Weight loss surgery often fixes one concern, but leaves you with another. If you have had a large weight loss following bariatric surgery or dieting and exercise, you may be left with unsightly areas of loose skin. The key to a successful outcome is making sure you have the procedure when your weight loss is stable and sustainable, and your health is optimal, to insure the safest and best possible results. This may take 6 months to one year after gastric bypass or lap band surgery. We will work with your bariatric surgeon and/or weight loss specialist to insure the best results.
Reshaping of the abdomen, arms, thighs, breasts, neck, and face, as well as the buttocks may be addressed. These are often staged procedures; for example, you may consider a tummy tuck, liposuction, breast lift or reduction, and an arm lift in one or two stages. At another stage, you may choose to have a facelift and necklift as well, depending on the degree of excess skin and your personal preferences.
Insurance companies usually do not provide reimbursement for these procedures, but at SY Aesthetics, we will try to work with your carrier to improve your chances for payment.
Thigh Lifts
After large weight fluctuations or as you age, you may need an inner and/or outer thigh lift. This technique addresses loose skin of the upper thighs and buttocks. As this is a more extensive surgical procedure, it is more safely done in the hospital with a 1-2 night stay.
Arm Lift or Brachioplasty
Loss of tone under the arms can create the appearance of flabby upper arms. An arm lift procedure can be performed to remove loose skin and fat to reshape the entire upper arm area. Surgery allows you to have thinner, shapelier arms than you could ever achieve with diet and exercise alone. Occasionally, Dr. Yager can do liposuction as a first stage, allowing for skin contraction that might mean a more minimal incision at a second stage. Though the scars can be visible, patients will usually opt for this procedure versus the alternative of unattractive arms.
While significant weight loss improves your health and wellbeing, resultant excess skin often requires additional treatment. The areas affected may include the arms, breasts, abdomen, back, thighs, face, and neck. The next phase of this journey is often a series of operations to restore the body to a more aesthetically pleasing state. The greatest challenge is that each patient has a different pattern of loose skin, so we need to design a custom tailored approach. The results of surgery are truly transformational.
– Dr. Yager
Duration
60 - 180 mins
Recovery Time
2 - 6 weeks
Anesthesia
Monitored Sedation or General Anesthesia
Helpful Hints
- Often procedures need to be staged
Commonly Combined with
- Skin Care
- Cellulite Treatments
- Injectables
