The Truth About Tummy Tucks for Diabetics

A tummy tuck has several benefits to people who seek the procedure. It can restore a person’s figure and make their bodies aesthetically proportional following bariatric surgery, a lifestyle change, or after pregnancy and childbirth. It can likewise remove some of the added weight from the excess skin after significant weight loss.

That said, many do ask, can a tummy tuck aid in the management of diabetes? This idea branches from the common practice of having the procedure following weight loss, which is a way many people with diabetes regulate the disease. While it may sound like a good possibility, it may not provide the help diabetic patients need to control their condition effectively.

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What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a long-term disorder that develops when there is an excessive elevation of glucose in the blood. It is prevalent worldwide, affecting people from all walks of life. In 2015 alone, there was a 50% increase in diabetes cases in America, which is roughly 30.3 million people affected. Each year, 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes. Globally, an estimated 422 million people suffer from the disease.

Glucose, also blood glucose or blood sugar once in the bloodstream, is the body’s primary source of energy that is acquired from the food we eat. Its level in the blood is controlled by the hormone insulin, which is produced in the pancreas. Insulin functions as a key that helps glucose enter cells to be used as a source of energy. In a non-diabetic person, any surge in blood glucose level triggers the pancreas to produce insulin to normalize its level.

In a diabetic person, however, his/her body is either not producing enough insulin or is not utilizing insulin effectively. Thus, the glucose level in the blood remains high, which if prolonged, could lead to complications that include heart disease, nerve damage, hypoglycemia, kidney disease, and dementia.

Tummy Tuck and Diabetes: The Truth

It has been a long-standing misconception that tummy tuck can help in controlling diabetes. While it does help in correcting other health conditions such as a ventral hernia and Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI), it offers little help with regulating diabetes. Tummy tuck, generally, is considered a body contouring procedure, which is performed to improve body proportions after weight loss and is not an actual form of weight loss surgery that can help in managing diabetes.

Weight Loss, Diabetes, and Tummy Tuck

Weight loss is one of the recommended and practical ways that diabetic patients manage the disease. For patients with Type 2 diabetes, it provides many benefits that help them cope with and better regulate the condition, including:

1. Better insulin resistance – Weight has a significant effect on the occurrence of insulin resistance. With a considerable loss of weight, the body becomes efficient in utilizing the insulin it produces, lowering insulin resistance and effectively controlling diabetes.
2. Improved A1C outcome – The A1C test is a blood test that indicates a diabetic’s average blood glucose level in the past three (3) months. The standard level is below 5.7%, and any higher percentage means glucose is abundant in the blood. Losing weight through diet and exercise can significantly improve A1C results, which becomes observable after 6 to 12 months.
3. Lowered blood pressure and cholesterol levels – Being overweight increases the risk of having high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which are usual complications of diabetes. Losing at least 5-10% of weight lowers the bad cholesterol in the body significantly, thereby, decreasing blood pressure and cholesterol level as well as reduces the chances of having other diabetes complications, such as coronary heart disease.
4. Reduced risk of vascular diseases – Insulin resistance and obesity are risk factors for vascular inflammation. When not treated immediately, vascular inflammation usually leads to atherosclerosis or plaque build-up in the heart arteries. Weight loss through exercise can considerably decrease insulin resistance and overall reduce the causative agent of inflammation in the blood, effectively lowering the risk for vascular inflammation or even prevent vascular inflammation.
5. Lower risk for Sleep Apnea – Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder that occurs when the upper airway is blocked, limiting or completely stopping breathing during sleep. Obesity, like with diabetes, is one risk factor for sleep apnea. Thus, shedding the extra pounds will not only effectively manage diabetes, but also improve the symptoms and even lower the overall risk for the breathing disorder.

While weight loss does provide these advantages to diabetic patients, they are not exempted from its most noticeable side effects: excess, sagging skin and loose abdominal muscles. This is where tummy tuck can become an option as a body contouring procedure; it removes excess skin and tightens loose muscles. The outcome of the surgery can serve as the best motivation for diabetic patients to maintain at a stable and healthy weight. It enables them to control the disease without compromising the results from surgery.

Take Control of Your Diabetes

Generally, there is no strict contraindication for diabetic patients should they decide to undergo a tummy tuck. However, diabetes should first be well-controlled before surgery as it can affect the wound healing ability of the patient, increasing the possibility of infection and other complications. Thus, plastic surgeons always advise and recommend patients who are diabetic to check with their primary care physicians and endocrinologists to acquire a medical clearance before any surgery.

It is not unusual for patients who have severe health conditions like diabetes to consider plastic surgery. The important thing is that there is open communication between the plastic surgeon and the patient to discuss all possible treatment plans that are best for their condition. This ensures that despite having a serious and possibly life-threatening illness, the goals and the desires of the patient are met with the highest standard of care and a satisfying outcome.