For morbidly obese patients, bariatric surgery or general weight loss is just the first step back to health and self-esteem.

For many patients, the next phase of this journey is a series of operations collectively called body contouring, which removes excess tissue and sculpts and restores the body to a more normal, aesthetically pleasing look.

What is post-weight loss plastic surgery?
Gastric bypass surgery, lap-band surgery, or general weight loss methods can cause you to lose so much weight that folds of loose skin remain, even after the fat is gone. As a final step in your dramatic body reshaping, Summit Plastic Surgery will perform body lift surgery to remove excess loose skin and help you obtain the body contour you have worked so hard to obtain.

The board-certified surgeons of Summit Plastic Surgery offer variety of post-weight loss plastic surgery options, including: Body Lift Surgery, Tummy Tuck, Arm Lift, Thigh Lift, and Face Lift.

Am I a candidate for post-weight loss plastic surgery?
It’s typically recommended that a patient's weight stabilizes for at least six months before undergoing post-weight loss contouring procedures. Surgeries such as tummy tucks, breast augmentation, and thigh, buttocks and arm lifts can be done separately over time, or all at once during one lengthy operation involving multiple surgical teams.

Are there any risks involved?
In planning for body contouring procedures after massive weight loss, special attention has to be given for optimizing safety and minimizing potential complications. These types of procedures are rather lengthy, complicated, and are performed on patients that might have other associated risk factors such as sleep apnea, diabetes, heart disease, venous insufficiency, malnutrition, etc. These patients need to cleared by an internist, pulmonologist, or a cardiologist prior to surgery.

Other risks may include blood loss during the procedure itself and a small risk of clots. A minority of patients may also experience other problems such as abdominal hernias or fibrosis.

What will insurance pay for?
It depends on your insurance plan and your individual situation. However, SPS will take pictures of the various parts of you body and submit a letter and your pictures to the insurance company. Unfortunately, the trend is for insurance companies to pay less and less for this type of surgery.

What’s the recovery time?
Following a body lift, patients will experience pain and discomfort, which can be managed with medication. Bed rest may be required for one or more days. Support garments are worn for one month to stabilize the body area, ease discomfort and support incision areas. Light to medium activities may be resumed progressively. The healing process may take four to six weeks, at which time patients may resume normal activities. Many patients may start exercising in six to eight weeks. Swelling may take over three months to fully dissipate.

What’s the first step?
The fist step is to schedule your private, no-obligation consultation. A board-certified plastic surgeon will sit down with you and explain all of the procedures in detail including the benefits, risks, and how it will best fit your needs. We will also be able to answer any additional questions that you may have. To schedule your private consultation, please call 260-490-7111.