Cosmetic surgery after weight loss
What is weight loss surgery?
Weight loss surgery, also called bariatric is sometimes used as a treatment for people who are very obese. It can lead to significant weight loss and help improve many obesity-related conditions, such as diabetes, sleep apnoea or high blood pressure.
It is important to understand, it’s a major operation and in most cases should only be considered after trying to lose weight thorough diet and exercise.
What are the types of weight loss surgery?
The most common surgical procedures are:
- Gastric sleeve
- Gastric bypass
- Sleeve gastrectomy
Why might you need cosmetic surgery after weight loss?
Dramatic weight loss is a major accomplishment and has many benefits especially that of enhancing your health and self-esteem. However, while it has a lot of advantages, there is also one significant drawback – loose skin around the abdomen, thighs, buttocks, breasts, arms, face and neck. Thus, skin removal surgery is a common procedure for bariatric surgery patients.
Who is a good candidate for such a plastic surgery?
Cosmetic surgery after weight loss is a very personal choice and you should be mindful of the fact that most cosmetic procedures are major surgeries and as such will carry risks and will result in a scar.
Who is a good candidate:
- people whose weight is stabilized (at least 18 months) and body mass index (BMI) remains stable.
- people who are in good health and do not suffer from serious chronic conditions, e.g. heart disease or diabetes
- people who follow a healthy lifestyle and healthy diet
- non-smokers
- people with realistic expectations (the skin will continue to age)
Patients who undergo body contouring plastic surgery following massive weight loss, experience significant improvements in their physical function, emotional wellbeing, body image satisfaction, physical wellbeing, and quality of life.
What is body contouring after massive weight loss?
Body contouring surgery following major weight loss is the collective name given to the range of cosmetic procedures designed to remove excess sagging skin. The result of body contouring is slimmer appearance with smoother contours.
The most frequent plastic surgeries for bariatric patients include the following:
1. Tummy tuck or apronectomy
Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) is performed to remove excess fat and skin from the abdomen and to tighten the underlying abdominal muscles
Apronectomy (panniculectomy), is a modification of the tummy tuck for patients who have an overhanging ‘apron’ of skin and fat over the pubic area.
- Thigh lift
It corrects sagging skin on the thighs which has been overstretched due to weight gain.
- Lower body lift
Many patients find that the majority of weight loss occurs in areas such as the buttocks, hips, and thighs. Body lift (belt lipectomy) removes excess skin from the abdomen, hips, outer thighs, and buttocks.
4. Breast surgery
Women who have lost substantial weight are often faced with sagging and flattened breasts. Cosmetic breast surgery including mastopexy (breast lift), breast augmentation, combination of both or breast reduction.
For men large sagging breasts can result following weight loss. This is normally treated with a combination of liposuction and skin removal around the breast area called gynecomastia surgery.
5. Arm lift
Brachioplasty (arm lift) will reduce the fat and excess sagging skin in your upper arm.
Multiple surgeries at once
Combining a few different procedures at the same time limits the total number of operations and recoveries you will need to have. Most cosmetic surgeries can be combined aas long as it is considered safe by plastic surgeon. For example, breast reshaping and tummy tuck is a common procedure offered to many patients.
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