Tummy Tuck After Weight Loss Long Island & Manhattan

You've lost weight, with or without the use of GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, and deserve congratulations—but you might feel like loose belly skin is holding you back from enjoying your new body.

Celebrated Long Island and Manhattan plastic surgeon Dr. Arnold Breitbart specializes in tummy tucks that sculpt your body and reveal a firmer, smoother abdomen after weight loss.

Tummy tuck after weight loss in Long Island and Manhattan

How Weight Loss Affects Abdominal Skin and Muscles

There are many paths to dramatic weight loss, including lifestyle changes, bariatric surgery, and medications like Ozempic (GLP-1 medications.) After significant weight loss, they all have a major thing in common: Loose skin.

Although losing weight is a huge achievement, many patients feel demoralized after they reach their goals because loose, hanging skin remains throughout the belly area.

Studies prove that people carrying extra weight experience stretched-out, damage-prone, weak skin due to collagen and elastin loss. Normally, healthy skin can stretch and retract, but when stretched to its limit for years, it can't fully bounce back after the pounds come off.

Additionally, people who struggle with extra weight often experience abdominal muscle stretching and weakening, further contributing to a sagging, uneven appearance.

This extra skin and muscle separation typically won't tighten, regardless of how much you exercise and diet. The more weight you lose, the more prominent the sagging becomes. That's where a tummy tuck can come in.

How Weight Loss Affects Abdominal Skin and Muscles

Although losing weight is a huge achievement, many patients feel demoralized after they reach their goals because loose, hanging skin remains throughout the belly area.

Additionally, people who struggle with extra weight often experience abdominal muscle stretching and weakening, further contributing to a sagging, uneven appearance.

Tummy Tuck Surgical Options for Post-Weight-Loss

A tummy tuck effectively addresses excess skin and separated muscles in the abdomen after significant weight loss. Dr. Breitbart recommends an approach based on your unique situation:

Tummy Tuck: This surgery addresses excess skin, as well as muscle separation in the abdomen, tightening the area from the upper abdomen down to the pubic region. Dr. Breitbart lifts sagging pubic skin at the same time if needed.
Tummy Tuck with Liposuction: Most patients who lose a dramatic amount of weight still have small pockets of fat that don't respond to diet and exercise. A tummy tuck can be combined with liposuction to address these pockets of fat. That's why many patients add liposuction to their tummy tuck. With liposuction, Dr. Breitbart gently suction fat pockets from the affected areas, and this combines with skin and muscle tightening for a streamlined, contoured result.
Tummy Tuck with Lower Body Lift: A lower body lift covers the areas near the abdomen to correct sagging skin in the flanks, outer thighs, and buttocks. Dr. Breitbart creates a longer incision for this procedure that fully encircles the abdomen.

Candidates For a Tummy Tuck Post Weight Loss

A tummy tuck after weight loss could be right for you if you have sagging skin that bothers you in your belly area. Dr. Breitbart recommends planning a tummy tuck only after you reach your weight goal. Significant weight loss after a tummy tuck could leave you with more sagging skin.

Realistic expectations are also important in tummy tuck candidacy. Dr. Breitbart and our team take the time to explain what your procedure will involve and what results you can expect.

Check out our tummy tuck before and after photos to see remarkable results in real-life patients!

What to Expect During Recovery

Recovery typically involves about one to two weeks of downtime. Some swelling and soreness are normal during this time. Dr. Breitbart and our team provide detailed post-op instructions to help make your recovery as smooth as possible.

Wearing a compression garment is helpful during early recovery and up to six weeks post-op. Compression garments provide firm support (similar to shapewear like Spanx) to help minimize swelling while protecting your incisions. Depending on your healing process and preferences, you can switch to regular shapewear after a few weeks.

Although you'll clearly see a flatter, shapelier abdomen after surgery, some residual swelling can take up to 6-12 months to fully resolve.

Why Choose Dr. Breitbart For Your Tummy Tuck?

Dr. Arnold Breitbart is a top Long Island and Manhattan plastic surgeon with more than three decades of experience. He's known for exceptional results in body contouring after weight loss.

Dr. Breitbart draws upon his exceptional surgical abilities, creative vision, and keen attention to detail to sculpt bodies and create lasting results patients love.

Dr. Breitbart operates in Ambulatory Surgery facilities as well as in our private surgery center which holds accreditation from the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF), ensuring safe, comfortable procedures in a modern setting.