Weight Loss Continues Five Years After Tummy Tucks

THURSDAY, July 3, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Patients undergoing abdominoplasty experience continued weight loss up to five years postoperatively, according to a study published in the July issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Jonathan Bricker, M.D., from Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, and colleagues quantified continued weight loss after abdominoplasty procedures. The analysis included 188 patients with an average follow-up of 26.5 months. 

The researchers found that the average preoperative weight was 167.8 lb, and the average body mass index was 27.7 kg/m². Average weight loss continued to decline over time (with percentage of body weight following surgery) and was −5.77 lb (−3.15 percent) at three months, −5.28 lb (−2.77 percent) at six months, −4.02 lb (−2.17 percent) at 12 months, −4.18 lb (−2.23 percent) at two years, −4.16 lb (−2.20 percent) at three years, and −9.8 lb (−5.29 percent) at five years. No patient who lost weight required revision surgery for additional skin removal.

“We have found that patients who were able to achieve weight loss after their abdominoplasty succeeded in developing healthy habits that centered around nutrition and exercise,” senior author John Y.S. Kim, M.D., from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, said in a statement.

One author is a patent and equity holder for Surgical Innovation Associates and EDGe Surgical.

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