Life After Weight Loss: What Are Your Surgical Options?

Rockmore Plastic Surgery

However you get there—bariatric surgery, diet and exercise, or both—a significant weight loss is an accomplishment worth celebrating. But for some, lingering loose skin can mar their results and conceal the new bodies they’ve worked hard to get. This lax skin doesn’t respond to topical products or extra workouts. Instead, the best option is surgical removal, usually through surgical body contouring, such as a tummy tuck procedure.

At my Albany plastic surgery practice, I find post weight-loss surgery cases to be among the most satisfying for me professionally. Seeing my patients get the bodies they’ve spent years working toward reminds me just how life-changing plastic surgery can be.

But what can post weight-loss surgery really do? Let’s take a look at some of the most common treatment areas.

Breasts

Women who have had children and breastfed know that the breasts often have a tough time “bouncing back” after a change in volume. Weight loss has a similar effect. Because the breasts are made from mostly fat, significant weight loss—especially if it’s rapid—can leave them looking “deflated.”

As you can see in the before and after pictures above, a breast lift is a great way to correct for volume loss and gravity, whether you’ve lost weight or not. That’s especially true if the patient is generally happy with the size of her breasts.

Many women have excess skin on their breasts after weight loss. A breast lift after extreme weight loss repositions the breasts to sit higher on the body. The nipples are also repositioned to point forward, if they’ve begun to point down. If decreased breast size is a concern, breast augmentation can combine with a lift to create a full, voluptuous appearance.

Abdomen

A popular post-weight loss surgery, a tummy tuck is often chosen because the abdomen is universally a target area for improvement. Excess skin removal is one of the hallmarks of a tummy tuck, but there’s more to it. During the procedure, I also tighten the abdominal muscles and improve the look of the navel.

Arms & Legs

After a major weight loss, the limbs may need help, too. Extra skin on the upper arms can create a “waddle.” Excess skin on the thighs can cause physical discomfort—and, in severe cases, it can even inhibit mobility. An arm lift and thigh lift, respectively, are the best approaches for these conditions. Both procedures remove excess skin while lifting and tightening the remaining tissue. They create a taut, smooth profile that looks well proportioned and feels amazing.

In order to reap the benefits of any post weight-loss procedure, stability is key. If you’ve undergone bariatric surgery, follow your doctor’s guidelines to stay healthy and maintain your weight. If you lost weight the “old fashioned” way, then keeping up with your diet and exercise routine is paramount. This previous blog post might help you think about timing, if you’re considering putting the finishing touch on your weight loss with body contouring surgery. You can also take a look at before-and-after photos of some of my past patients to get a true sense of your potential results.

You can learn more about your body contouring options by contacting us online or calling (518) 328-3330 to schedule a consultation at my Latham, NY, practice.

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