Weight loss surgery is a serious procedure that has dramatic results. Most patients experience remarkable weight loss that transforms their body and helps them to achieve a physique they may never have thought was possible. There is one side effect of the surgery and rapid weight loss that takes away from the positive feelings generated by the results--the loose skin that is left behind. What are some of the techniques available to help remove that loose skin and complete the transformation?
Skin and Body Reconditioning
The skin and body reconditioning required after weight loss surgery is not something that can be handled at home. Exercise can help tighten the muscles under the skin and improve your body's shape and tone, but it can't tone up the skin. The skin has been under so much stress that nothing can make it bounce back. Once your goal weight is reached and is stable for about a year, then it's time for a qualified surgeon to help you finish the journey that started with your weight loss surgery.
Surgery
Surgery to remove excess skin can be almost as major as the weight loss surgery itself. It depends on the amount of weight that has been lost and the amount of loose skin that has accumulated, as well as where it is on the body. Some patients may have minor surgery that leaves small, inconspicuous scars. Others may need major surgery that results in large or noticeable scars. Yet others may require multiple surgeries that remove the excess skin and fat in stages, in order to guarantee the safety and health of the patient. The entire process could take from months to years.
Types of Surgery
Some of the most common surgeries performed to remove excess skin are face and neck lift, upper arm lift, breast lift, thigh and buttock lift, tummy tuck, lower body lift and removal of back rolls. Different patients will have different concerns and not all patients will need the same surgeries. Some may only need one or two surgeries and some additional liposuction or body contouring because their weight loss was more controlled and the skin adjusted better. Others may need most or all of these surgeries, which surgeons refer to as a total body lift.
Recovery
The recovery for these surgeries can take several weeks and can be intensely painful. There are side effects, which can range from bleeding, swelling and infection to unattractive scarring and fluid collections along the incisions. However, once the skin removal surgeries are completed, patients can get a true sense of just how dramatic their weight loss has been and how much their body has changed. It is like seeing a whole new you emerge from under the bandages.
