Tummy Tuck May Help You Keep Losing Weight-Even Years Later, Study Shows

A new study published in the issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), suggests that many patients who undergo abdominoplasty, commonly known as a “tummy tuck,” continue to lose weight long after the procedure.

Abdominoplasty is typically performed to remove excess skin and tissue after significant weight loss, particularly in patients who have undergone bariatric surgery or other major body transformations. While some plastic surgeons have observed ongoing weight loss in these patients, little research has previously confirmed this trend.

To investigate further, researchers studied 188 patients 97% of whom were women who underwent abdominoplasty between 2018 and 2022. Most also received liposuction or lipectomy during the procedure. The average preoperative weight of participants was about 168 pounds with a body mass index (BMI) of 27.7. Patients were tracked for up to five years to monitor weight trends.

Findings revealed steady, long-term weight loss. At three to six months’ post-surgery, patients lost an average of five to six pounds. From one to four years, the loss held steady around five pounds. At five years, although based on a smaller sample size, patients had lost nearly ten pounds on average, representing more than a five percent reduction in BMI.