Plastic Surgery After Bariatric surgery

Many people dream of losing weight and attaining that perfect body everyone craves. Yet only a small percentage of these people are able fulfill this dream by dieting and exercise alone. An overwhelming majority of people discover losing weight cannot be achieved by simply exercising. Fortunately, a viable option has emerged on the market that will reduce weight, and in less time: bariatric surgery. This method of surgery operates on the stomach and intestines areas to remove fat, and ultimately lose weight.

Plastic surgery and bariatric surgery share an equal role on the journey to a more attractive body. After bariatric surgery, especially in patients who have lost a tremendous amount of fat, the skin often fails to tighten, thus causing sagging and hanging. This sagging skin becomes visible around the arms, thighs, buttocks, and midsection, leaving these areas susceptible to skin infection, irritation, and pain. Unfortunately, dieting and exercising does not reduce the sagginess and tighten the skin back to its regular shape. Luckily, there is another way to do so. Plastic surgery is the most failsafe way to tighten the hanging skin – by removing specific portions of it. This procedure is called post-bariatric surgery and is designed to tighten areas of loose skin and make patients feel more confident about his/her appearance.

Post-bariatric surgery can provide improved body contours by removing the excess skin through procedures such as tummy tuck surgery (abdominoplasty), breast lift surgery (mastopexy), arm lift surgery (brachioplasty), thigh lift surgery, and body lift surgery (belt lipectomy). The most common post-bariatric body contouring surgery procedure performed is tummy tuck (abdomen reduction) surgery. It is followed by breast lift or breast reduction surgery. These procedures are performed on both men and women.

Another type of plastic surgery, known as face lift, removes excess skin and tightens it in and around the neck and face. If surgery is performed under the jaw line and in the neck area, it is known as a neck lift.

A cosmetic treatment known as Botox simultaneously treats both the neck and face area for any unwanted features, such as wrinkles. Botox injections temporarily paralyze the muscles responsible for facial wrinkles, especially frown lines on the forehead, under the skin. However, the effects of Botox are not permanent and only last for three to six months.

To reduce the appearance of wrinkles, Botox is injected – through a needle – into the appropriate part of the face to relax the specific muscles. During a face lift, incisions are made onto your skin to gently pull and lift wrinkles out. Face lifts require anesthesia and some cutting/stitching. It depends on individual choice, preference, and affordability to choose among the two.

The appropriate post-bariatric surgery procedure should only be considered after weight has been stabilized. Generally, eighteen months are required for the stabilization of weight, but this varies based on the individual’s weight before the procedure. Performing a skin tightening procedure prior to weight stabilization may result in the need for further skin tightening in the future.

Any surgical procedures involve some degree of risk and trade-off benefits. In plastic surgery there is a great possibility of visible scars. If one is unwilling to accept scars, he/she should not have this operation, as it is difficult to predict if and when the scars will diminish.

Contact us for Tummy Tucks and Plastic Surgery in Monterrey, Mexico