What Happens If a Patient Gains Weight After a Tummy Tuck?
Many patients wonder what happens if they gain weight after a tummy tuck.
Dr. Eduardo explains that this is an important topic, as weight gain can significantly affect the aesthetic results of the procedure.
How Weight Gain Affects the Abdomen
During a tummy tuck, surgeons perform muscle plication, tightening the abdominal wall and increasing intra-abdominal pressure.
When the patient gains weight, visceral fat — the fat that accumulates around the internal organs — begins to expand.
This internal fat pushes the abdominal wall outward, leading to bulging in the central area and loss of waist definition, creating a barrel-shaped abdomen.
Increase in Subcutaneous Fat
In addition to visceral fat, there is also an increase in subcutaneous fat, which lies just beneath the skin.
This added layer of fat reduces muscle definition and diminishes the sculpted look achieved through defined lipoabdominoplasty.
Losing Weight Restores the Results
The good news is that if the patient loses the excess weight, much of the aesthetic result can return.
As both visceral and subcutaneous fat decrease, the abdomen regains the shape and contour achieved right after surgery.
Recently, a patient who had undergone defined lipoabdominoplasty a year earlier experienced this firsthand.
After losing 6 kilograms, she noticed that her abdomen looked just as good as it did shortly after surgery.
Conclusion
Gaining weight after a tummy tuck does not permanently ruin the results, but maintaining a stable weight is crucial for long-term success.
Healthy eating habits and regular exercise help preserve abdominal contour and ensure a natural, lasting outcome.
