Body Contouring: Part Two of the Weight Loss Journey

An ever increasing number of patients are enjoying the benefits of weight loss surgery, also known as bariatric surgery. Examples of this type of surgery include sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass. Amazing success with weight loss has been seen in people who had not had any luck with diet and exercise, despite their best efforts. Many of these patients are able to return to their normal body weight, and in the process are cured of many obesity-associated health problems such as hypertension, diabetes, and arthritis.

However, once the weight has been lost, they are left with multiple areas of loose skin in various areas. This can be a very frustrating part of their outcome, as they feel better and are healthier, but they don't feel that they look as good as they should. Fortunately, there are several procedures that can help these patients to acheive the body that they had envisioned before starting their weight loss process.

The most common areas of loose skin that concern patients after weight loss surgery are the abdomen and lower torso, breast, arms, and thighs.

An abdominoplasty, also known as a tummy tuck, can be done to remove loose abdominal skin and stretch marks, and to restore a more flat and trim abdominal contour. This is also often combined with removal of extra skin on the flanks and hips, as well as the lower back, along with correction of drooping of the buttocks. This completely circumferential procedure is known as a belt lipectomy, or lower body lift, and can lead to a remarkable change in the appearance of the lower torso.

Another common area of concern after weight loss surgery is the breasts, which often have a sagging, deflated appearance. This can be corrected with a breast lift, also known as mastopexy. Breast implants can also be placed during a lift to give the breasts a fuller appearance, in addition to being more perky.

Patients are also left with redundant skin on the arms after weight loss. This skin can be removed with an arm lift procedure, also known as brachioplasty. This operation can restore a fit, trim appearance to the arms, with a scar that is hidden on the under or inner side of the arms.

Other areas that can be treated after weight loss include loose sagging skin of the face and neck, which is corrected with a facelift and neck lift. Redundant skin on the thighs can also be removed with a thighlift.

Most patients will need correction of loose, redundant skin in more than one of these areas, or possibly all of them. Some of these procedures can be combined and done at the same time during a single surgery to reduce the total number of surgeries needed to correct all of the problem areas for any particular patient, and many patients will need to have more than one surgery done in order to achieve all of their body contouring goals. Patients that have these procedures done are routinely very pleased, and they have the restored confidence in their bodies that they deserve.