Sum T. Tran, MD
Cosmetic Plastic Surgery
Many medical studies have shown that obesity is linked to a number of diseases and illnesses. The majority of adults in the United States are either overweight or obese. The process is applicable to excess skin created by the effects of normal diet and exercise, aging and pregnancy, as well. To take the bold step and lose a large amount of weight is not only incredibly brave, but a powerful boost to the appearance, self-esteem, self-confidence and long-term health. Whether through anorectic medications, healthy diet - exercise, bariatric surgery, or a combination of the three, the achievements in taking these positive first steps toward reaching the goals. The result is an individual plan for every individual patient. Bariatric surgery is fast becoming the common way to reach extreme weight loss; through 2007, approximately 1,500,000 Americans had undergone weight-loss surgery.
After losing up to 100 pounds in the months after the procedure (non-operative or surgical) though, one major problem still remains – all of the excess skin that now sags from arms, hips, legs, chest, stomach, hips and buttocks of the slimmer body. Sadly,the breasts are with complete loss of volume and shape also. The loose, saggy skin that has lost its elasticity over time, is impossible to diet or “exercise away.”Unfortunately, the results of massive weight loss can have a negative or disappointing effect usually facing with sagging excess skin. Rapid weight loss may cause body image distortion, in which patients have a hard time adjusting to their new body image and develop anxiety or depression. Folds of skin can cause more than cosmetic problems; rashes and severe discomfort often occur when folds of loose skin rub against each other. Different degrees of sagging can exist around the body.
Lift surgery is customized for individuals who desire a comprehensive approach to improvement of their loose skin. Plastic surgery after weight loss combines reconstructive and cosmetic techniques to tighten, lift and contour sagging skin for a more attractive appearance. Whole body shaping and contouring is the surgical process that removes the extra skin in developing the very best course of treatment based on each patient’s BMI change, body type, goals and translation of pull. The patient may choose to treat the arms, breasts, abdomen, buttocks, thighs or other areas such as face, neck and eyelids. Total body lift surgery is an innovative new concept of lifting that goes beyond traditional body contouring (addressing only the lower body) and makes a dramatic improvement in the body’s contour as a whole. Total body lift surgery contours the body back to its intended shape by re-forming every area of the human form, from head to toe, separating the process in multiple steps: faceneck, upper body and mid-lower body lift. Choosing the type of body sculpture is a balance of compromises, the scar for the excision vs. the benefit of the lift. Performed either all at once or most of the time in separate procedures as quickly as three months apart, like most surgical events this process is intensive, requires long hours of surgery and as with all operations the incorporation of anesthesia can be dangerous.
Best candidates are people with good overall health and have had a stable weight for 12 to 16 months after losing massive amounts of weight. If patients gain significant weight after excess skin is removed, the skin will stretch again. Patients who are considerably overweight (BMI>30), may be advised to first or continue to lose weight before body contouring surgery. Those with excessive high body fat percent or high Body Mass Index (BMI>40) or with being 100 pounds overweight, should consider weight loss surgical options first. If the patient has had a gastric bypass or stomach banding, and has lost at least 100 pounds, then he or she may be a candidate for body shaping. Overall, in patients under 55 years of age with a body mass index of less than 30, there was no significant difference in the choice of procedure.
As with every kind of plastic surgery, Lift surgery after weight loss carries with it some risks, including possible infection, delayed wound healing, asymmetry, and other medical complications. Risks include blood clots and bleeding under the skin flap. Most common complication is poor healing resulting in conspicuous scarring or skin loss--creating the need for a secondary operation. It also leaves patients with significant scars that can be hidden behind most bikini lines. The fading of scars can require three months to two years. There was no significant association between major complications and the number of procedures performed in this type of patients. There was an observable reduction in deformity and a high rate of satisfactory aesthetic outcomes depending on clinical performance and realistic expectation.
Patients Who Are Not Good Candidates: If the patient is massively obese he or she is not a candidate for this procedure, because it will not improve contour and it may not heal their wounds. Patients who have medical problems that preclude a general anesthetic are also not considered. Smoking causes a significant decrease in blood supply to all tissues of the body, thus smokers are not candidates because of the increased risk of tissue loss associated with the surgical procedure
So whether your focus is your faceneck , upper body or lower body...these “full-scale” kinds of lift surgery create an entirely new figure. More often with faceneck lift but less with forehead -eyelid surgery are required to match and to take into account of the proportional results from total body contouring and sculpturing in order to look younger and more attractive. An optimal face lift candidate often wants to remove excess skin from the face or neck, tightening skin-muscle and removing wrinkles simultaneously. Successful healing with maximum results depends on having skin that is fairly supple. This part of lift surgery could be done under oral sedation and local anesthesia in the office.
Large amounts of skin are removed from the upper body and any rolls of skin can be smoothed out to refine the contours. For the most part, incisions are relatively discreet, though some scarring is inevitable with most forms of plastic surgery after weight loss. The incision for the upper body lift encircles the chest including the back; women often find that they can partially hide their scars with their breasts and bras. When performing on the upper body, a breast augmentation combined with lift can often help reduce sagging and improve the appearance and silhouette of the breasts with firmness.
An arm lift is often required for those who feel unhappy and uncomfortable wearing sleeveless shirts, tank tops, or swimsuits because of the excess flaps of skin hanging from their arms. An arm lift is performed by making an incision along the inner arm to create a more pleasing contour.
Mid-Lower body involves removing excess skin and fat in the abdomen, thighs, and buttocks especially hips, back and outer thighs. Truncal lipectomy, circumferential tummy tuck and belt lipectomy are often used to firm up the waistline and buttocks to create smooth, continuous contours from the abdomen all the way down to the thighs. The abdominal muscles are tightening together and the superficial fascia suspension system resuspended into place to create a trimmer waistline and a flatter stomach.
A thigh lift is used to gather up and remove excess skin in the hip and thigh area and can be combined with a buttock lift for a smoother silhouette and contours. Incisions for a thigh lift are made vertically, along the inside of the thigh where the scars will be least visible. A second incision is usually made from the front of the groin back toward the buttock on each leg.
While the information contained in this article will provide you with a good introduction to body lifting and shaping, when considering this or any other cosmetic procedure, we recommend that you consult a qualified provider with significant experience. You’ve done the hard part and lost all that weight. Now find out how plastic surgery after weight loss can help you show your success to the world. This remarkable procedures can help start them on the way to a new, more fulfilling life of normalcy and a level of self-esteem they may never have imagined. Total body lifts address every part of the body that commonly accumulates fat and surplus skin: face,neck ,arms, breasts, chest, abdomen, hips, thighs, and buttocks can all be recontoured to achieve a smooth, trim, and lifted appearance. Let total body lift surgery sculpt a new figure for you.
The decision to perform any of these procedures is made during pre-operative consultations, as Dr. Tran is always careful to involve his patients in the customization of their treatment plans. Dr. Tran has been practicing plastic surgery with high standard of professionalism in Santa Clarita for more than 20 years.
Please contact the office directly at 253-2211 for a complimentary consultation or visit the website www.sumtranmd.com to know more about Dr. Tran. We can help you get rid of this loose, saggy skin forever! You will be in very capable and caring hands.