For the right candidate, a tummy tuck can be excellent for body contouring. Some men and women interested in a tummy tuck may wonder how much weight can be lost with the procedure. While this question is certainly valid and should be addressed, it’s also be somewhat misguided.
A Tummy Tuck Is for Contouring, Not Weight Loss
Abdominoplasty is not intended as a weight loss substitute. In fact, anyone intending to use the procedure for weight loss would be drastically disappointed. Weight loss comes after losing visceral fat, which is inaccessible to your body contouring surgeon during tummy tuck surgery. A tummy tuck can tighten loose skin, remove a limited amount of fatty tissue and repair loose abdominal muscles,* but the procedure cannot make you lose weight.
That said, you may be a few pounds lighter after your tummy tuck depending on your individual circumstances.* For example, post-weight loss patients with extensive baggy skin could lose several pounds during their abdominoplasty as a result of shedding their excess skin.* However, the weight lost will not come from internal fat, but rather from losing sagging skin or pockets of fatty tissue. The typical amount of weight that is removed during a tummy tuck is only three to five pounds.*
Contouring Makes All the Difference
The real results you will see from a tummy tuck are not in the form of weight loss, but in your new contours.* A tummy tuck tightens abdominal and removes any lingering subcutaneous tissue while tightening stomach skin neatly over your midsection, so your contours will be affected even if your weight remains close to the same.*
*This information is for education only, and is not meant as a guarantee of results. Your results may vary.
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Author: Dr. Francesco Campanile
Board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Dr. Francesco Campanile is a cosmetic surgeon in Denver who is focused on body contouring and breast enhancement. Time and time again, the women and men who choose Dr. Campanile say that they’ve found “the whole package” – a doctor who cares deeply about the quality of their results and has the skill to achieve excellence.
