For a person who suffered from being overweight or obese, massive weight loss is an important achievement. The individual notices how the general health and emotional condition improves. New opportunities may also present themselves on a personal, professional, and social level. While the quality of life certainly improves after massive weight loss, there are also negative side effects. These include sagging skin on the stomach and upper arms, as well as sagging buttocks and breasts.
When a person puts on weight, the skin stretches to accommodate the added fat. When weight loss occurs after a long time of being overweight, the skin is unable to retract properly to the new contours of the body. This is why plastic surgery is an important step in perfecting the results after major weight loss.
Body contouring procedures after weight loss
The best results from body contouring procedures after weight loss can be achieved only when multiple factors have been considered.
1. Before considering body contouring procedure, you need to have had a stable weight for at least a year, preferably a year and a half. The patient should have no plans for future weight loss and is prepared to put in the efforts to avoid gaining weight after the procedure.
2. To be able to enjoy a quick and safe recovery, the patient should follow a balanced diet. If you lost weight due to a strict eating regimen, you should stop it before your plastic surgery procedure is scheduled. A healthy diet is essential for a quick recovery and for the wounds to heal beautifully after the surgery.
3. The patient should have a good health condition. If you are suffering from diabetes, cardiac, or lung conditions, make sure to let your surgeon know well before the surgery so he can take all the necessary precautions.
4. If you are a smoker, keep in mind that you should reduce or stop smoking at least six months prior to surgery. Smoking increases the risk of vascularization issues after the surgery, slows down the recovery process considerably, and can cause wound healing issues.
5. Realistic and reasonable expectations are a prerequisite in order to undergo a body contouring procedure. It is essential to understand that no matter how talented and experienced your plastic surgeon is, you will not be able to regain the body you had prior to weight gain.
The vast majority of body reshaping procedures requires incisions in less visible parts of the areas that are targeted with plastic surgery. In most cases, a significant amount of skin and fat tissue needs to be eliminated. This makes the body contouring procedures complex and need to be treated with care.
Potential complications related to body contouring procedures include excessive bleeding, infection, wound opening, skin and fat necrosis, and body asymmetries, among others. Most can be avoided with a proper pre-operative evaluation of each case, as well as taking all the prophylactic measures before the surgery.
Patients should be aware that in most cases, it is not possible to correct all the areas with imperfections in one sitting. The plastic surgeon will discuss the areas that require the most improvement, leaving the others for an ulterior session. In one sitting, the surgeon can combine multiple procedures. However, if more sessions will be needed to complete the contouring of the body, the patient must take them every few months in between to recover and heal properly.
What are the body contouring procedures after weight loss?
The tummy tuck is one of the procedures most commonly performed after drastic weight loss. The procedure targets both male and female patients and provides exceptional results when combined with liposuction. Abdominoplasty is a highly effective procedure that will completely change the shape of your middle area and improve it considerably.
Upper arm lift is another procedure that can be performed after weight loss. Just like the tummy tuck, it targets both men and women and the purpose of the procedure is to remove the excess fat and skin tissue on the upper arms.
Thigh lifting can also be necessary, especially in the case of women who used to be overweight or obese. The patient will be able to enjoy slimmer thighs and the ability to wear more clothes.
Breasts and buttock lift can also be performed for female patients as these two parts are affected the most by weight loss and weight gain. The procedures can be performed with or without implants, depending on the desires of the patient and the recommendation of the surgeon.
Conclusion
Body contouring procedures after weight loss are an important step in achieving the ultimate body you have worked hard for. The changes in the body will be visible immediately after plastic surgery, so the patient will be able to enjoy the benefits at once.
The recovery period after body contouring procedures can take a while, especially if multiple procedures are performed in the same sitting. While there are potential risks and complications associated with body contouring interventions, the results are well worth it. More than this, the results after the reshaping procedures are, in most of the cases, permanent.