Plastic Surgery After Obesity Surgery

With the growing popularity of bariatric surgery as treatment for obesity, plastic surgery after significant weight loss has become more popular. By applying the latest techniques in “body sculpting”, individualized to each patient’s specific needs and priorities, your surgeon can help you realize the new shape that is hidden beneath the excess skin that remains after your goal weight has been achieved.

With significant weight loss over a relatively short period of time (usually 12 to 15 months), the remaining skin often does not retain the elastic qualities necessary to “shrink back down” to your new underlying shape. This often leaves patients with an excessive amount of hanging skin. This can create problems with daily hygiene and finding clothes that fit properly.

A comprehensive approach to the bariatric patient is necessary to achieve the optimal figure following weight loss. One of the most important considerations for surgeons to realize is that the bariatric patient must be treated differently from the non-bariatric body contouring patient. What has worked well for many years on other patients simply does not provide adequate shaping and contouring for the bariatric patient.

Patients who have undergone weight loss surgery and subsequent significant weight loss may have numerous but similar areas of concern. These areas include:

1. Excess abdominal skin and laxity of the abdominal wall. This sometimes is accompanied with an underlying hernia. Abdominoplasty can contour the abdomen, hips and buttocks.
2. Breast ptosis or droopiness, as well as, loss of breast volume. Mastopexy is a procedure to lift the breasts and this may be performed with or without the addition of breast implants. This will improve the shape, fullness and cleavage.
3. Hanging skin under the arms, brachioplasty is a technique to lift the arms.
4. Wrinkling and excessive bagginess of the thighs. A medial thigh lift can help the inner thighs.
5. Sagging of the facial skin. Face lifting, forehead lifting and eyelid surgery maybe necessary to achieve complete facial rejuvenation.

During your consultation, your plastic surgeon will assess your anatomy, as well as, your own priorities to help you develop a comprehensive plan or blueprint for your body contouring.

The cornerstone of a successful approach to body contouring is to individualize treatment to your specific circumstances and goals and to ensure that you have an adequate understanding of the issues involved, so that you are able to make a fully informed decision. This will help you achieve the appearance that you desire with the least invasive procedure available, thus creating a mutually rewarding experience.