Who Makes A Great Tummy Tuck Candidate

By Jerome Edelstein, MD

When considering a tummy tuck procedure, your first step should be to book an in-person consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon in order to find out if abdominoplasty is the right procedure for you. Your surgeon will assess skin elasticity, muscle laxity, stretch marks, and fat during an exam. You will also be asked some key questions about your whole health picture, your expectations, and lifestyle. Ideal candidates will have excess, loose skin on the abdomen. Internal belly fat (inside around the organs), or a bloated appearance alone, may not be corrected with a tummy tuck.

Abdominal muscles and skin often do not bounce back after childbirth so a tummy tuck is often part of a mommy makeover surgery. Abdominoplasty will address lax muscles, loose skin, and abdominal fat- all of which are a common result of pregnancies.

People who lose significant amounts of weight through bariatric surgery are often good candidates for tummy tuck. Massive weight loss tends to be the most common reason for male tummy tuck surgery. Depending on the degree of excess skin present, an extended tummy tuck, or a circumferential body lift may be appropriate because the focus will be on removing large amounts of loose skin while improving body contours and ease of mobility for the patient. It is important to note that weight should be stable and within a healthy range before you are considered safe for surgery. Losing as much weight as possible and maintaining that for a few months before surgery will allow for optimal results and dramatic transformation.

Intra-abdominal fat which surrounds your internal organs can cause a protruding, firm belly. This fat type cannot be removed with liposuction and must be lost through diet and exercise before planning surgery. As well, scars related to previous surgery may increase risks related to abdominoplasty and your surgeon will discuss this with you if applicable.

If you plan to become pregnant in the future, you should wait for a tummy tuck. Abdominal muscle repair would be reversed during pregnancy and skin may become damaged and lax again, necessitating a second tummy tuck. Your Plastic Surgeon will ask you about your health history and any medications you may be taking. It is very important for you to be honest about these factors because all surgery and anesthetic carry some inherent risk and health problems may increase these unnecessarily.

A person’s expectations from cosmetic surgery are very important. Removing excess skin, flattening your tummy, and removing fat can help you to feel more comfortable, attractive, and even improve confidence, however, a person should be mentally and emotionally stable before undergoing cosmetic surgery. They should not expect the procedure to fix any aspect of their life, improve their mental health, or influence another person. Surgery is naturally a significant physical and emotional stressor. Healthy recovery depends on starting from a healthy place both physically and emotionally.

Unfortunately, surgical procedures come with scars. Scarring can be well-hidden and treated to minimize the appearance as much as possible, but this is a visible drawback related to abdominoplasty which must be understood in order that you have realistic expectations. Perfection is never a realistic goal but many people find that they feel better about their bodies, their clothes, and are able to be more physically active after tummy tuck surgery.