Is Body Contouring Surgery Right for You?

With the increasing popularity of gastro-intestinal bypass, and other types of ‘weight loss’ surgeries, weight losses of over 100 pounds have become a reality for thousands upon thousands of people world-wide.

As gratifying as the accomplishment of losing all that weight is, often following these types of surgery (and the resulting weight loss), the skin does not shrink to firmly fit the new, smaller frame. The result is something similar to having a size 8 body in size 24 skin.

This loose, sagging skin can create hygiene problems and is prone to chafing, rashes and infection. Surgical procedures to cut away and tighten the excess skin have become some of the fastest growing invasive cosmetic surgeries in the United States.

The surgical technique is called body-contouring. It has proven to be fertile ground for plastic surgeons. Increasing numbers of plastic surgeons are devoting at least part, if not all, of their practices to alleviating the loose skin problem. Nonetheless, surgeons soon may be unable to keep up with demand from weight-loss surgery patients. In the United States alone 52,000 body-contouring surgeries were performed last year. This number reflects a 36% increase from the previous year, and is indicative of a growing awareness of the positive changes to appearance and self-esteem that plastic surgery can accomplish after these types of surgery.

Body-contouring surgeries include the popular tummy tuck, and the lifting and tightening of skin practically anywhere that it’s loose and sagging. Standard areas for body-contouring include breasts, arms, thighs and the lower body. The best candidates have not been obese for too many years, are 30 or younger, don’t smoke, are darker complexioned, have skin that hasn’t been overly sun damaged, and have been at a stabilized weight for 12 to 18 months.

As with everything, these skin surgeries have their downside. The ‘trade off’ to losing the excess skin is often is permanent scarring that can run around the back and abdomen or down the inside of limbs. Patients who have undergone gastric bypass benefit from Vitamin K to improve clotting preoperatively, as well as other nutritional supplements to speed up healing. Recovery can involve several nights in a hospital, pain, drainage tubes, weeks of lost time at work, swelling, fluid buildup under the skin, infections, open wounds and dead skin.

It is important to have realistic expectations. Some patients end up with better results than others for a variety of reasons. Some patients have better muscle tone and better shape naturally. Each patient’s results are unique to their own situation, healing rate, and anatomy.

Often more than one area of the body is plagued with excess skin and because many surgeries at once create more risk, doctors often stage procedures over several years. These surgeries are considered cosmetic and therefore elective. They are expensive, and often are not covered by insurance. A series of procedures, over a period of years, can run as high as $100,000.

Any surgery involves risk. Body-contouring is best performed by a very experienced Board Certified Plastic Surgeon who specializes in body-contouring, and has privileges at an accredited full service hospital. This is not a surgery where you will want to choose your physician from a health club or spa. A Board Certified Plastic Surgeon will be trained to place scars in the least unobtrusive areas, and to ensure a safe surgery enabling you to fully enjoy your new trim figure and to look as good as you feel following your extreme weight loss.