Cosmetic surgery isn’t a decision to be made lightly, and there are certain steps you will need to take before you undergo tummy tuck surgery, liposuction, or any other surgical procedure. One of the questions we get asked a lot at Parkins Plastic Surgery is, “What BMI should I be for plastic surgery?” Our Milwaukee-area team believes that patients should educate themselves as much as possible on all of the aspects of the procedure they are considering, and that includes learning about BMI, which stands for body mass index.
BMI is a medical screening tool that measures the ratio of your height to your weight. This ratio helps healthcare providers to determine whether your body weight is within a healthy range, and people can be categorized as underweight, normal, overweight, obese, or morbidly obese.
BMI can also help you examine risk factors for certain health conditions. In the majority of cases, the higher your BMI is, the more body fat you have. There are many website calculators that patients can use to calculate their BMI.
Having a healthy BMI can improve your chances of having a successful plastic surgery procedure, so if you are overweight, you might be wondering whether you would qualify as a candidate for certain procedures. BMI is one of the components physicians use to assess the state of your overall health. For certain types of plastic surgery procedures—including liposuction and tummy tuck surgery—you may not be a good candidate if you have an elevated BMI. This is because there is an increased risk of complications from elective plastic surgery procedures if you have a higher BMI. In other words, it’s more likely for wound infections and development of dangerous blood clots in the legs or lungs to develop if you have body contouring surgery such as a tummy tuck.
Studies show that with an increased BMI, there will be a longer operative time and there is more likely to be a poor outcome from the surgery. Ideally, you should try to get into your best physical shape and reach your goal weight before surgery. A BMI of 30 is the cut-off point for tummy tucks and most other procedures.
Wondering more about whether your BMI would make you a good candidate for your surgery of choice? Dr. Maida Parkins and the Parkins Plastic Surgery team can explain more about how BMI relates to surgery. Call us at (262) 269-1050 or submit a contact form to schedule an appointment if you would like to learn more.
