Plastic Surgery after Significant Weight Loss

Losing a lot of weight is a great achievement as it requires will power and determination. People can either lose massive weight by dieting and exercising or via bariatric surgery such as lap banding or gastric bypass in one form or another. The disappointment happens after the massive weight loss because instead of having a fabulous sexy body, usually there is a lot of excess unwanted skin. What is the solution? When someone has excess fat, it can be lost via diet and exercise, but when the muscles are very loose, as in abdominal muscles after child birth, or when the skin is loose, such as the state after losing massive weight, then exercise, unfortunately, offers little help. The most effective answer to remove the loose skin and tighten the muscles is plastic surgery.

Changes occur in the process of weight loss with respect to family dynamics, romantic relationships, social interactions, work habits, self-esteem, and other life issues that may be unique to each individual patient. Ideally, plastic surgery on MWL patients provides enormously positive results for their self-image, self-esteem, attitude, and—ultimately—their health.

The most common plastic surgical operations requested by weight loss patients are tummy tucks, neck lifts (for people who are too young to have a full face lift), arm lifts, thigh lifts, breast lifts (with or without implants), and lower body lifts. Each individual patient usually determines what they are bothered about and then seeks the help of a plastic surgeon to correct the problem. A detailed consultation is very important to lay a good foundation for the expectations and the desired objectives on the patient’s behalf. Also, a plastic surgeon has to be clear about what can be realistically and safely achieved via plastic surgery and in what time frame. Sometimes a long term plan is discussed to address multiple areas with which a patient is not happy. For example the decision can be made to proceed with performing a tummy tuck and arm lifts in an initial operation, wait a year, and then perform the thigh lifts and breast lifts. This is a common and realistic scenario because it addresses multiple areas to be improved in a safe approach.

The most frequent request by a MWL patient is for a tummy tuck. When someone has had a gastric bypass surgery with an upper midline scar, they can develop a hernia. The good news is that the hernia can be fixed at the same time as a tummy tuck. The other good news is that the hernia does not require additional time and does not require mesh to fix in the vast majority of cases. The abdominal muscles themselves are sutured over the hernia defect to close it and create a strong supportive layer. The rest of the abdominal muscles are tightened and the excess skin is removed, giving a very nice abdominal contour and a significantly improved waistline. For more information, check out our website with a special section on plastic surgery after massive weight loss at www.DrBitar.com. Dr. Bitar is a member of the American Society of Bariatric Plastic Surgeons (www.ASBPS.org)