If You're Considering Surgery After Weight Loss...
Dramatic weight loss, whether achieved by proper nutrition and exercise, as the result of bariatric surgery, or from other forms of medical treatment, has many benefits. However, once you reach your weight loss goals, you may find that you still don’t have the fit and healthy body image you desire. Skin may be loose, sagging and in many cases, your body contours may appear irregular and disharmonious.
If you have undergone dramatic weight loss that has resulted in excess sagging skin, surgical body contouring may be right for you. In general, body contouring following major weight loss reduces excess fat and skin that has developed in multiple body areas. The result of surgery is a smoother, more attractive body contour. Body contouring surgery after major weight loss is an important and rewarding phase of your challenge to have a healthier, more proportionate body, and can help you further enhance your body image and self-confidence.
What is Body Contouring Surgery?
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 poor skin tone, and your skin may be severely stretched.
Bariatric surgery, in its various forms, is one method of major weight loss for individuals clinically defined as obese. Following weight reduction surgery, or any substantial 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 these areas:
- Face, neck and jowls, resulting in a droopy, sad appearance
- Upper arms, resulting in a “bat-wing” appearance
- Breasts, causing them to flatten and hang with nipples pointing down
- Abdominal area, extending around the sides and into the lower back, 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 should be treated.
Surgical body contouring after 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 body appearance with smoother contours. This is, in essence, the final phase of your total weight loss experience.
However, before you decide to undergo body-contouring surgery, it is important to understand that your weight loss must have 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 thin skin, causing further stress to the skin, visible stretch marks and wide scars.
If you have weight reduction surgery, your female plastic surgeon, Dr. Kiran Polavarapu, will work closely with your physician to determine when it is appropriate for you to begin 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 surgery risks
- Non-smokers
- Individuals with positive outlook and realistic goals
- Individuals committed to leading a healthy lifestyle
Where do I begin?
A consultation with your plastic surgeon is the first step to learn how body contouring can help you achieve better health and an improved appearance. A consultation is designed to fully educate you about surgery 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
- The likely outcomes of body contouring and any associated risks
- The course of treatment recommended by your plastic surgeon
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 your medical history and commit to following your surgeons instructions.
THE PROCESS
What to Expect With Surgery After Weight Loss
Progress and Healing
Initial healing will include swelling at the incision sites. Discomfort is common and can be controlled with medication. You will be instructed to return to light walking as soon as possible to minimize the potential for blood clots and other complications.
You may be instructed to avoid bending, straining or lifting for several days to weeks. Where tightening of the abdomen or thighs is involved, your plastic surgeon may also instruct you to avoid standing fully upright and stressing any internal sutures as they heal, and to sleep with pillows elevating your knees. Follow all instructions carefully – this is essential to the success of your outcome.
Initial wound healing may take 7 to 14 days, after which time sutures will be removed if necessary. You will be ready to return to work and normal activity in a few weeks, so long as you do not engage in any heavy lifting or vigorous exercise.
Healing will continue for many weeks as swelling resolves and incision lines continue to improve. Numbness and a firm feeling over the skin’s surface will improve over time. Once you have completely recovered from one series of procedures, it may be time to begin preparation for additional procedures in other body areas.
