Patients who undergo tummy tuck surgery may be getting more than just a flatter abdomen — they could be setting themselves up for years of continued weight loss.
A new study tracked nearly 200 patients for up to five years after abdominoplasty and found a steady drop in weight over time, especially in those who started with higher BMIs.
Tummy Tuck Surgery May Trigger Ongoing Weight Loss
Many people who undergo tummy tuck surgery not only keep the weight off but continue losing weight for years after the procedure, according to a new study published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
“We found that patients not only maintained their weight loss after abdominoplasty, but also continued to lose weight over time – up to ten pounds, on average,” comments senior author John Y.S. Kim of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago. “This postoperative weight loss appears greater, and increases at later follow-up times, in patients with initially higher body mass index [BMI].”
Study Reveals Long-Term Trends in Post-Surgery Weight Loss
Abdominoplasty, often called a tummy tuck, is a cosmetic procedure that removes excess skin and fat to improve the shape of the abdomen. In 2023 alone, plastic surgeons performed more than 170,000 tummy tucks, many of them on patients who had already experienced significant weight loss and were left with sagging skin.
Surgeons have long observed that some patients continue to lose weight after surgery. Until now, however, there has been little research to confirm whether the procedure itself plays a role in long-term weight loss.
To investigate, Dr. Kim and his team followed 188 patients who had tummy tuck surgery between 2018 and 2022. Ninety-seven percent were women, with an average starting weight of 168 pounds and a BMI of 27.7. Many also had liposuction or fat removal (lipectomy) during their procedure. Researchers tracked their weight for up to five years after surgery.
Five Years of Follow-Up Show Steady Drop in Weight
The results showed continued weight loss after abdominoplasty. At three to six months, average weight loss was between five and six pounds, with about a three percent decrease in BMI. From one to four years, weight loss was about five pounds, for a BMI reduction of about two percent. By five years (in a limited number of patients), average weight loss was nearly ten pounds, with more than a five percent decrease in BMI.
Overall, about 60% of patients lost weight during follow-up. Further analysis showed a “near constant negative change in body weight that did not significantly change over time,” the researchers write.
After adjustment for other factors, continued weight loss was more likely for older patients, for those who underwent liposuction/lipectomy, and those who had never smoked. Weight loss was greater for patients who had higher body weight and BMI before surgery, and for a small number of patients who used the newer weight loss medication semaglutide.
Healthy Habits, Not Just Surgery, May Drive Results
The study adds new evidence that “post-abdominoplasty weight reduction is a quantifiable phenomenon and that patients undergoing abdominoplasty continue to lose a significant amount of weight for up to five years after surgery,” the researchers write. They note some key limitations of their study, including varying follow-up times and potential confounding factors.
The study cannot definitively explain why patients continue to lose weight after surgery. However, Dr. Kim and coauthors write, “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.” They highlight the need for an “evidence-based platform” to assess weight changes after abdominoplasty and to identify factors associated with long-term weight loss.
Reference: “What Happens to Weight following Abdominoplasty: An Analysis of 188 Consecutive Cases” by Jonathan Bricker, Sarah Ferenz, Simon Moradian, Kareem Termanini, Brandon Jackson and John Y. S. Kim, 14 January 2025, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
DOI: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000011959
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