Tummy Tuck in Overweight Patient in Raleigh, NC*

This 26 year old woman was the mother of two children and had a hard time losing her abdominal pannus. She desired a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty. One plastic surgeon turned her down and told her she had to get her weight down to a BMI of less than 30. She tried- but struggled and sought an opinion from Dr. Lyle. She was a very healthy young woman who had a body mass index of 32. Although weight loss is always encouraged- significant improvements can be obtained even with patients who are overweight. She underwent an abdominoplasty with liposuction of the flanks and abdomen. During surgery- her pannus and fat extracted added up to 7 lbs but her contour looks like she has lost a lot more. She was very happy with her result and in fact lost more weight after surgery- now motivated by her new physique and more comfortable in her clothes. In general, it is always better to attempt weight loss prior to elective cosmetic body contouring procedures - to make the result better and decrease potential complications. Every patient has to be individualized. Patients in otherwise good health can often be offered effective procedures even if not at an optimized weight.