Tummy Tucks Improve Survival

Case 1: Before surgery the patient here was diabetic, hypertension, and severe back pain requiring a cane. Morbid obesity made it hard for her to walk up more than a few stairs.

The after picture was taken three weeks after surgery. Abdominoplasty and large volume liposuction removed 70 pounds of fat from this patient immediately. Removal of abdominal weight has many advantages:

1. Tummy tucks significantly reduce back strain.
2. Tummy tuck patients are more fit.
3. Tummy tucks reduce the volume of the stomach and will result in permanent weight loss.
4. Tummy tuck patients will live longer.
5. Weight loss, exercise, liposuction alone and gastric bypass surgery will not remove excess skin and will not return the waist to a slim figure. Only tummy tuck can do this.
6. Removal of abdominal weight reduces cholesterol levels, reduces insulin resistance and improves blood pressure.

After one month of physical therapy, the patient above did not require the cane and by 2 months she was jogging. The weight loss following abdominoplasty almost always results in permanent weight loss IF the volume of the stomach is reduced by tightening her fascia. If this is done, these patients eat 20-60% less food after abdominoplasty than before. In our experience, patients who have extensive abdominoplasty with very tight plications of their fascia have kept their abdominal weight off even 10 years after surgery.