Body Contouring After Massive Weight Loss

Timing of Body Contouring After Massive Weight Loss

People who undergo Bariatric Surgery are very excited to loss their excess body fat and anxious to look good, ASAP! Instead, they often found themselves with excessive hanging folds of skin. Naturally, their next goal becomes undergoing restorative body contouring plastic surgery. Most don't know that how soon after Gastric Bypass surgery they can embark on Body Contouring Plastic Surgery.

Approximately 60 to 70 percent of excess weight is lost after 12 months from the time of bariatric surgery. Successful patients will lose 100 pounds within 18 to 24 months of surgery. Therefore, as a rule, massive weight loss patients should wait for one year after they have reached their weight goal or a minimum of 18-24 months after Bariatric surgery before undergoing body contouring.

The importance of this wait period is two folds. First, the best results are obtained after attaining maximum weight loss. Second, during the rapid weight loss period, the body is in the starvation phase, when surgical wounds don't heal and surgery complication rate is the highest.

Nutritional Deficiencies

Post-bariatric surgery patients have special needs because of nutritional deficiencies that they inevitably suffer. This is because during the period of massive weight loss, bariatric surgery patients are suffering the malnourishment that normally accompanies losing large amounts of weight suddenly. Because they often lack key nutrients such as iron, B12, Folic Acid, Calcium and Potassium, massive weight loss patients should have a full nutritional and laboratory assessment to ensure that their body would heal after body contouring surgery.

Medical Optimization and Clearance Before Surgery

Some of the medical conditions caused by morbid obesity remain even after massive weight loss. These include sleep apnea, diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, venous insufficiency, malnutrition, etc. Therefore, these patients need to be medically optimized and cleared by an internist, pulmonologist, or a cardiologist prior to surgery.

Surgical & Post-Surgical Care

Body contouring procedures are major surgeries and therefore carry major risks, which require special surgical preparations, as well as extensive post-surgical care. For example, patients with a history of morbid obesity bear a higher risk of developing blood clots in their legs (Deep Venous Thrombosis) which could be potentially fatal. Depending on their specific history of risk factors steps are taken during surgery and afterwards to lessen this risk. Also, to minimize the risk of surgery most experts recommend for the surgery time not to exceed 6-8 hours and the patient to remain warm during the course of the surgery.

These and many other requirements necessitate the use of a surgical and post-surgical facility that is equipped and staffed to specifically care for patients undergoing body contouring after massive weight loss.

Dr. Younai performs his surgeries at the Regency Surgery Center which is certified by Medicare, Blue Cross, AAAHC, and AAAASF. This state-of-the-art surgical facility is specially equipped and staffed to care for such patients.

Staged Reconstruction

Prioritize! While there may be many areas of your body upon which you desire contouring, it is unlikely that you can "fix" all of them at once. It is also possible that you may ultimately choose only one form of Body Contouring.

An expert plastic surgeon who specializes in Body Contouring will therefore help patients stage their surgeries in the most efficient and appropriate order. For example if you are considering breast enlargement and lift, body lift, and thigh lift; the body lift should be conducted prior to the thigh lift, because it also helps to lift the thighs. Furthermore, tightening the abdominal skin with a body lift will also changes the pull and the lift on the breasts. It also changes the shape of the torso. So it is best to postpone breast surgery until after you have first reached the final trunk contour and body proportion with a body lift or tummy tuck. Then you can choose the appropriate size breast implant that would be harmonious with your final frame.

If you opt for multiple procedures, it is unlikely that they can all be performed at once, due to safety issues. A skilled and experienced plastic surgeon will optimize your safety by "staging" the body contouring process, often in intervals of every two months. This not only makes your safety a top priority. It also allows for optimal healing in between surgeries. If you are planning more than one surgery, your plastic surgeon should explain the impact of the earlier surgery on later ones.

Dr. Younai is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with formal training in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, as well as General Surgery at some of the most prestigious university residencies in the United States. As a cosmetic plastic surgeon he has had ample experience in performing post-bariatric body contouring surgeries including tummy tuck, abdominoplasty, Panniculectomy, belt Lipectomy, repair of ventral hernia, body lift, thigh lift, Brachioplasty, upper body lift, breast reduction, and breast lift.

At the California Center for Plastic Surgery Dr. Younai will review your treatment options for massive weight loss body contouring, including pros and cons of each procedure, potential risks and complications, recovery course, pre and post operative instructions, and aesthetic outcomes. There are also many before-and-after pictures and high resolution images of such procedures available in our photo gallery.

Dr. Younai receives patients from the Northern as well as the Southern California region. Some of these cities include Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Hollywood, Burbank, Pasadena, Glendale, Valencia, Palmdale, Fresno, and Oxnard.

Dr. Younai performs his surgeries at the Regency Surgery Center which is certified by Medicare, Blue Cross, AAAHC, and AAAASF. This state-of-the-art surgical facility is specially equipped and staffed to care for patients with massive weight loss. This outpatient surgery center is located in Encino, and near Sherman Oaks, Calabasas, Woodland Hills, Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, and Northridge.