Post-Gastric Bypass, Weight Loss, Bariatric Surgery Gastric Bypass/Bariatric Surgery

What Plastic Surgery Procedures Can I Consider After Significant Weight Loss?

Following significant weight loss due to a bariatric surgery (also known as gastric bypass surgery, stomach stapling, weight loss surgery, and obesity surgery), diet, or exercise, women and men often elect to have various cosmetic procedures to help them achieve the body shape that they seek. Following significant weight loss, a person can be left with a tremendous amount of excess, hanging skin throughout many areas of the body that cannot shrink back to the person’s new body shape. Additionally, muscles may also become loose after dramatic weight loss. Due to the lack of elasticity of the remaining skin, excessive amounts of skin can accumulate and hang in various areas, including the face, neck, breasts, upper and lower abdomen, flanks, armpit (axilla), back, buttocks, arms, forearms, thighs, legs, and calves. Above being physically undesirable, this excess skin can cause considerable hygienic problems, skin irritation, skin breakdown and pain, infection, and can lead to problems in finding clothes that can fit properly.

To address these problems, plastic surgery has become the most popular and most effective solution for individuals who have lost significant weight due to surgery, diet or exercise. Facial and body contouring cosmetic procedures can help a patient obtain the best possible body shape that is hidden underneath the excess skin that remains after one’s goal weight has been reached. As people who have lost a lot of weight typically have excess skin problems throughout many areas of their body and face, it is common for a patient to have several different cosmetic procedures that address all the problem areas. Among the cosmetic procedures (discussed below in detail) that patients have after a bariatric/gastric bypass surgery, diet, or exercise include Tummy Tuck, Breast Reduction, Breast Augmentation (Implants), Breast Lift, Facial Procedures (Face Lift, Eyelid Surgery, Neck Lift, Forehead Lift), Thigh Lift (Thighplasty), Arm Procedures (Brachioplasty, Lift, Reduction), Buttock Lift, Male Breast Reduction (Gynecomastia), and Liposuction. While most of us would probably prefer to have all the necessary facial and body cosmetic procedures done at once, due to safety issues only 1-3 different procedures are typically performed at a time. Once all of the necessary cosmetic procedures are done, the cosmetic results can be extremely rewarding to the patient in physical, emotional, lifestyle, and functional respects.

Below is a discussion about each type of cosmetic procedure that can be considered by bariatric surgery/gastric bypass patients and individuals who have undergone a substantial diet or exercise. Make Me Heal has created different stores for each of the cosmetic procedures discussed below, with each store featuring all the specialized surgery recovery and preparation products needed by a patient having each procedure.

Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)
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Following significant weight loss due to bariatric surgery, diet, or exercise, a person is typically left with both a large amounts of hanging skin in the upper and lower abdomen and loose abdominal wall muscles. To address these problems, a tummy tuck (also referred to as abdominoplasty or panniculectomy) is performed to remove the excess skin and tighten the abdominal muscles. The excess amount of skin is not only physically unappealing to post-weight loss patients, but it can lead to considerable hygienic problems. Because moisture can accumulate between the abdominal folds of excess skin, this can lead to a skin condition called intertriginous dermatitis whereby the rubbing of the skin folds leads to an inflammation. Due to excess skin, a person can experience skin redness and irritation that is often painful and can be itchy. Further, the skin can flake and break down, bleed, and become infected. Without surgery, one has to constantly dry the skin folds and wear loose, ventilating clothing to minimize the frequency of these skin inflammation flare-ups. However, this is only a temporary option that does not give permanent relief.

A Tummy tuck (Abdominoplasty) is a very effective surgical solution that can lead to dramatic cosmetic results in the form of removal of the excess skin folds and tightening of the abdominal muscles. For post-weight loss patients, this procedure is often combined with a Thigh Lift (this procedure is discussed below) and buttock augmentation or lift done all together at once.

To learn about these procedures and the various products that you may need for preparing and recovering from these surgeries, take a walk to the Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Store and Thigh Lift (Thighplasty) Store.

Breast Lift (Mastopexy) & Breast Augmentation (Implants)
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Following significant weight loss, a woman’s breast can sag and lose breast volume. While the normal passage of time, aging and the effects of gravity cause breasts to droop and become less firm, significant weight loss can dramatically speed up this process and lead to considerable droopiness (known as ptosis) and loss of breast tissue volume. Fortunately, there are various cosmetic surgery options for treating these problems. For women who want to reduce the breast sagginess and also want larger breasts, a Breast Lift (Mastopexy) is combined with Breast Augmentation (Implants). For women who desire larger breasts but do not have much sagging, having breast implants alone can be sufficient. For women who are experiencing breast droopiness but do not desire to have larger breasts because they have enough breast tissue, a breast lift alone can treat the problems and result in a very satisfying cosmetic outcome.

