The physicians at Raleigh Plastic Surgery Center specialize in Body Contouring after Weight Loss Surgery in Raleigh, Cary and surrounding areas of North Carolina.
Patients who have lost large amounts of weight with gastric bypass surgery and other weight loss procedures represent a growing population as these surgeries have become more popular. With massive weight loss, excessive loose skin and fatty deposits result and multiple anatomic areas are affected. The abdomen, breasts, arms, legs, and even back tissue are prime areas to target for excisional surgery. Liposuction alone is rarely effective in these situations since the excess skin and fatty tissue needs to be removed. Abdominoplasty, breast lift, breast reduction, thigh lift, arm lift, and brachioplasty, circumferential abdominoplasty, and back roll excision (bra roll lift) are often desired.
Generally we recommend delaying these procedures at least one year to 18 months after the weight loss surgery to allow you to achieve a stable weight. These procedures are best performed at your goal weight. Occasionally, they can be performed before achieving your desired ideal body weight when the excess loose skin becomes a barrier to proper exercise. Procedures can be done in combination such as tummy tuck and thigh lift and performed simultaneously or breast surgery and arm lift perform simultaneously. Patients who desire multiple procedures are often encouraged to stage these combinations into at least two separate procedures separated by six weeks to three months, to allow for proper healing.
Patients who have successfully lost large amounts of weight and gone on to body contouring procedures are among the happiest patients we serve at at Raleigh Plastic Surgery Center. Many of the procedures can be performed at our AAAHC accredited surgical suite under the care of our board certified anesthesiologist. Patients with associated significant medical problems can still undergo these procedures; however, we frequently perform these at Rex Hospital where an overnight stay may be suggested.
Details of each individual procedure are available on this website. Recovery with combined procedures generally is no longer than the individual primary procedure. Combination surgeries frequently save money and combine recovery time.
For more tips on how to create a post-op recovery space at home visit our blog!
Tummy Tuck
Patient Information
Age: 40 Height: 5’9″ Weight: 172
Surgeon’s Notes:
This patient had an 80 lb weight loss. Tummy tuck corrected loose skin of her abdomen.
Tummy Tuck
Patient Information
Age: 36 Height: 5’4″ Weight: 150
Surgeon’s Notes:
This woman did not like her abdomen after C section. An abdominoplasty corrected the excess.
Tummy Tuck
Patient Information
Age: 34 Height: 5’5″ Weight: 194
Surgeon’s Notes:
This patient had an abdominplasty with liposuction. Result at one year.
Tummy Tuck
Patient Information
Age: 27 Height: 5’5″ Weight: 123
Surgeon’s Notes:
This patient had loose skin, stretch marks and umbilical distortion. Had a tummy tuck with liposuction.
Tummy Tuck
Patient Information
Age: 34 Height: 5’3″ Weight: 126
Surgeon’s Notes:
This woman had two children and was never able to improve her abdominal appearance. Result after a tummy tuck.
Tummy Tuck
Patient Information
Age: 34 Height: 5’8″ Weight: 165
Surgeon’s Notes:
This mother of 2 children had significant abdominal skin laxity treated with an abdominoplasty.
Tummy Tuck
Patient Information
Age: 37 Height: 5’2″ Weight: 135
Surgeon’s Notes:
This woman had improvement in her abdominal appearance with liposuction and abdominoplasty.
Tummy Tuck
Patient Information
Age: 39 Height: 5’5″ Weight: 166
Surgeon’s Notes:
This patient lost 200 lbs with a bypass. Photos after belt lipectomy.
Tummy Tuck
Patient Information
Age: 35 Height: 5’4″ Weight: 170
Surgeon’s Notes:
This patient lost 180 lbs with a bypass. Underwent a lower body lift.
Tummy Tuck
Patient Information
Age: 40 Height: 5’5″ Weight: 125
Surgeon’s Notes:
This 40 year old woman had minimal skin excess but protruding lower abdominal appearance ‘ achieved improvement with “miniabdominoplasty which removed a small amount of skin and tightened the lower abdominal muscles.
FAQ
Q: Does insurance cover any of these procedures?
A: Unfortunately, insurance rarely covers body contouring procedures after weight loss. Breast reductions may be covered provided that the appropriate criteria for medical justification has been met, including documentation of back pain and neck pain that is resistant to medical management. Frequently, patients with significant weight loss require a Mastopexy rather than breast reduction and this is not covered. Abdominoplasty is occasionally covered in circumstances where chronic rashes and infections of the excess loose skin require frequent medical management and even hospitalization. Coverage of this procedure is uncommon, however.
Q: What happens if I continue to lose weight after these procedures?
A: Continued weight loss will often lead to continued loosening of the skin and laxity of the surgical result. Even with stable weight, skin stretching continues and patients frequently desire additional tightening of the surgical sites. This is not a consequence of the surgeon being too conservative, rather the nature of loose stretched out skin which never regains its elasticity.