How heavy can you be and still undergo cosmetic surgery? High BMI patients are sometimes excluded from consideration based on their weight alone, but we take a more individual approach. We don’t have an absolute cutoff.
Depending on the procedure being contemplated, a patient’s BMI may have a minimal or significant impact. Eyelids and facial cosmetic facial procedures are the least affected. Body contouring procedures can be more challenging, and studies have shown perioperative complications, especially wound complications, are increased in the higher BMI population. These cases may take longer in the operating room and anesthesia may be more difficult. Certainly, at some point, the risks may outweigh any cosmetic benefit that can be achieved. It’s important to discuss this with your surgeon before choosing to undergo a procedure.
We saw a woman in her early 30’s a few years back who was referred for an abdominoplasty. She already had a very high BMI and notes from her referring physician indicated she was still gaining weight at a rapid pace. Clearly, she was not a candidate for our services and we referred her for weight management and potential bariatric surgery.
If you’re significantly overweight you may be a still be a candidate for surgery, but it’s important to discuss the risks and benefits of the procedure with your surgeon. If we feel you’re a good candidate and understand these risks, we’d be glad to help. But we’re not afraid to tell you if we think you’ll have a bad outcome and decline to do the procedure.
