Study: Tummy Tuck can be Safely Performed on Obese Patients

Study: Tummy Tuck Can Be Safely Performed on Obese Patients

Leading Manhattan plastic surgery practices offer a wide range of cosmetic surgical procedures to help men and women look their best. Tummy tuck surgery or abdominoplasty is a popular option. The procedure helps improve abdominal contour by removing excess fat and skin and in most cases, also restoring weakened or separated muscles.

A person who is physically healthy and at a stable weight is generally considered a good candidate for a tummy tuck. Tummy tuck on obese patients is considered risky as the concern was that obese patients are at higher risk of complications after this procedure. However, a study published in the April issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reported that “tummy tuck” surgery (abdominoplasty), with or without concurrent liposuction can be safely performed in obese patients, with no increase in complications compared to non-obese patients.

The study included 82 patients, with 21 patients classified as obese based on an average body mass index (BMI) of 35 kilograms per square meter (kg/m2) and the remaining 62 patients classified as non-obese. The patients underwent abdominoplasty over a seven-year period. The complication rates of these patients were compared with an average follow-up time of close to one year. For most patients in both groups, tummy tuck surgery was combined with liposuction. They found that the risk factors of the patients were similar between groups and no patient in either group developed problems with blood clots (venous thromboembolism), a more serious type of complication.

However, the reason why tummy tuck considered having complication rates higher on obese patients is because, increased body mass index (BMI) increase the incidence of seroma formation and wound infection rates and subsequently increases wound dehiscence and ugly scar formation following Abdominoplasty and body contour surgery and also many other aesthetic and plastic surgery. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of BMI on the outcome of abdominoplasty operation.

The study concludes that these findings helps to clarify the “risks and rewards” of abdominoplasty in non-bariatric surgery patients with a BMI in the obese range. The author ASPS Member Surgeon Laurence Glickman, MD, MSc, FACS and coauthors concluded, “Our study results suggest that patients with a BMI greater than 30 in and of itself should not be viewed as a strict contraindication to abdominoplasty.”

However, the researchers point out that decisions about tummy-tuck surgery should consider the individual patient’s risk factors, and not be based on BMI alone. Plastic surgeons should evaluate patients’ individual considerations and counsel them as to the potential perioperative risks of the procedure. They also emphasized the importance of discussing realistic postoperative goals with patients considering abdominoplasty.

While conventional tummy tuck surgery is a safe and effective procedure, plastic surgeons in NYC offer an even more advanced treatment – Brazilian tummy tuck surgery. The procedure combines basic liposuction as well as the traditional elliptical excision of excess skin and fat from the lower abdomen (abdominoplasty). This technique focuses on additional areas to deliver smoother and more attractive results. Advanced, minimally-invasive liposuction modalities such as VaserLipo, BodyTite, and Smartlipo Triplex are used to remove the excess fat and tighten the skin. The procedure also pulls the waist in and tightens the muscles to result in a smaller waist. Rather than just abdominoplasty, this is an innovative waist re-contouring technique.

A tummy tuck in Manhattan is also more than a cosmetic procedure as it can improve back pain and urinary incontinence, the two most common physical complaints by women after labor and delivery. In fact, this cosmetic procedure is a key component of a “mommy makeover”, a slew of procedures designed to restore the shape of a woman’s body after childbearing.