To learn about these procedures and the various products that you may need for preparing and recovering from these surgeries, take a walk to the Breast Lift (Mastopexy) Store and the Breast Augmentation (Implants) Store.

Face Lift (Rhytidectomy) & Neck Lift, Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty), Brow Lift (Forehead Lift)
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Significant weight loss from bariatric/gastric bypass surgery, diet, or exercise can accelerate aging of the facial areas and lead to sagging of the facial skin. Facial aging occurs faster in individuals who have lost significant weight because the fatty layer beneath the skin surface thins and diminishes at a much faster rate compared to a person who has not a lot of weight in a quick period. In general, this fatty layer is largely responsible for creating a youthful look in a person’s face. Since this fatty layer loses its thickness following significant weight loss, this results in facial lines and wrinkles becoming more noticeable. To rejuvenate one’s appearance and treat facial aging problems, post-weight loss patients have a Face Lift (rhytidectomy). In most cases, a facelift will also include a neck lift. The neck lift can be an especially important component of a post-weight loss patient’s facial rejuvenation treatment because excess skin and fat can accumulate in the neck area after significant weight loss. A face lift, combined with a neck lift, can effectively treat the deep wrinkles, facial skin sagginess, and excess neck skin and fat by removing the sagging skin and tightening the facial skin and underlying muscle tissues.

As a face lift treats the lower part of the face and neck regions, post-weight loss patients can have an Eyelid Surgery (blepharoplasty) and Brow Lift (forehead lift) to treat the upper area of their faces. An eyelid surgery is a popular procedure which can rejuvenate the appearance of a person’s eyes by correcting problems such as drooping and heavy eyelids, skin sagging in the eye area, and under-eye bags. Additionally, a brow lift (forehead lift) is a cosmetic procedure that can help raise one’s drooping eyebrows, reduce the horizontal forehead creases, tighten the forehead skin, and remove excess tissue.

To learn about these procedures and the various products that you may need for preparing and recovering from these surgeries, take a walk to the Face Lift (Rhytidectomy) & Neck Lift Store and the Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty) Store.

Thigh Lift (Thighplasty)
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Excess hanging skin and fat in the lower body and especially the thighs is a major concern after significant weight loss and can be both physically unappealing and inconvenient. Following weight loss, the thigh can look wrinkled and excessively baggy. A Thigh lift (Thighplasty) can help reduce this excess skin and fat in the thigh areas. A thigh lift is commonly combined with a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) and buttock lift. A body lift is the general term for the procedure that combines the tummy tuck, thigh, and buttock lifts.

To learn about this procedure and the various products that you may need for preparing and recovering from this surgery, take a walk to the Thigh Lift (Thighplasty) Store.

Buttock Lift

As is the case with a thigh lift, a buttock lift can address the problems of excess skin and fat that can accumulate in the buttocks area. A buttock lift is commonly combined with a thigh lift and tummy tuck (abdominoplasty).

Male Breast Reduction (Gynecomastia)
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Following significant weight loss due to bariatric/stomach stapling surgery, diet, or exercise, male patients may still have large breasts that are not in proportion with their newly improved abdomen and lower body. In many cases, a patient will also have droopiness in his breasts in addition to large breasts, or just droopy breasts. To correct these problems, post-weight loss male patients have a Male Breast Reduction (Gynecomastia). This procedure can be performed in conjunction with a Liposuction.

To learn about this procedure and the various products that you may need for preparing and recovering from this surgery, take a walk to the Male Breast Reduction (Gynecomastia) Store.

Liposuction
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Liposuction is not a procedure that alone can solve problems that arise following significant weight loss. Provided that the skin is tight enough and not too loose, liposuction can be performed in conjunction with some of the procedures discussed earlier to help reduce excess fat in specific, localized areas. Typically, areas such as the arms, male breast, back, flanks, knees, calves can be treated by liposuction while other areas are more effectively treated by a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty), breast lift (mastopexy), thigh lift (thighplasty), breast augmentation, and arm lift.

To learn about this procedure and the various products that you may need for preparing and recovering from this surgery, take a walk to the Liposuction Store.

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