Losing a significant amount of weight is an accomplishment to be proud of and can be life-changing, not only in how a person physically appears but also in how they feel and interact with the world around them. Frustratingly, losing 50+ pounds may not be the last step in people’s journey towards looking and feeling like the best version of themselves. Many people who have experienced major weight loss cannot fully enjoy their success due to the appearance of loose, excess skin on their arms, midsection, and lower body. However, plastic surgery can help complete a patient’s weight loss transformation by removing excess skin and revealing the slimmer body shape beneath!
“I always remind the patients I work with who have lost a massive amount of weight to first and foremost acknowledge their amazing accomplishment,” stresses Dr. Christine Stewart, a board-certified plastic surgeon and partner and Edina Plastic Surgery. “Too often in life, we don’t take time to pat ourselves on the back and feel pride in the obstacles we have overcome. Losing a lot of weight is a big deal, and I feel honored to work with patients who have reached this milestone in their lives and want to complete their transformation with plastic surgery to elevate their self-confidence.”
Timing Plastic Surgery After Major Weight Loss
Many patients wonder how long they should wait to have surgery after losing a large amount of weight. Ideally, a patient will have lost most, if not all, of the weight they have planned on losing and have maintained their current weight for several months.
“When assessing patients for procedures like body lift, your plastic surgeon will want to see that you have maintained a stable weight for several months,” explains Dr. Stewart. “This ensures that a patient has truly changed their overall lifestyle to maintain their weight and that their surgical results will last as long as possible. Patients should also be in good overall health and have resolved any health issues from when they were overweight or obese that may put them at risk for surgery. From there, we can design a customized plan to improve areas of the body that they are dissatisfied with after their weight loss.”
5 Common Procedures Patients Undergo After Major Weight Loss
Tummy Tuck
A tummy tuck is frequently the first surgery people pursue after major weight loss from diet and exercise or gastric bypass surgery. Once a significant amount of fat in the abdomen is reduced, people may struggle with excess, overhanging skin. This skin can affect how clothes fit and even impede a person’s ability to move in certain ways.
“A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is a surgery designed to tighten the abdominal muscles and remove excess skin and fat from the abdomen,” explains Dr. Stewart. “During surgery, excess skin is removed, and the remaining skin is redraped to restore a taut, youthful appearance to your stomach. I often combine my tummy tuck procedures with liposuction to remove additional pockets of fat and further shape and contour a patient’s midsection.”
Body Lift
A body lift can dramatically reshape your body’s contours by removing sagging skin and stubborn pockets of fat that often result from extreme weight loss. The procedure typically includes the abdomen, hips, buttocks, and upper thighs. In some cases, a body lift addresses the entire midsection with incisions that extend entirely around the lower abdomen and lower back.
“Like a mommy makeover, a body lift improves multiple areas of concern simultaneously and is extensively customized for the patient’s own shape and needs,” says Dr. Stewart. “The goals of a body lift are to tighten the abdominal skin and muscle through an extension of the classic abdominoplasty and to incorporate a lateral thigh lift and buttock lift to rejuvenate the lower body completely. Liposuction may also be used for improved contouring with any body lift technique.”
Arm Lift
Many people complain of loose skin on the back of their upper arms after massive weight loss, commonly called “batwings.” An arm lift, also known as brachioplasty, reduces excess skin and fat between the underarm and the elbow, reshaping the arm for smoother skin and contours. Arm lift surgery provides a more toned and proportionate appearance for the arms.
Thigh Lift
“Following major weight loss, many people experience poor skin quality on their inner and outer thighs that may result in hanging skin, saddle bags, cellulite, and poorly proportioned contours in the lower body,” says Dr. Stewart. “Although some patients may be able to tone their thigh muscles with exercise, excess skin is often resistant to such activities and must be corrected with a surgical approach. A thigh lift focuses on removing loose skin and unwanted fat from the inner and/or outer thigh region to create a slimmer, smoother, and more toned-looking upper thigh.”
Breast Lift & Breast Augmentation
Many people, including men, may notice that their breast tissue appears deflated and sags much lower on their chest wall after significant weight loss. Breast lift, or mastopexy, can rejuvenate the breast tissue and restore a perkier bust (or flatter bust in men) by removing excess skin. During surgery, a plastic surgeon can raise and reshape sagging breasts and even reduce the size of the areolas. A successful breast lift gives a patient improved proportions, a more youthful profile, and the confidence to match!
“Unfortunately, when we lose weight, we can’t dictate where on the body we lose it,” laughs Dr. Stewart. “So, although many women would like to preserve the fat in their breasts, these too will usually lose volume with dramatic weight loss and appear somewhat deflated. Many female patients I work with opt not only for a breast lift to remove excess tissue after major weight loss but also include breast implants to restore fullness and volume to their breasts. This combination surgery results in better balance to the proportions of a woman’s body and can give a serious confidence boost!”
Have you lost a significant amount of weight and are now bothered by loose, excess skin on your body? Schedule a complimentary consultation to discuss any of the abovementioned procedures with Dr. Stewart or another board-certified plastic surgeon at Edina Plastic Surgery by calling (612) 688-3177, texting (952) 925-1765, or CLICKING HERE.
