Body Contouring

Dramatic weight loss has many benefits. But after any substantial amount of weight loss due to weight loss surgery or lifestyle changes, the skin and tissues often lack the elasticity to conform to the reduced body size.

Surgical body contouring following major weight loss removes excess sagging skin and fat while improving the shape of the underlying support tissue. The result is a better-proportioned appearance with smoother contours.

Body Contouring/ Lifting include:

• Arm lift: correct sagging of the upper arms.
• Breast lift: correct sagging, flattened breasts.
• Facelift: correct sagging of the mid-face, jowls, and neck.
• Buttocks and Thighs/Hips lift: correct sagging of the buttocks, inner and outer thighs.

You are a good candidate for body contouring surgery if you are:

• Adult whose weight loss has stabilized
• Healthy individual without medical conditions that impair healing or increase risk of surgery
• Nonsmoker
• Individual that is committed to leading a healthy lifestyle with proper nutrition and fitness
• You have excess skin following significant weight loss
• You’re already within your goal weight (or near it)

Consultation

The success and safety of your procedure depend on your complete candidness during your consultation. It’s very important to understand all aspects of your body contouring procedure. It’s natural to feel some anxiety, whether it’s excitement for your anticipated new look or a bit of preoperative stress. Don’t be shy about discussing any concerns with your plastic surgeon. Be prepared that you surgeon will:

• Evaluate your general health and any preexisting health conditions or risk factors
• Examine your body and take detailed measurements
• Take photographs for your medical record
• Discuss your options and recommend a course of treatment
• Discuss likely outcomes of body contouring and any risks or potential complications

Procedure

The types of body contouring surgery include:

• Thigh lift: The surgeon makes a cut in the groin that runs down the inner leg to the knee. Extra skin and fat are removed. In some cases, the surgeon opts to continue the cut from the groin to the outer hip to improve the shape of the outer thigh
• Face lift: During a face-lift, a flap of skin on each side of the face is pulled back, and tissues below the skin are surgically altered to return the contour of the face to a more youthful shape. Before the flap is sutured closed, excess skin is removed.
• Buttock lift: The surgeon cuts across the top of the buttock and, depending on the extent of the operation, sometimes along the sides as well. Crescent-shaped sections of skin and fat are removed, and the skin is pulled together and sewn.
• Breast lift (mastopexy): The surgeon cuts around the areola of the nipple and makes a vertical cut from the areola to the underside of the breast. A horizontal cut may also be required across the breast crease. Extra skin is removed from this ‘lollipop-shaped’ series of cuts. A breast implant can be included during this procedure to increase the size of the breast.
• Arm lift (brachioplasty) : the surgeon makes a cut on the inner surface of the upper arm from the armpit to the elbow. Underlying muscle is tightened with stitches to smooth and define the shape of the upper arm. The extra skin is cut away.

Risks

Is it Safe?

The decision to have plastic surgery is extremely personal, and you will have to decide if the benefits will achieve your goals and if the risks and potential complications of body contouring surgery are acceptable.

Body contouring risks include:

• Bleeding
• Blood clots, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism
• Excessive or widened scars
• Fluid accumulation
• Infection
• Numbness or other changes in skin sensation
• Poor wound healing
• Residual skin laxity or contour irregularity
• Skin loss
• Unfavorable scarring

Is it painful?

You will have some discomfort, however, this is expected and typically easily controlled with pain medications. Discomfort will dissipate over a week or two after the surgery. Your doctor will prescribe pain medication for you to take after you return home.

Recovery

During your recovery from body contouring surgery, dressings or bandages will be applied to your incisions following the procedure. Small, thin tubes may be temporarily placed under the skin to drain any excess blood or fluid that may collect.

You may be instructed to avoid bending, straining, or lifting for several days to weeks.

Where tightening of the abdomen or thighs is involved, your plastic surgeon may also instruct you to avoid standing fully upright and stressing any internal sutures as they heal, and to sleep with pillows elevating your knees.

To minimize the risk of DVT (blood clots in the legs) you will need to be up and walking as soon as possible and drinking plenty of fluid.

Recovery times vary according to the type of surgery performed. In general, a full recovery can take several months.

You will likely be very sore during the first four weeks following the procedure. The use of drains and surgical garments may be necessary. To optimize your surgical outcome, follow your discharge instructions carefully.

Results

The results of body contouring are generally long-lasting if you maintain a stable weight and general fitness. As your body ages, it is natural to lose some firmness. However, most of your initial improvement should remain.

Although good results are expected from your procedure, there is no guarantee. In some situations, it may not be possible to achieve optimal results with a single surgical procedure and another surgery may be necessary. Visible scars are something you must accept to achieve a body contour that matches your new weight and proportion.

Benefits of Body lifting surgery

• Removing excess skin along with fatty tissue will give you a firmer, trimmer body.
• A healthier body will give you more energy and stamina because you no longer must carry around excess weight.
• Improved health and lower weight may reduce the need for some medications.
• Removing excess skin eliminates the rashes and skin infections that can occur when skin folds continually rub against each other.
• There is an emotional boost to your self-confidence as you get the appearance that you want

Things to keep in mind

For the future, remember that:

• Your silhouette in clothes is changed immediately. However, body contouring surgery will not stop your skin from sagging if you gain and lose a large amount of weight in the future.
• You need to expect and accept a certain degree of sagging as you age. 
• Scarring will be permanent but should fade in time. Be patient – improvements to scars may take around a year or so. 
• While it may have taken you two years or more to lose the excess weight, it may take just as long for the results of your body contouring to be complete. The plan for your surgery will depend on what you are trying to achieve, as well as your surgeon’s best judgement.