abdominoplasty. It’s also essential to distinguish between overweight and obese patients; the former is at less risk of complications than the latter. An operation on larger patients necessitates a different approach, sometimes called a “plus-size abdominoplasty”
What BMI is too high for a tummy tuck?
A BMI indicating obesity might be too high for a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) surgery. If your BMI exceeds 30, it will likely be a point of concern for your surgeon during your consultation.
Can you get a tummy tuck with a big belly?
Yes, it is possible to get a tummy tuck, even with a big belly. Remember, BMI is not the sole consideration for deciding who is eligible for an abdominoplasty. Genetics plays a role in determining where your body stores fat. Some people may have an accumulation of fatty tissue on their bellies but still be considered only slightly overweight according to the BMI index.
What is the ideal weight for a tummy tuck?
Your ideal weight for a tummy tuck surgery will be close to your goal weight for a sustainable, healthy lifestyle. You should be in a position where you can maintain your pre-surgery weight after the surgery, as both weight loss and weight gain could interfere with the abdominoplasty results. To get an idea of your ideal weight, use the BMI calculation formula (Weight ÷ Height2 = BMI) to find what range of weight yields a BMI value of 20 to 25 for your height.
