Signs You Are a Good Candidate for a Tummy Tuck

A tummy tuck is a type of body contouring procedure that’s slowly gaining popularity. It’s a great procedure for people who are unhappy with their body shape and are looking for flatter and tighter abdominal contours. The surgery eliminates extra skin around your abdominal area. It’s particularly helpful to someone who has been trying to get rid of fat in that area by living a healthy lifestyle but has failed. Are you wondering if you’re a good candidate for a tummy tuck? Take a look at the signs.

You’re Generally in Good Health

This might be a low-risk procedure, but it’s not suitable for anyone with serious health issues. Before you opt for this surgery, consider the following:

• You must have a healthy heart and lungs because you’ll be sedated with anesthesia during the procedure
• Certain conditions like connective tissue disorders and autoimmune disorders can interfere with the healing process
• Talk to your surgeon if your skin usually develops thick and raised scars after injuries or invasive procedures.

You should also quit smoking before the surgery and a couple of months after, to facilitate quick healing without post-surgical complications.

You Have Loose Skin Around Your Abdomen

You need to have excess skin around your stomach to make a good candidate for the procedure. Otherwise, if you only aim to eliminate excess or stubborn fat around your abdomen, you’re more suited for liposuction. Furthermore, for surgeons like Joel Aronowitz, MD, to perform this procedure, they have to create an incision. And if your skin is tight, it will look stretched out. If you only have loose skin below the navel, you may need a mini-tuck instead of a full tuck.

You’re Done Having Kids

If you aren’t done having kids, wait before undergoing this procedure. If you get pregnant, there aren’t any medical risks to the fetus or you. However, pregnancy tends to be accompanied by significant weight gain and loose or excess skin. Furthermore, it can separate the repaired muscles around your belly, restretching the skin. That means you’ll have to undergo another tummy tuck procedure to restore the previous results.

You Aren’t Planning to Lose More Weight

Understand that a tummy tuck isn’t a weight-loss surgery. Before undergoing this procedure, you need to be within 20 or 30 pounds of your ideal weight. That means you may have to work out a little to reach your optimal weight. If you lose a lot of weight after the procedure, you’ll end up with sagging muscles and excess skin around your stomach, which cancels the results of the procedure.

You Have Realistic Expectations

A tummy tuck helps eliminate excess or loose skin and boost your confidence. It’s not intended for weight loss. Moreover, the results are permanent because once the fat cells are removed, new ones won’t form. But to maintain those results, you need to stay within 15 to 30 pounds of your current weight. Anything more than that can cause your skin to stretch out again.

If you meet any of the following criteria, you’re the right candidate for a tummy tuck. But before committing, talk to a plastic surgeon to learn more about this procedure.