Body Lift After Extreme Weight Loss
A Body Lift is a solution for anyone who has lost significant weight and is left with excess skin on their face, arms, breasts, back, body and thighs. Weight loss surgery patients who have lost 60 or more pounds find that they have lost skin elasticity over time due to their excess weight. Once the weight is gone, their skin does not shrink back to fit their newly svelte body.
Candidates for body lifts include patients who have undergone bariatric surgery (gastric bypass surgery, gastric banding, intestinal bypass surgery, lap banding) to combat obesity since their large size limited mobility and exercise and may have caused other health problems. Bariatric surgery is often a means to cope with these problems by modifying their stomach and digestive track to make rapid weight loss possible.
No matter how the weight loss is accomplished, shedding significant amounts of weight quickly leaves you with pounds of loose, baggy skin. Tightening the skin through surgery can be done, but unfortunately the amount of surgery needed also leads to scarring. Most plastic surgeons are experienced in hiding the scars in natural folds in the body or where clothing hides it.
A full body lift usually removes the skin from the abdomen, thighs, back, buttocks, but can include breasts and arms when needed. Each area will have scars consistent with the surgery. These procedures may be spread over more than one surgery if necessary.
Surgery for removal of loose skin, like a body lift , should only be undertaken after your weight goals are met, usually 18 months to two years after the original weight loss surgery is performed. Some parts of the surgery may be covered by insurance, if the health is affected. Your plastic surgeon can help assess health issues and give you an overall plan so you can fit into your skin once again.
