What is a Healthy BMI for Plastic Surgery?

Dr. Camp describes what is and isn't a healthy body mass index (BMI) for plastic surgery procedures. Body mass index, or BMI, is a diagnostic tool that doctors and plastic surgeons use to help determine whether or not a patient can successfully undergo surgery. While this is true for any kind of surgery, it is particularly helpful for patients who are considering body contouring procedures such as liposuction, a tummy tuck or even a Brazilian Butt Lift. Your BMI takes into account both your height and your weight, and isn’t difficult to calculate.

Patients who have a BMI of 30 or above have been shown to run a higher risk of infection and post operative complications. Dr. Steven Camp of Fort Worth, TX discusses the BMI criteria as well as the outliers to the rule.

WHAT IS BMI?
BMI, or body mass index, is the ratio of a person’s height to their weight squared. It is basically a way to account for the fact that someone who is 6’4” will have more tissue than someone who is only 5’2”. Surgeons and doctors use it as a diagnostic tool to help determine whether or not a potential patient has too much body fat that might put them at risk for surgery. While it is not a perfect measurement (as it does not directly assess the body fat), it has been found to be fairly reliable.

There are lots of easy to use at home tools on your computer and iPhone to help you determine your BMI and see where you fall on the range of health.

Body mass index (BMI).
WHAT IS A HEALTHY BMI?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), adults who have a BMI that falls between 18.5 and 24.8 are considered healthy. If your BMI is between 25 and 29.9, you are considered overweight, and if it is above 30, you are considered obese. These number ranges apply to both men and women, regardless of age.

Eating healthy for BMI.
While most surgeons would consider the “overweight” range a bit of a grey zone, patients with a BMI above 30 are probably going to be better served considering some lifestyle changes with diet and exercise in order to lose weight prior to surgery, or else delay surgery all together. In general, most surgeons consider it safe to operate on a patient as long as his or her BMI is below 30. However, there is another component to a successful surgery: Did it achieve your goals? And can you maintain your results?