| Body Contouring After Major Weight Loss |
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After achieving major weight loss, you may be left with loose, excess skin that embarrasses you and makes your weight loss achievement less obvious. Depending on your problem areas, there are a variety of body contouring procedures that may be recommended to help further improve your shape after losing a significant amount of weight. About Body Contouring After Major Weight Loss
The Best Candidates For Body ContouringConsidering plastic surgery after major weight loss For most people, losing 5-10 lbs. produces a subtle slimming effect, and the skin naturally shrinks an insubstantial amount along with the rest of the body. However, for those who lose more than 50 lbs., your skin may not be able to keep up with the drastic reduction of your body size. Losing a lot of weight, particularly in a short period of time, may leave skin looking baggy. Patients who have undergone bariatric surgery, such as gastric bypass surgery or lap band surgery, tend to lose a significant amount of weight quickly, and thus are likely to be good candidates for body contouring after major weight loss. Also, mature patients and others with poor skin elasticity are more likely to have loose, excess skin after major weight loss, although patients of any age who lose a significant amount of weight may experience this problem. For best results, patients who seek body contouring after weight loss should be non-smokers in good physical and mental health who are committed to maintaining a healthy lifestyle that involves regular exercise and a nutritious diet. Body Contouring SurgerySkin tightening after major weight loss Most people who choose to have body contouring surgery do so because having loose skin is uncomfortable, embarrassing and unsanitary if macerated skin is present. The surgery involves more than one procedure designed to remove saggy, extra skin from areas that have experienced circumferential reduction due to decreases in body fat that occur during major weight loss. The surgical procedures most commonly performed on patients who choose to pursue body contouring after major weight loss include:
An arm lift addresses sagging skin in the upper arm area and gets rid of "bat wings" or underarm flaps. Before and After Arm Lift
Thigh lift and butt lift surgeries address loose skin in the lower body, including the buttocks and the inner thighs (medial thigh lift), outer thighs (outer thigh lift) or both. Before and After Thigh Lift
A tummy tuck addresses excess skin in the mid-section, as does a panniculectomy. The primary difference between a tummy tuck and a panniculectomy is that a tummy tuck involves muscle tightening and removal of excess skin, whereas a panniculectomy simply involves removing the loose, often over-hanging abdominal skin flap called a pannus. Thigh lift, butt lift and abdominal body contouring surgery are often combined in a procedure referred to as a lower body lift. Before and After Lower Body Lift
For some patients, a breast lift may also be recommended to lift sagging breasts if they have deflated significantly as a result of weight loss. Some liposuction may also be performed in conjunction with other body contouring procedures in order to further improve body contours. Before and After Breast Lift
Body contouring after major weight loss will inevitably result in some scarring, however most patients who undergo different combinations of body contouring procedures agree that a few scars is a small price to pay to have a nicely sculpted body that matches the rest of their new, slimmer shape. Body Contouring Surgery RisksComplications after body contouring After any surgical procedure, complications are possible. Patients should be well informed of any and all risks that may occur before undergoing any surgical procedure, particularly those such as body contouring that can involve multiple, extensive procedures. In addition to temporary discomfort, swelling, bruising and numbness that are part of the normal healing process, possible risks of body contouring after major weight loss include:
More potentially serious complications are rare and include deep vein thrombosis, blood clots, heart and lung trouble and death, so be sure to notify Dr. Motlagh immediately if you have trouble breathing, chest pain or other abnormal side effects. Body Contouring RecoveryHealing after your body contouring surgery Depending on how extensive your body contouring procedures are, you may need to have them performed in stages. This will result in a longer overall recovery time, but it is ultimately safer and will make it easier for your body to heal without experiencing adverse side effects. General anesthesia is typically used for body contouring surgery, although local anesthesia with IV sedation may be appropriate for some procedures. Most patients are restricted to bed for the first 24 hours after body contouring surgery and are encouraged to start moving around on the second day. Drains will be used to help your body dispel fluids. These should be removed within five days to two weeks after surgery. Compression garments will need to be worn for several weeks (6-8 weeks) following body contouring procedures. It will take several months to a year to see the full results of the surgery, but the initial recovery period for each procedure, wherein patients experience the greatest degree of normal surgical side effects such as discomfort, swelling, bruising and numbness, is typically only 1-2 weeks. Dr. Motlagh will give you specific pre- and post-operative care instructions for each body contouring surgery he performs and will advise you when to return to Tyler Plastic Surgery for follow-up examinations. Tyler Plastic Surgery serves patients in northeastern Texas, including Tyler, Dallas, Plano and Fort Worth, as well as patients from Shreveport, Louisiana who seek body contouring after major weight loss. Body Contouring Terms
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