After Weight Loss
Patients who have lost a substantial amount of weight often have resultant areas of excess hanging skin on different areas of their body. This saggy skin is unsightly and can cause possible functional problems with hygiene and ambulation.
From his Manhattan and Long Island centers, Dr. Arnold Breitbart offers body contouring surgery to patients who have lost substantial weight after bariatric surgery or weight reduction programs. These patients typically have loose, excess skin involving the abdomen, breasts, thighs, arms, hips, back, and face.
Before
After
A Variety of Treatments
Dr. Breitbart performs many different operations to treat these problems, including abdominoplasty, thigh lift, arm lift, body lift, breast lift, breast augmentation, face lift, and a combination of different body contouring surgeries. The best candidates for body contouring procedures are individuals who have lost a substantial amount of weight and have reached a stable weight through dieting or as a result of bariatric surgery.
Reasons for Surgery
Following substantial weight loss, patients often have large amounts of excess, hanging skin affecting different parts of the body. For the abdomen, there may be an overhanging apron of skin of the lower abdomen, causing difficulty with ambulation and the fitting of clothes. There may also be rashes within the skin fold with resultant hygiene problems. An abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, can correct this problem by removing the loose hanging skin and tightening the tummy. In addition, loose, sagging skin in the pubic area can also be corrected during the tummy tuck procedure. Some patients are candidates for a lower body lift at the time of the abdominoplasty. A lower body lift treats the sagging skin of the flanks, lateral thighs, and buttocks area, by extending the abdominoplasty incision circumferentially around the lower back, in order to remove the loose skin and tighten the lateral thighs and buttocks.
Other Areas Affected
Breast appearance can also be affected after weight loss. Substantial weight loss can result in sagginess of the breasts and decreased breast volume. A breast lift, or mastopexy, can correct this saggy appearance of the breasts. Breast augmentation may also be indicated to increase breast fullness at the time of the breast lift.
The upper arms and inner thighs are also commonly affected after weight loss. Arm lifts and thigh lifts are designed to treat the loose hanging skin of the upper arms and medial thighs. These procedures are designed to optimize contour with the least amount of scar when possible.
Surgery Options
Body contouring procedures after weight loss can be performed simultaneously during a single operation, or as staged procedures performed at different times. Dr. Breitbart will help you determine which procedures could be performed safely during a single operation, and which should be performed as separate operations.