In recent years, the number of people seeking tummy tucks has increased dramatically. The procedure is designed to address excess skin and fat in the abdominal area after pregnancy, but it can also help change the shape of your midsection.
It’s important to note that a tummy tuck does not remove fat or muscle tissue. Instead, it removes excess skin and other tissue so your abdomen looks more toned and firm. If you’re considering liposuction as an alternative to a tummy tuck, keep in mind that liposuction will not tighten abdominal muscles or remove excess skin or fat.
Read on to learn more on Gained 50 Pounds After Tummy Tuck, Back Fat After Tummy Tuck and Why Am I Gaining Weight After Tummy Tuck
Gained 50 Pounds After Tummy Tuck
A tummy tuck, also referred to as abdominoplasty, removes excess skin and then repositions the belly button. It can flatten and firm the abdominal region, but you must also maintain a healthy lifestyle with proper diet and exercise. Minimal weight gain after a tummy tuck will not have a significant impact, but excessive weight gain will stretch the skin and stretch the abdominal muscles. Pregnancy after a tummy tuck can also affect the results.
Stretched Skin
Weight gain after a tummy tuck will affect the surgery results. Since a tummy tuck removes fat cells, there are fewer fat cells in the abdominal area. This means that the fat distribution will be less in the area of the stomach than before surgery, but the skin will stretch and with time there will be more skin, according to plastic surgeon Richard Dowden, M.D., C.M., F.A.C.S.
Loss of Muscle Firmness
Excessive weight gain causes the skin and the abdominal muscles to stretch. This results in a loss of muscle firmness and tone. The abdominals will not remain as flat as they were after the tummy tuck was initially performed, according to the Northwestern Plastic Surgery Center.
Regular exercise and a healthy diet are recommended to help maintain the results of the tummy tuck surgery. Abdominoplasty is not a replacement for weight loss. It used to remove excess skin after a large amount of weight loss and or multiple pregnancies. It can also help people who cannot lose the excess stomach bulge even after diet and exercise.
- Excessive weight gain causes the skin and the abdominal muscles to stretch.
- It used to remove excess skin after a large amount of weight loss and or multiple pregnancies.
Pregnancy
Tummy tucks are usually an option for women after pregnancy and who do not plan to get pregnant again. A tummy tuck will not affect the pregnancy or the baby, according to the National Institutes of Health. Having a baby after a tummy tuck will affect the surgery results. The skin will stretch and lose muscle tone requiring another abdominoplasty to remove the excess skin to flatten the abdominal area. Therefore, this surgery is not recommended for women who are planning to get pregnant.
- Tummy tucks are usually an option for women after pregnancy and who do not plan to get pregnant again.
Why Am I Gaining Weight After Tummy Tuck
After tummy tuck, you will gain some weight. It is normal to gain a few pounds after this procedure. The amount of weight gain varies from one person to another. The reason for this is because of the swelling that occurs after surgery. The swelling takes some time to subside and hence your weight increases before it comes back to normal.
When you are about to schedule for a tummy tuck surgery, it is important that you discuss with your doctor about how much weight you need to lose before the surgery and how much weight gain will be acceptable after the procedure. In most cases, a surgeon will recommend that you lose around 10% of your total body weight before getting a tummy tuck surgery done.
If you are planning on having a tummy tuck surgery and have lost a considerable amount of weight already, then it is best if you wait until you have reached this target weight before getting the procedure done as it may lead to complications during recovery.
The most likely reason is that you are not following your post-operative diet properly. You may also be gaining weight because you are eating more than you need to maintain your weight.
It is important to follow your surgeon’s dietary instructions after gastric bypass surgery. These instructions can be found in your surgeon’s office and on their website. They will tell you how much food to eat per day, how much protein and carbohydrate each meal should contain, how often and when to eat snacks between meals, etc.
You should also be following an exercise program after surgery because this will help you lose weight more quickly than if you don’t exercise at all. Many bariatric surgeons recommend that their patients exercise for 30 minutes per day or more on most days of the week during the first year after surgery.
Back Fat After Tummy Tuck
Back fat is a common occurrence after a tummy tuck. It can be seen in the lower back and upper back. The best way to get rid of it is to have liposuction of the area. This can be done in conjunction with your abdominoplasty or separately after your recovery.
It is important to understand that there are different types of fat in our bodies. There are two different types: subcutaneous and visceral fat. Subcutaneous fat is located under your skin and visceral fat is located inside our abdominal cavity, surrounding internal organs such as the liver, intestines and kidneys.
Tummy tuck surgery removes only subcutaneous fat in an attempt to make your new contour more smooth and appealing. If you want to remove both types of fat from your lower back or upper back area, then liposuction would be needed for the best results
After a tummy tuck, you may have some fat that hangs over the sides of your stomach. This is called back fat.
The best way to get rid of this is with liposuction. It’s an outpatient procedure that can be done in about an hour and can be done at the same time as a tummy tuck or other body surgery.
I suggest you see a board-certified plastic surgeon for a consultation in order to find out if you’re a good candidate for this procedure.
I have seen many patients with this issue. The only way to address this is to have liposuction of the back fat with a direct excision of the skin (a wedge excision). This can be done under local or general anesthesia, depending on your preferences and needs.
If you are interested in surgical options, please consult a board certified plastic surgeon who has experience performing this procedure.
Thank you for your question and good luck!