Many of our patients at The Piazza Center in Austin, TX ask, “What is a healthy weight to move forward with surgery?” and “Am I a good candidate for plastic surgery?” These are great questions! Our focus is on helping you look and feel your best, while ensuring your health and safety for years to come. For the best results, a patient should be as close as possible to their ideal weight before scheduling a plastic surgery procedure.
At The Piazza Center, to determine if a patient is within a healthy weight range, we use a calculation based on your height and weight. This calculation is called your Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI does not measure body fat directly, but BMI is moderately correlated with more direct measures of body fat and appears to be as strongly correlated with various metabolic and disease outcomes which are more direct measures of body fatness. Since we value our patients’ health and safety primarily, we use BMI as a measure to ensure that it is safe for you to proceed with elective surgery.
What Does It Mean to Have a Healthy BMI?
Having a healthy BMI before plastic surgery can increase your chances for a successful procedure with the minimal risks of complications. In many instances, a healthy BMI usually means that your tissues are easier to mold and to shape so that we can help you achieve your desired outcome.
BMI is calculated by dividing your weight by your height in inches, squared. (Formula: BMI = kg/m2 OR weight (lb) / [height (in)]2 x 703.)
BMI Scores:
- Under 18.5: Underweight
- 18.6 to 24.9: Normal/healthy weight
- 25.0 to 29.9: Overweight
- 30.0 and above: Obese
What Are the Risks of Having a BMI At or Above 30?
If your BMI is above 30, it can increase your risk of multiple complications during and after surgery, including but not limited to: poor wound healing, infection, fat necrosis which can lead to additional time off work, further surgery, hospitalization, and an increased expense. All of this may result in the need for revisionary surgery in the future.
Our Top Tips to Get Your BMI Into a Healthy Range:
- Set a healthy goal weight which places your BMI in the 18.6 – 24.9 range and a realistic timeline to lose the weight.
- Incorporate an exercise routine into your daily schedule that makes you excited.
- Seek a dietary consultation to make sure your macros make sense for your weight loss goal timeline.
- Keep your team at The Piazza Center posted on these goals so that we can set up landmark visits to ensure you are meeting your goals.
We are your cheerleaders and want to be alongside you as we prepare together for your surgical procedure!
Resources:
- https://getmymacros.com/macrocoach.html
- https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/wellness/story/hilary-duffs-nutrition-coach-reveals-macro-counting-lead-72281708
- https://www.workingagainstgravity.com
- https://instagram.com/electricmobiletraining?utm_medium=copy_link
- https://neu.fit/patients/improve-fitness-performance/
Rocco C. Piazza, M.D is the owner of The Piazza Center plastic surgery practice in Austin, TX and is a Diplomate of The American Board of Plastic Surgery, a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, as well as a national spokesperson for the ASPS. Call (512) 288-8200 and visit the website www.ThePiazzaCenter.com.
