Plastic Surgery After Weight Loss

Everyone knows how difficult it can be to lose weight.  Losing a significant amount of weight is a big accomplishment!  Whether your weight has been lost through diet, medications, meal replacement programs  or a bariatric procedure such as gastric sleeve or bypass, the impact on your life can be monumental. Significant weight loss not only affects a person’s health, mentality, and well-being, but it also leads to a number of physical changes in the body. Unfortunately, the joy of losing a significant amount of weight can often go hand in hand with the disappointment of being stuck with excess skin. Often when patients lose large amounts of weight, their skin does not retract due to the loss of elasticity and is unable to properly accommodate a smaller figure. This excess skin can be more than just an aesthetic concern. Excess skin can harbour both bacteria and moisture, causing fungal infections and embarrassing odours. This loose, sagging skin is common around the face, neck, upper arms, breasts, abdomen, buttocks and thighs. For patients looking to make the most of their new bodies, surgical skin removal after weight loss may be the solution. Having a customized body plastic surgery plan established with Dr. Barr can help you reach your aesthetic goals and achieve the contoured physique you`ve worked so hard to achieve.

What is Plastic Surgery After Weight Loss?

Body contouring surgery after weight loss is commonly sought by individuals looking to address multiple areas of excess skin and target areas of stubborn fat that haven`t been able to be addressed with diet and exercise. Body lift surgery after weight loss can create a slimmer, firmer appearance, enabling these patients to regain self-confidence and celebrate their weight loss achievements.

Common Procedures After Weight Loss

Dr. Barr will create a custom surgery plan for you during your consultation. Following massive weight loss, there are many different plastic surgery procedures that can be done in isolation or combined with other plastic surgery procedures to address the extra skin removal needed as well as to correct the contour and shape of your silhouette.

Arm Lift

Saggy arms after weight loss is a common complaint of individuals looking to pursue plastic surgery to address excess skin. An Arm Lift (AKA a brachioplasty) removes loose skin and smooth arm contours to create a tighter, more toned appearance.

Breast Lift

Breasts often experience many physical changes following weight loss. A breast lift after weight loss removes excess skin and tightens the surrounding tissue to raise and reshape the breasts.

Face and Neck Lift

A Face and Neck lift can eliminate excess facial skin, tighten underlying facial muscles, as well as remove extra skin on neck in order to address extra skin following weight loss as well as restore a youthful , rejuvenated facial appearance.

Tummy Tuck

While liposuction can target excess fat, it cannot correct the sagging skin that is often a complaint of with individuals who have lost a significant amount of weight. A post weight loss tummy tuck creates a firmer, smoother abdomen through excess skin removal and the tightening of spread or weakened abdominal muscles.

Thigh Lift

Significant weight loss can contribute to saggy and dimpled thighs with fat deposits that are difficult to eliminate with diet and exercise. A thigh lift can help to eliminate stubborn fat and remove loose, sagging skin to create a more streamlined appearance.

Buttock Lift

Patients who have lost a large amount of weight often notice excess skin on their waist line that affects the shape of their bottom. A buttock lift can help to lift the backside as well as improve the contours of both the waist and buttocks.

Liposuction

Man patients complain of stubborn fat on their arms, back, waist, and thighs even after significant weight loss. Liposuction can be used to permanently remove fat from targeted areas to contour and sculpt your silhouette.

Am I a candidate for “Body After Weight Loss” procedures?

The ideal candidates for surgical body contouring are healthy men and women who have realistic expectations of surgical outcomes. You may be a good candidate for Body After Weight Loss surgery if you have attained your weight loss goals, or are close to your weight-loss target and have maintained a stable weight for a significant period of time. Before deciding to pursue surgical options, it is important to determine if your weight loss has stabilized. For those patients who have undergone bariatric surgery, weight loss usually does not stabilize until after the one year mark.

Rapid weight loss or gain can dramatically affect your skin. For that reason, your weight loss should be stabilized prior to addressing sagging skin. Should you continue to lose weight following surgery, you may again develop areas of loose skin. Alternatively, should you regain weight, there is a risk of developing visible stretch marks If your weight loss is stable and you are at your optimum weight loss goal, you may be an ideal candidate for surgery.

Preparing for Your Procedures

The first step when considering Plastic Surgery After Weight Loss is to schedule your one-on-one consultation with Dr. Barr. The consultation process provides an opportunity for you to obtain important information about the procedure and to have all of your questions answered prior to proceeding with surgery. It also enables Dr. Barr to properly assess you and determine whether you are a suitable candidate for surgery.

You should be prepared to discuss your medical history, including any medical conditions, drug allergies, medical treatments you have received, previous surgeries, all current medications, as well as any significant weight gain or loss.

During your consultation Dr. Barr will carefully examine your areas of concern and assess your general health. Different surgical approaches and options will be discussed and he will explain which surgical approach would be best suited to you based on your individual characteristics and aesthetic goals.

The benefits, risks and potential complications associated with full body contouring surgery will be thoroughly explained during this consultation. The information provided at this initial consultation will be comprehensive and thorough, and should enable you to make an informed decision as to whether or not surgery is the right choice for you. A comprehensive instruction package will also be provided to you at the time of consultation, and includes instructions for before and after surgery as well.

Recovery After Procedure

Dr. Barr’s extensive experience in performing surgical procedures such as a full body lift after weight loss will help to ensure that your post-operative recovery is minimized. Recovery for each patient will vary, depending on the number and type of procedures that are included in the surgery. During your initial body cosmetic surgery consultation Dr. Barr will provide you with an idea of the type of recovery time you can expect based on the procedures that he has recommended for you.

What are the Benefits of “Body After Weight Loss” Procedures?

Body After Weight Loss patients often pursue surgery in order to correct a number of issues including:

• Removal of excess skin and fat from various areas
• Tighten underlying abdominal muscles
• Eliminate stretch marks related to pregnancy or weight gain
• Remove excess breast skin and reshape, raise and increase firmness of breasts
• Create a smoother, more streamlined body contour

Like the thousands of patients who undergo these procedures every year, you too can eliminate excess skin and reminders of your heavier frame and celebrate your new body with the confidence you deserve.