The condition of being significantly overweight can cause stress on your health in many ways. If your physical activity has been limited due to your overweight condition, you may have weak muscle and skin tone, and your skin may be severely stretched.
Bariatric surgery, sometimes called gastric bypass surgery, is one method of major weight loss for individuals clinically defined as obese. Following weight reduction surgery, or any substantial amount of weight loss, the skin and tissues often lack elasticity and cannot conform to the reduced body size. As a result, skin that has been severely stretched now is unsupported, and begins to sag in pockets that most commonly develop around the:
- Face, neck and jowls, resulting in a droopy, sad appearance
- Upper arms, resulting in a bat-wing like appearance
- Breasts, causing them to flatten and hang with nipples pointed downward
- Abdominal area, extending around the sides and into the lower back area, resulting in an apron-like overhang
- Buttocks, groin and thighs, causing hanging pockets of skin
Weak and sagging skin that becomes macerated (wet or infected) is not only unattractive, it is also a serious threat to your health that must be treated.
Surgical body contouring following major weight loss improves the shape and tone of the underlying tissue that supports fat and skin, and removes excess sagging fat and skin. The result is a more normal appearance to the body, with smoother contours. This is, in essence, the final phase of your total weight loss experience.
However, before you decide to undergo body contouring following major weight loss, it is important to understand that your weight loss must be stabilized. If you continue to lose weight, sagging pockets will redevelop. If you rapidly regain the weight you have lost, you will traumatically stress your already weakened and thinned skin, causing further stress to the skin, visible stretch marks and wide scars.
If you have had weight reduction surgery, your plastic surgeon will work closely with your physician to determine when it is appropriate for you to being body contouring.
In general, good candidates for body contouring are:
- Adults of any age whose weight loss has stabilized
- Healthy individuals who do not have medical conditions that can impair healing or increase risk of surgery
- Non-smokers
- Individuals with a positive outlook and realistic goals for what body contouring can accomplish
- Individuals committed to leading a healthy lifestyle including proper nutrition and fitness
Where do I begin?
A consultation with your board-certified plastic surgeon is the first step to learn how body contouring following major weight loss can help you achieve better health and an improved appearance. A consultation is designed to fully educate you about body contouring in a non-pressured environment, and will include:
- A discussion of your goals and an evaluation of your individual case
- The options available in body contouring surgery
- The likely outcomes of body contouring procedures and any associated risks or potential complications
- The course of treatment recommended by your plastic surgeon
Your plastic surgeon will also answer your questions.
Evaluation
Overall health and personal outlook can greatly impact the outcome of your surgery. These will be carefully evaluated in your consultation with your plastic surgeon. The success of your procedure, safety and overall satisfaction require that you:
- Honestly share your expectations
- Fully disclose health history, current medications, and the use of vitamins, herbal supplements, alcohol, tobacco and drugs
- Commit to precisely following all of your plastic surgeon's instructions
Safety
By making the decision to consult with your plastic surgeon and following all the instructions given, you are taking an important step in helping assure your safety.
Your plastic surgeon is certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery®. This certification designates surgeons who are specifically trained in plastic surgery of the face and entire body.
For your comfort and protection you may elect to stay overnight with a Piedmont Plastic Surgery nurse at Comfort Cottage.
Specific plastic surgery procedures that may be recommended for your body contouring include:
- Facelift: to reduce sagging of the mid-face, jowls and neck
- Breast lift: to correct sagging, flattened breasts
- Tummy Tuck: to correct the apron of excess skin hanging over your abdomen
- Lower body lifts: to correct sagging of the abdomen, buttocks, groin and outer thighs
- Medial thigh lift: to correct sagging of the inner, outer and mid thigh
- Brachioplasty: to correct sagging of the upper arms
Insurance
Insurance generally does not cover these procedures.
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