When Is the Right Time for a Tummy Tuck?

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The desire for a flatter, more toned abdomen is one of the most common reasons patients schedule a consultation with a plastic surgeon. Patients considering a tummy tuck should know, however, that certain factors play a role in deciding the best time to have the procedure. 

What is a tummy tuck?

Pregnancy, weight gain, improper exercise technique, and age can all contribute to excessively stretched skin, torn stomach muscles, and stubborn fat pockets on the trunk that often cannot be resolved with diet and exercise. For some patients, these permanent changes can affect their daily life by causing urinary incontinence, a weakened core, and lowered self-esteem.

A tummy tuck, also known as an abdominoplasty, is a surgical procedure that can repair this damage by tightening damaged abdominal muscles and removing excess skin and fat from the stomach.

What qualifies a patient for a tummy tuck?

Both men and women undergo abdominoplasties, and the best tummy tuck candidates are healthy nonsmokers who: 

• Are at a stable weight within 10–15 pounds of their ideal weight

• Cannot achieve their aesthetic goals with diet and exercise, even after significant effort

• Have severely stretched or torn stomach muscles (diastasis recti) that impact their core stability

• Have excess loose skin that droops or hangs off the body

 It is also important for patients to have realistic expectations for their abdominoplasty. A tummy tuck is meant to improve a patient’s silhouette, not to deliver perfection.

What is the right age for a tummy tuck?

While the average abdominoplasty patient is 42 years old, there is no right age for a tummy tuck. Age itself is a less critical consideration than a patient’s commitment to maintaining their results. 

A patient in their 20s who has lost a large amount of weight and does not plan on having children is as eligible for a tummy tuck as someone in their 40s who has always maintained a relatively healthy weight but has a diastasis recti after several pregnancies, as long as they are both committed to a healthy lifestyle moving forward.

Factors to consider before getting a tummy tuck

Because a tummy tuck is a major surgery requiring considerable downtime, undergoing this procedure should not be done without careful consideration of the following factors:

• Is my surgeon qualified?

• Am I done having children?

• Do I have enough support for my recovery?

• Will my current lifestyle help me maintain my results?

• Am I doing this for the right reasons?

Is my surgeon qualified?

Many surgeons perform abdominoplasties, but you should only trust your surgery to a highly trained surgeon who has been certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. ABPS-certified surgeons have demonstrated superior artistic and surgical skill through more than six years of advanced medical training.

Am I done having children?

Having children after a tummy tuck is not medically dangerous, but postoperative pregnancies can substantially alter the results of your abdominoplasty. Stomach muscles can be re-torn, skin can be re-stretched, and stubborn pockets of fat can re-form around the trunk. Because of this, most surgeons recommend waiting until a patient is confident they are finished with their childbearing years before having a tummy tuck.

Do I have enough support for my recovery?

Abdominoplasty patients will require extensive help managing their care for the first few days after surgery and will be unable to lift anything heavier than 10 pounds for several weeks. It is also recommended that patients wait approximately 8–10 days after an abdominoplasty before returning to work.

Returning to normal activity after abdominoplasty takes between three and four months, and full recovery may require up to a year. As such, it is important to ensure your support network can manage your short-term needs (help with household chores, childcare, personal hygiene, transportation, etc.) and long-term needs (emotional support, wound care, strength gains, etc.).

Will my current lifestyle help me maintain my results?

Patients who are most happy with their results are usually those who have already established healthy habits such as: 

• A balanced diet

• Moderate exercise on a regular basis

• Adequate water consumption

• Tobacco avoidance

• Consistent medical care with routine checkups

Am I doing this for the right reasons?

A tummy tuck should not be the first thing patients try to slim their midline. While abdominoplasty surgery has been proven to be quite safe, any surgery requiring anesthesia is not without risk. 

Patients should be certain they are choosing a tummy tuck for themselves and not because someone is pressuring them to meet unrealistic body standards. Recent traumatic life events such as a divorce or break-up, loss of a loved one, unemployment, or illness will by no means disqualify a patient from abdominoplasty surgery, but patients should not undergo plastic surgery if they have unresolved mental health issues.

Benefits of a tummy tuck

When approached with a healthy mindset and realistic expectations, a tummy tuck provides both physical and emotional benefits. 

Physically, an abdominoplasty can reduce incontinence issues, enhance core strength, decrease back pain, and improve posture. On an emotional level, a tummy tuck can boost self-confidence by restoring a youthful, strong figure.

If you are considering a tummy tuck, do not hesitate to meet with a qualified surgeon to ask all your questions. A physician can help you determine if you are ready for this procedure, and if you are not, they can map out a path to get there.