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Procedures - Body Contouring after Massive Weight Loss
Losing a large amount of weight, whether by willpower, diet and exercise, or by surgical intervention, is a life-changing event. Patients feel better, their attitude about life is better, and their health is better. However, in many cases, patients may be left with a significant amount of skin which remains after the fat is gone.
Several procedures have been recommended for various body areas in order to remove the excess and "lift" the remainder. These procedures can be very gratifying, and can complete the sense of "wellness" accomplished with weight loss. The procedures include breast lifts, arm lifts, abdominoplasty, facelifts, and thigh lifts. Liposuction can also improve the results of skin excisions, or lifts, and may be added as part of a staged program. A "lower body lift", or "total body lift", involves excising extra skin all the way around the waist to the back, and in doing so, elevates the buttocks and outer thighs - in a way it is akin to pulling up one's pants. A separate but similar procedure can be done with the inner thighs. All of the above procedures cannot be done at the same time. Common combinations are breast lift and arm lift, breast lift and tummytuck, and facelift and breast lift or arm lift. The lower body lift is a larger operation, and thus is usually done alone. In most people, the operations are done as outpatient procedures or an overnight stay. Unfortunately, they are not normally covered by insurance except in very rare situations. Risks and complications of these procedures, as with any surgery, include infections, wound healing problems, and bad scars. Scars resulting from many of these procedures are often wider and thicker than desired because of the skin tightness after these procedures. Time off work differs from procedure to procedure; I would emphasize that these can be significant operations requiring prolonged convalescence times. For more information about managing morbid obesity please visit the following site:
Body Contouring Links: American Society of Plastic Surgeons University of Pittsburg Life After Weight Loss Program Body Contouring Procedures: Abdominoplasty / "Tummytuck" Liposuction Brachioplasty / Armlift After Massive Weight Loss |
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