Am I a Tummy Tuck Candidate?

Have you wondered if you are a candidate for tummy tuck surgery? If you are an adult with overall good health and close to your medically determined ideal weight but need help shedding the stubborn excess skin and fat around the abdominal area, you may be a candidate for tummy tuck surgery.

The ideal tummy tuck candidate

Tummy tucks are suitable for women who have had multiple pregnancies, people who were once obese and now have excess skin due to significant weight loss, older people who have lost skin elasticity due to aging, and people who are genetically predisposed to the accumulation of abdominal fat.

• close to their ideal body weight (within 30%)
• willing remove specific areas of loose skin or fat that is 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

If you meet some of the criteria, you may still be a good candidate for a tummy tuck. The tummy tuck procedure is most suited for those who are close to their ideal body weight, but if you have a lot of fat in an isolated area, you may still be a good candidate for tummy tuck surgery.

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
• Rectus Muscle Diastasis –The muscles of the anterior abdominal have separated and the muscles have relaxed and separates causing the stomach to bulge out; exercise does not help

Tummy tuck surgery precautions

If you intend to lose a lot of weight, wait until after your weight loss to schedule tummy tuck surgery. If you plan on future pregnancies, you should wait to have tummy tuck surgery until you are through having children as 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, or if you are obese. Tummy tuck surgery is not an alternative to weight loss.

Find out more about tummy tuck surgery

For more information on tummy tuck surgery, see the tummy tuck menu items to the left. To find a tummy tuck doctor near you, use our tummy tuck surgeon locator.