Question:
I am overweight/obese. Would a tummy tuck be a waste of time? Would it be better to first get gastric bypass? Is there some rule of thumb regarding weight and tummy tuck surgery?
Answer:
If you are significantly overweight then it is definitely better to lose the weight first, to start a diet and exercise program and be very close to your goal weight before doing an abdominoplasty or tummy tuck. The reason is two-fold. First, it is possible to make the incision smaller if you achieve weight loss first and also the overall results would be significantly better. There is no specific rule of thumb regarding weight and tummy tuck but typically it would be best to have a body mass index at least between 25-30 in order to have the best results possible.
About the Author: Dr. Edwin Williams
Dr. Edwin Williams is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon who founded The Williams Center in 1993. He has performed over 10,000 facial plastic surgery procedures and has pioneered the deep plane facelift. He served on the Board of Directors for the American Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery for over a decade, and served as President from 2015-2016. In 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, Dr. Williams earned the Castle Connelly Top Doctors award in New York Facial Plastic Surgery.
Dr. Edwin F. Williams III attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1982. He began medical school at the State University of Buffalo School of Medicine and received his Doctor of Medicine in 1986.
Dr. Williams is actively involved in teaching facial plastic and reconstruction surgery to the residents of the Albany Medical Center and is former Chief of the Section of Facial and Plastic Reconstruction Surgery at Albany Medical Center where he received an academic appointment of Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery.