YOU’VE LOST THE WEIGHT — NOW WHAT?
photo courtesy of Dr. Michael Cohen, Baltimore
Feeling like a wrinkly sac after achieving phenomenal weight loss can be demoralizing for anyone. Many people can find themselves 100, 150 or even 200 lbs slimmer after bariatric surgery or highly restrictive diets. But along with that tremendous weight loss comes excess skin.
Many opt for a “body lift”, one of the fastest growing areas of cosmetic surgery. A body lift or body contouring involves removing the excess skin remaining after weight loss. It’s more about removing excess skin than excess fat.
A body lift can encompass several types of surgery. A lower body lift would cover abdomen, buttocks and outer thighs. An upper body lift would handle excess skin on the breast, lateral chest and back. A lift on the extremities takes care of the arms and inner thighs.
This is a long and invasive surgery. It may be done in several surgeries to minimize the length of time you spend under anesthesia. It can be quite expensive depending on the amount of surgery required. Doctors warn that significant scarring is inevitable with this type of surgery. However, people are often so happy with the change in their quality of life that they deal quite well with the scarring.
