With gastric bypass surgery and other bariatric procedures becoming increasingly more popular among Americans, the need for body contouring surgery is also on the rise. Patients undergoing weight loss surgery who are morbidly obese are typically left with pounds of excess skin and fat that cannot be alleviated with exercise alone.
Often, a body contouring procedure such as an abdominal panniculectomy or upper arm and thigh lifts are needed to achieve the ultimate results of weight loss surgery.
Gastric bypass patient Mary Schwartz was relieved to finally undergo weight loss surgery after struggling with her weight her entire life, however, eventually, the results became stagnant and Smith was left with excess skin and fat amounting to nearly fifty pounds alone.
Despite Schwartz’s evident weight loss from the gastric bypass procedure, she still had difficulty walking and unbearable lower back pain. Her doctor Phillippe Capraro commented on her condition, “If she didn’t get the surgery she would continue to have rashes and ulceration under the roll of skin.”
“We are trying to assist her by removing some excess skin and fat that is hanging over her thighs,” added Capraro.
After Schwartz’s doctors deemed the body contouring procedure a medical necessity, the patient underwent a six-hour surgery to remove 44 pounds of excess skin and fat from her body.
“In her case, again, it’s a functional problem. I am allowing her to ambulate or walk and to be less dependent on her family members,” Dr. Capraro commented. “I get a lot of satisfaction operating on patients who have lost a lot of weight such as Mary,” he added.
Nearly two weeks after the surgery, Schwartz’s health had improved tremendously. The patient was able to move freely and walk without pain.
“I was amazed at how much better I felt after this surgery,” Schwartz commented. She added that she was the smallest she’d been since the age 14.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported that 55,927 body-contouring procedures took place in the United States in 2004, which was a 7 percent increase from 2003.
To learn more about body contouring procedures following bariatric surgery, you may wish to consult with a board certified plastic surgeon.