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Following a major weight loss surgery (usually gastric bypass surgery), patients often look to improve how they look and feel. There are a variety of plastic surgery after significant weight loss options that patients can take advantage of to achieve this with the help of board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Wallach.
Who is an Ideal Candidate for Plastic Surgery After Weight Loss?
Ideal candidates for post-bariatric surgery are those who have lost a significant amount of weight but have stabilized. They should also be in generally good health, have realistic expectations, have a BMI (body mass index) under 35, and stick to a healthy lifestyle with a healthy diet and exercise routine. You should also be a nonsmoker and not have any medical conditions that could negatively affect the healing process. During your consultation, Dr. Wallach will help you determine which procedures are right for you.
Body Contouring Procedures After Bariatric Surgery
Arm Lift
An arm lift is a body contouring after weight loss surgical procedure that removes sagging skin from the arm area. The location of the incision for brachioplasty (arm lift) is most commonly placed along the inner aspect of the arm, extending from the axilla (armpit) to the elbow, so that when short sleeves are worn and the arms are by your side, the incisions won’t be visible. Some surgeons place the incision along the posterior aspect of the arm; however, the incision will be noticeable from behind.
Liposuction
Liposuction is another type of body contouring surgery that is used to remove stubborn fat deposits from the upper arms, abdomen, thighs, buttocks, hips, back, and other areas. An incision is made in the treatment area, and a cannula is inserted to loosen up the fat. Suction is then used to remove the excess fat, leaving you with a leaner, slimmer physique. While major weight loss can address unwanted fat, it cannot always address targeted areas. That’s where liposuction comes in.
Breast Surgery
After you lose weight, the breasts change shape, and breast surgery requests in these patients vary. Some patients maintain very large breasts and may benefit from a breast reduction. Others may notice that their breasts sag and do not want a reduction in volume. These patients can benefit from a breast lift surgery (mastopexy). If the patient wants more volume, then they can have breast augmentation (implants) performed as well. Still, there are some patients who request breast augmentation and do not need a lift.
Tummy Tuck
Some bariatric surgery patients can achieve a good contour from an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) alone. This plastic surgery procedure and body contouring surgery removes loose skin and excess fat. It is more common in a younger patient with good skin elasticity, and also in a patient who did not have to lose a lot of weight to begin. On the other hand, most patients will have laxity of the abdominal tissues that will extend to their flanks as well as their buttocks. A circumferential abdominoplasty improves the contour of all these regions.
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Gynecomastia
Gynecomastia surgery is individualized for each patient. Some patients do very well with liposuction alone. Some patients require an additional excision of tissue underneath the nipple. The tissue may be more fibrous and, as a result, is not adequately removed by liposuction. This can be accomplished with a small incision along the border of the areola and chest skin, and usually heals very well. Still, there are other patients who have significant skin redundancy and need a reduction with some skin removal.
Thigh Lift
For massive weight loss patients, the thighs can be an area where excess skin and fat stick around. With a thigh lift, we can remove excess skin and stubborn fat deposits to provide an improved body contour. During the procedure, incisions are made along the thighs, and sagging skin is removed. The existing tissue is reshaped to provide beautiful results. Thigh lifts are often combined with other body contouring procedures for a full body rejuvenation.
Lower Body Lift
When a massive weight loss patient has excess skin and subcutaneous tissue of the thighs and buttocks, a lower body lift is a body contouring surgery performed to remove this excess tissue, tighten loose skin to address skin folds, and improve the contour of the lateral thighs and buttocks after massive weight loss. Although the patient may get some improvement of the lateral thighs as an added benefit from a circumferential abdominoplasty, the lateral thighs will be markedly improved with the lower body lift..
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Upper Body Lift
The goal of the UBL involves the excess skin removal of the upper back, including the lateral, upper, and mid back rolls. The incision pattern is often designed for women to hide the resulting scar in the bra line as best as possible. For men, it is in a similar location to that of women. The incision is often extended into the lateral chest along the lower lateral chest crease or in the previously treated incision pattern used for a breast reduction or gynecomastia surgery. The procedure takes two to three hours, and patients need one to two weeks to recuperate.