From years of working with patients who struggle to achieve and maintain healthy weights, I’m intimately familiar with both the agony of fighting excess weight and the ecstasy of finally reaching healthy goals.
There’s always a bit of confusion about the differences between tummy tucks (abdominoplasty) and bariatric surgery as they relate to weight loss. Let’s look at each procedure more closely to see how these techniques can work separately – or together – to help you achieve your health and body goals.
Tummy Tucks
Although a tummy tuck is primarily cosmetic and won’t help you lose weight, this body contouring procedure can be an excellent way to reduce excess lax skin, repair stretched abdominals and can even eliminate some unsightly stretch marks. Tummy tucks are especially popular among women who have been pregnant, but can help create a fitter, more toned look to the stomach in either male and female patients with excess skin and stubborn fat in this region.
Bariatric Surgeries
Bariatric surgery takes an aggressive approach to weight reduction in patients who are significantly overweight. This procedure actually limits how much you can physically eat and reduces nutrient absorption in order to help jumpstart weight loss in patients who are morbidly obese or have a great deal of body mass to lose in order to reach a healthy weight.
After Obesity
While the two procedures have different goals, they can often complement each other. Not all tummy tuck patients will require bariatric surgery, and some post-obesity patients have enough skin elasticity to not require tummy tucks. However, in many men and women, a combination of the two procedures can provide the ideal approach to first reaching a healthy, stable weight before following up with a slimmer, firmer waistline.
Dr. David Kaufman earned a bachelor of science degree from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, graduating with distinction, the highest academic honor. As an active duty naval special warfare officer, he served our nation for four years, including duty in Operation Desert Storm. He then attended Harvard Medical School, receiving his medical doctor degree in 1996. From there, he entered and completed postdoctoral surgical training in a combined general and plastic surgery residency at Stanford University Medical Center.
A board-certified plastic surgeon and member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Dr. Kaufman’s diverse surgical experience and skill enables him to choose procedures and techniques to best suit each patient. Consider him and his practice, Kaufman Plastic Surgery, if you are looking for a plastic surgeon in the Sacramento area.
