What's the Best BMI for Plastic Surgery & How to Get There with Ozempic

Achieving significant weight loss is an exciting accomplishment, often requiring dedication and persistence. For many women, at the end of this weight loss journey, they may be considering plastic surgery to refine their contours and enhance their self-confidence. This begs the question, how much weight do you need to lose to have plastic surgery? Said another way: “What is the best BMI for plastic surgery?”

This blog post will explore this important question, providing insights into the relationship between BMI, weight loss medications like Ozempic (semaglutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide), and your candidacy for plastic surgery procedures. As a board-certified plastic surgeon, I understand the challenges and triumphs of your weight loss journey and we are here to guide you through this exciting next chapter.

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a simple calculation of weight-to-height ratio. While it provides a general overview of weight status, it has limitations. BMI doesn’t account for factors like muscle mass, bone density, or body fat distribution. However, it is a very helpful guide when it comes to plastic surgery options.

If your BMI is above 35, like 40 for example, then we strongly recommend losing weight prior to plastic surgery. Having procedures when your BMI is above 35 increases your chance of having complications like infection, delayed wound healing, or fluid collecting in a seroma. A Body Mass Index less than 35 at the time of your procedure can improve your plastic surgery results and decrease your chance of developing complications. In some select cases, based on your anatomy we need a BMI that is closer to 30. Our online BMI calculator can be helpful in assessing your weight category and tracking progress over time.

To know how much weight to lose, it helps to review the calculator along with seeing a plastic surgeon in real life. During your consultation we will go over your body contour, and how having a higher or lower BMI will affect your overall cosmetic outcome after plastic surgery. We can get your abdomen flatter with a lower BMI, but you may not want to lose so much weight that your buttock completely deflates! As with everything, there is a balance between weight loss and your optimal look. We strongly recommend consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon along your weight loss journey to guide you.

Now we are going to shift gears from talking about the best BMI for plastic surgery, to discussing ways to get there. Medications like semaglutide (Ozempic) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) can be valuable tools in your weight loss journey. These GLP-1 agonists help regulate blood sugar and suppress appetite, leading to significant weight loss for many individuals. Indications for these medications are expanding, most recently to include obstructive sleep apnea.

Your body naturally makes a version of these hormones to let your brain know your belly is full, and to stop eating. Taking the hormone as a once a week injection may suppress food cravings and the “food noise” that can dominate your thoughts.

You may not be at your ideal weight or target BMI after optimizing your diet and lifestyle. You may have had an injury keeping you from exercising as you usually do. Or you may have had a major life change, like menopause, changing your metabolism dramatically. In those cases, it’s worth considering weight loss medications to help you achieve your weight loss goal. At Tannan Plastic Surgery we have been treating our patients with semaglutide and tirzepatide to help our patients shed those final pounds. After an initial consult and lab-work review, we provide access to a medication that has transformed patient lives and guide you on your weight loss journey. That does not always mean plastic surgery is at the end. It helps to know all your options so you can make the most informed decision for yourself.

It’s common to encounter weight loss plateaus while on these medications. This doesn’t necessarily mean the medication has stopped working. We may want to change up your medication and switch you from one brand to another to help achieve your BMI goal.

• Consult your provider: They can help you adjust your medication dosage, review your diet and exercise regimen, and address any potential underlying issues. They may change medications.
• Re-evaluate your lifestyle: Consider adjusting your diet, portion size, increasing physical activity, or addressing any potential sleep disruptions.
• Explore other options: In some cases, your provider may recommend combining medications or exploring other weight management strategies.

While BMI provides a starting point, it’s crucial to remember that it’s just one piece of the puzzle. When you meet with your board-certified plastic surgeon, she will consider a variety of factors when assessing your candidacy for surgery, including:

• Skin Elasticity: Significant weight loss can impact skin elasticity. This may mean we need to excise more skin so we can drape it better over your body after losing weight with Ozempic.
• Body Contour: Having a high BMI can prevent us from shaping your contour to your ideal look. We cannot tighten muscles that are separated over a large volume of internal abdominal fat (also called visceral fat). This may be why your surgeon is suggesting weight loss prior to a Tummy Tuck, for example. It’s not a number that is your final endpoint, but rather your overall shape that helps the doctor determine if you are ready for a Tummy Tuck.
• Overall Health: Your general health status and any underlying medical conditions will be considered. Losing weight often improves medical conditions like Diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Having underlying medical conditions can prolong the recovery time and stress your body more than usual after plastic surgery.
• Aesthetic Goals: Your individual aesthetic goals and expectations for the surgery will be carefully discussed during your consultation with your plastic surgeon. We will want to make sure you have realistic expectations about the outcome of your procedure and show you what you can expect by reviewing before and after pictures together.

• Prioritize Overall Health: Focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and regular exercise, even after achieving your weight loss goals.
• Be Patient: Allow your body ample time to adjust after significant weight loss before considering surgery. Sometimes you may be satisfied with your look after weight loss, and you may change your mind about pursuing plastic surgery.
• Communicate Openly: Discuss your concerns, expectations, and any potential concerns with your surgeon. This is why it is imperative that you consult with a plastic surgeon and not go to some place that only does Liposuction or only has limited offerings. A comprehensive problem requires a comprehensive total solution.

For some of us, we do not have the best BMI for plastic surgery. We are not at our goal weight, but we know we want to improve our body contour with plastic surgery to fix separated muscles or shape our large, sagging breasts. At Tannan Plastic Surgery we are happy to help our patients after a medical workup to determine if weight loss medications like Ozempic are right for them.

After you attain your desired weight, we examine you and revisit your goals. Sometimes we change the plan from a Breast Reduction to a Breast Lift with mesh (internal bra technique) because you lost weight in your breast. Every situation is unique – and we reassess after you meet your goals. Come see our all-female team today, and together we will figure out what is right for you!

Interested in plastic surgery, but not sure if you’re “BMI-ready”? Contact us today to schedule a consultation. One of our all-female staff will be happy to assist you!