Who is not a good candidate for abdominoplasty?

Abdominoplasty, more popularly known as the tummy tuck, is a plastic surgery procedure that is used to contour saggy abdomen. The surgery involves removal of the excess skin and fat from the abdomen, besides tightening the separated wall muscles. There are many factors that can make the abdomen saggy. Pregnancy, weight fluctuations, and aging are the primary causes of abdominal sagging. While abdominoplasty effectively treats saggy abdomen, making it firmer, youthful, and toned, not everyone can qualify for it.

There are certain eligibility requirements that if you don’t meet will make you unable to qualify for the surgery. During the consultation session, the plastic surgeon will take a look at your abdomen, assess your overall health, discuss your goals with you, and take certain measurements to determine your candidacy for the operation. There are many people who may not be a good candidate for abdominoplasty if:

1. Your abdomen is not actually saggy

There are many people who want to undergo abdominoplasty thinking their abdomen is loose. However, in reality, they don’t have a saggy abdomen. Some people consider the tummy tuck for all the wrong reasons. They are not aware what the procedure is actually meant to address. For example, many patients consider abdominoplasty to get rid of the stubborn fat pockets in localized areas of the tummy. Abdominoplasty is meant to treat saggy abdomen, not to treat a bulky abdomen or an abdomen having stubborn fat pockets. For fat pockets, you should consider liposuction instead.

If your abdomen is not saggy, you are not a good candidate for abdominoplasty. On the other hand, if you have undergone pregnancy or weight loss, you may have mild, moderate, or severe sagginess in your abdomen. In this case, you may consider an abdominoplasty. However, only a board-certified plastic surgeon will assess your final candidacy for the procedure.

2. You have serious health issues

Your overall health is one of the most important factors that would determine your candidacy for abdominoplasty. If you are suffering from serious health problems, you may not be a good candidate for the surgery. The tummy tuck is a relatively riskier procedure. As such, the plastic surgeon will make sure you are not having serious health issues that can increase the risks for you.

Some examples of the serious health issues that can be contraindicative for abdominoplasty include severe diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, disorders of the blood, autoimmune disorders, diseases of the respiratory system, and diseases of the connective tissues. If you have one or more of these problems, the doctors will carefully assess your medical history. If the doctor concludes the surgery can be risky for you, you will be advised to avoid going under the knife.

It is totally understandable that you are experiencing emotional and self-esteem issues as a result of the aesthetic flaws in your abdomen. However, your health comes first. Anything that is not good for your health must be avoided. You should also carefully analyze the risks and benefits of the surgery in terms of your health. If the risks are greater, you must avoid the procedure.

3. Your expectations and goals are unrealistic and unreasonable

What you expect the surgery to do for you and what your aesthetic goals are will be taken into account during the consultation session. If it turns out your expectations and goals are unrealistic and unreasonable, you may not be a good candidate for abdominoplasty. There is no doubt that the tummy tuck can enhance your abdomen, making it firmer, beautiful, and youthful, and restore your self-esteem; however, you should not expect it to do unreasonable things for you.

The tummy tuck cannot help you lose considerable weight. There are many patients who expect the surgery to do wonders and miracles for them, such as turning them into a celebrity or transforming them into someone they are inspired of. This is totally unrealistic and unreasonable. If you have similar goals, you will not be a good candidate. To be a good candidate for the procedure, you must have reasonable, realistic, and achievable goals. If you simply expect the procedure to remove the excess fat from your abdomen, making it firmer, youthful, and toned, you may qualify for the procedure, given that you meet other conditions.

4. You are pregnant, are planning to get pregnant, or have just experienced childbirth

The matters pertaining to your pregnancy and childbirth are important elements the plastic surgeon would consider when assessing your candidacy for abdominoplasty. If you are pregnant, you will not be a good candidate because the procedure will be life-threatening for you and your baby. Pregnant women are never allowed to go under the knife. To be sure, the plastic surgeon will ask you to undergo a pregnancy test before the surgery.

Also, if you are planning to get pregnant, you may not be a good candidate for abdominoplasty. Remember, you consider the tummy tuck to get rid of a saggy abdomen caused by pregnancy, weight loss, or other factors. When you undergo the surgery, your abdomen will be firmer, sexier, and youthful. If you get pregnant after the abdominoplasty, all the aesthetic improvements achieved with the surgery will be nullified. Your abdomen will become saggy again after childbirth. To restore your youthful abdomen, you will be required to again go under the knife.

Furthermore, if you have just given birth to a child, you may not be a good candidate to undergo abdominoplasty right now. You must wait for at least six months after childbirth or at least six months after breastfeeding your baby to go under the knife. You need to allow your body enough time to naturally restore to your pre-pregnancy figure to whatever extent possible. When you undergo the surgery when breastfeeding, the medications can be life-threatening for your baby.

5. Your skin quality is extremely poor

There are many women who have extremely poor skin quality. Poor skin quality means the skin lacks enough elastin or your body does not produce enough collagen to keep your skin in good shape and condition. When the skin quality is poor, the skin becomes saggy, loose, and hanging. As you age, the collagen in your body plummets, which impairs the elastin. As such, your skin fails to recoil to its original position after being stretched.

Women with mild to moderately poor skin condition may qualify to undergo the surgery; however, if your skin is extremely saggy, you should avoid the procedure because your abdomen is more likely to become saggy again after the surgery.

6. You don’t want to stop smoking and taking certain medications

You will not be a good candidate for abdominoplasty if you are a smoker and not willing to stop smoking. You must be willing to stop smoking at least two weeks before the surgery and remain a non-smoker during the recovery period, which can last for several weeks. Smoking impairs the healing process and can lead to health and aesthetic complications after the surgery.

Also, there are certain medications you would be required to stop before the surgery and avoid them during the recovery period. For example, if you are taking blood thinning medications, you will be required to stop them a week before the surgery and avoid them for several weeks after the surgery. If you are not ready for this, you may not be a good candidate for abdominoplasty.

7. You are planning to lose more weight

There are many patients who say they want to lose more weight after abdominoplasty. Such patients would not qualify for the surgery. Remember, you are undergoing abdominoplasty to get rid of a saggy abdomen. Losing weight after the surgery can make your abdomen saggy again. Instead of planning to lose weight after the surgery, you should lose weight before the procedure to whatever extent you can. The surgery can then fix the aesthetic flaws in your abdomen caused by weight changes.

8. You are not willing to live a healthy lifestyle after the surgery

After the surgery, patients must stick to a healthy lifestyle and maintain a stable weight. Weight changes can result in a bulky or saggy abdomen. If you are not willing to maintain a stable weight after abdominoplasty, you may not be a good candidate.

Conclusion

Abdominoplasty is a major surgery that involves = removal of the excess skin and fat from your abdomen. It is an effective treatment for a saggy abdomen resulting from factors like pregnancy, weight fluctuations, aging, and gravity. Not everyone can be a good candidate for abdominoplasty. You will be required to meet certain eligibility criteria to go under the knife and restore the firmness, youthfulness, and tone of your abdomen. The conditions that can keep you from undergoing abdominoplasty have been discussed in detail in this article.