Cosmetic surgery after massive weight loss

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Nine million American adults are affected by morbid obesity, which is defined as a Body Mass Index of 40 or more (about 100 pounds or more overweight).  Morbid obesity puts people at significantly increased risks of serious health problems, including developing type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, gastroesophageal reflux, pancreatitis, liver problems, respiratory problems, sleep apnea, arthritis, back pain, kidney disease and certain types of cancer. 

Not only does losing weight mean drastically reducing the risk of suffering serious health complications, but it can also help increase the quality of life and ease the intense body stresses the additional weight can cause.  While most people know the importance of diet and exercise to lose weight, people that are morbidly obese may be unable to achieve significant weight loss through traditional weight loss methods for a variety of reasons.

Bariatric surgery is intended for people considered morbidly obese, but the weight loss surgery is a very serious procedure that must be carefully reviewed alongside a reputable surgeon.  There are several different bariatric surgical techniques, but they all have the same goal – to reduce the number of calories the patient’s body can absorb by reducing the size of the stomach.  Research has shown patients who lose weight after undergoing bariatric surgery will decrease or eliminate their risk for many of the health complications associated with obesity.

When people gain weight they acquire excess fat, as well as excess skin.  After bariatric surgery patients will experience weight loss, but they will find their skin remains, often leaving unsightly sagging skin.  Following the weight loss, patients will visit cosmetic surgeons for body contouring in order to remove the excess fat and smooth out skin lines.  It will depend on the severity of the excess skin to determine which body contouring techniques will be the most appropriate. 

Liposuction sucks out the excess fat in specific areas of the body by inserting a thin, hollow tube, called a cannula, into a small incision made in the skin, which is connected to a vacuum device.  Cosmetic surgeons may also perform a tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, to eliminate excess skin and tighten muscles in the abdominal wall.  The skin is pulled down, to achieve a flatter appearance, and the excess is cut away.

The number of body contouring procedures continues to rise in the U.S., along with the increase in bariatric surgeries.  Body contouring is not intended as a weight loss option, but as a way to spot treat certain areas of the body that have not responded to diet and exercise or bariatric surgery when it applies. 

Body contouring is able to effectively eliminate a lot of the sags, but bariatric surgery patients often have skin sagging in the pubic area as well.  Utilizing the PULL technique, developed specifically to address this particular area of skin sagging by plastic surgeon Steve Fallek, M.D., cosmetic surgeons can greatly improve the appearance of the area using a combination of liposuction and skin lifting.

PULL stands for pubic undermining lift and liposuction.  First, the surgeon makes two small incisions in the pubic area near the bikini line and removes the excess fat in the area with liposuction.  The incision is then enlarged, and the skin is lifted and pulled to create a smooth appearance, with the excess skin being cut away.  Sometimes, a cosmetic surgeon will pair the PULL procedure up with another body contouring procedure for optimal results.

 

 


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