Many times after accomplishing a goal of massive weight loss, patients will find that they are happy with their weight loss but unhappy with excess skin that is left behind. In order to help with this problem, there are many options for body contouring surgery after considerable weight loss. This surgery is tailored to each individual’s needs and desires, and may consist of smaller procedures at one time or different surgeries in steps over the course of time. These procedures can include facelifts (rhytidectomy), arm lifts (brachioplasty), breast lifts (mastopexy), tummy tucks (abdominoplasty), and thigh lifts (thighplasty).
The above procedures aim to achieve a tighter, firmer appearance to your skin while shaping the body and improving tone. Your surgeon will remove excess skin, fat, and tissue in order to smooth out the appearance of your skin and overall achieve an attractive body contour. Liposuction can help with this process. While liposuction does not address the removal of excess skin, it can often be done in conjunction with body lifting surgeries. Liposuction targets the removal of fat while improving irregular contour and smoothing out skin surfaces. This can help to give an overall attractive shape to areas that may need contouring.
As with any surgery, experiencing soreness and discomfort after the procedure is expected. Depending on what exact surgeries were performed based on individual needs, recovery time can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. After surgery, you will typically experience pain for 1-2 days, and soreness for 2 weeks- 2 months. Depending on the type of surgery performed and your profession, you may return to work in 1-2 weeks.
As expected, the surgery will last longer as it becomes more involved with additional areas being targeted. We will discuss this in detail at your consult, and decide how many areas are safe to treat at one time. These procedures can be done as outpatient surgeries where you go home the same day.