Surgery After Weight LossSurgery After Bariatric Surgery (stomach stapling)

Those who are overweight often will try many modalities to lose weight and get back into shape. Some are able to accomplish their goals through diet and exercise, but many find that their weight prevents them from exercise and compounds the problem. In other words, they can't exercise because of their weight, and they can't lose weight because they cannot exercise. Morbid obesity can also be associated with other complications such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. Often, these people choose to have bariatric surgery to loose weight. This has proven to be very effective in producing significant weight loss.

Whether one loses weight through diet and exercise or through bariatric surgery, there are a few obstacles that arise as a result of the weight loss. The stretched skin often fails to tighten, and so it sags. In many case s, it hangs in rolls. Exercise does not tighten skin. The only way to tighten loose skin is through surgery. Excessive skin laxity can be in the stomach, arms, thighs and buttocks. The breast becomes empty and saggy.

Most people who accomplish significant (100 pounds or more) weight loss often need or want to have all of these problems corrected. They continue to feel they have not achieved the body image they want. Surgery is the only alternative to tighten loose skin ,lift and enhance the breast. A body lift, arm lift, thigh lift ,and abdominoplasty(tummy tuck) remain the only alternative.

Is Liposuction an Option?

Liposuction is not an alternative to tightening procedures. However many times there are still localized fat collections after weight loss. Liposuction is used along with the tightening procedure to achieve the desired body image

Incisions and Scars

Scars result any time skin is removed. The more skin that is removed, the more extensive are the scars. For a body lift, they will extend along the lower abdomen, around the hips, and toward the buttock crease. There is another scar in each groin crease for the inner thigh lift.

Breast scars vary depending on the amount of lift and the procedure needed. In general a breast lift will require an inverted T or anchor shaped.

Lower body lifts are extensive surgical procedures, and require long recovery time.

To minimize risks and recovery time as well as control cost, these procedures can be divided into stages or several smaller surgeries.

The surgery

During the initial consultation we will discuss your goals and priorities. A thorough examination of the areas of concern is done. All options are discussed and explored with you, and a plan is formulated.

Lower body lifts require general anesthesia. The surgery can take up to six hours.

Abdominal skin laxity can be circumferential, extending laterally to the lateral thighs and back and buttocks. Medial skin laxity can extend down to the knees.

Circumferential lower body lift involves abdominoplasty, lateral thigh lift back and buttock lift. The incision extends from the lower abdomen to the lateral thighs , then all the way to the buttocks.

Abdominal laxity can be both vertical and horizontal.

Medial thigh lift hugs the groin crease and meets the abdominoplasty anteriorly and to the buttock crease posteriorly.

Upper back laxity follows the lower breast crease to the back, with varying amountsof skin folds.

Timing the Cosmetic Post bariatric surgery

Ideal timing for cosmetic post bariatric surgery is after all weight loss has been complete, and the weight has stabilized for few monthe.

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is as close to normal as possible.

Blood pressure, diabetes and any associated conditions must be controlled.This ensures minimal surgical risks.

What Is the Cost of Surgery?

Post bariatric cosmetic surgery is not covered by insurance. The surgical cost must take in consideration the facility fees, the anesthesia and the surgeon's fees. The cost can vary depending on the surgical procedure done. The surgical cost can range from $10,000 to 25,000.

To achieve your goal in body image may require multiple surgical procedures, and accept the presence of long scars on the body, and the need for revision surgeries. The laxity and loss tissue strength makes scars widen and migrate, and tissue and sutures not hold.

Extreme make-over is possible, but unlike T.V unrealistic depiction, it requires long recovery and realistic expectations.