Am I a Tummy Tuck Candidate?

A good tummy tuck candidate is a person with overall good health, who is unable to flatten their stomach by other means, such as exercise and diet. If you are close to your medically determined ideal weight and need help shedding the stubborn excess skin and fat around the abdominal area, you might be a candidate for tummy tuck surgery.

The Ideal Tummy Tuck Candidate

Tummy tucks are suitable for women who have had multiple pregnancies; men and women who were once obese and have excess skin caused by significant weight loss; older people who have lost skin elasticity from aging; and people who are genetically predisposed to the accumulation of abdominal fat. If you are not at or near your ideal weight and have a lot of fat in an isolated area, you might be a good candidate for tummy tuck surgery.

Tummy Tuck Candidates Should Be:

Close to their ideal body weight (within 30%)
Willing to remove specific areas of loose skin or fat that are diet and exercise resistant
At a stable weight for six months or more
In possession of good skin tone and elasticity
Emotionally stable
Understanding of the risks of tummy tuck surgery and scarring
Maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise routine

Reasons for Tummy Tuck Surgery

Patients who have abdominal wall deformities could be considered for tummy tuck surgery if they have the following:

Wrinkly or loose skin with stretch marks resulting from pregnancy, aging or marked weight loss
Excess fat tissue, usually more prominent in the lower abdomen and out of proportion to the rest of your body
Rectus muscle diastasis-the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall have separated and relaxed, causing the stomach to bulge out and not respond to diet and exercise

Tummy Tuck Surgery Precautions

If you intend to lose a lot of weight, wait about six months after reaching your goal weight to schedule tummy tuck surgery. Women who plan future pregnancies should wait to have tummy tuck surgery until they are through having children, because pregnancy will stretch the abdomen again.

You are at increased risk for complications if you have diabetes; poor circulation; heart, lung or liver disease; smoke; have a family history of blood clots; take certain medications; and if you are obese. Tummy tuck surgery is not an alternative to weight loss.