CosBeauty Magazine #83

Surgery
after
massive
weight loss
As bariatric, or weight loss, surgery
becomes more popular, so too has
the need for body contouring
procedures such as tummy tucks,
breast lifts, thigh lifts and upper arm
lifts, which are usually associated with
significant weight loss, according to
new data from the American Society
of Plastic Surgery.
Bariatric surgery has become much
more common over the past decade.
As these patients lose weight they
may have excess ’loose’ skin and need
plastic surgery procedures to remove it
a year or two later.
Roughly one in five people who have
weight loss surgery will need body
contouring as well.
It is usually recommended that
doctors wait until weight loss is
complete before assessing whether
a patient is a good candidate for skin
removal procedures, and then only
performing one at a time.
In addition to abdominoplasty, other
common cosmetic surgeries following
massive weight loss include an arm lift,
thigh lift and breast lift.
Breast Lift
What is it?
For a small lift, the peri-areola mastopexy is commonly used,
with an incision made around the nipple. The nipple is
elevated and the skin envelope is moved so the nipple sits
higher on the breast mound.
For a larger lift, the anchor-incision technique may be
used. It involves an incision being made around the nipple
and vertically down, with another incision horizontally
under the breast. Another common breast lift method is the
shorter scar LeJour technique. In both cases, the excess skin
is removed and the nipple placed higher.
Ideal candidate?
A breast augmentation can return shape to a flattened,
sagging breast, but it is commonly combined with
mastopexy (breast lift surgery) to raise the breasts to a more
aesthetically pleasing position. In other patients, a breast
reduction may be more suitable following weight loss, and
again this is usually combined with a mastopexy to achieve
the best results.
Results?
Rounder, fuller breasts with higher projection and
repositioned to a more youthful and attractive position.
Notably, a mastopexy can help reduce the appearance
of back rolls, or sagging skin on the sides and back of a
weight-loss patient. By pulling the tissue upwards, and
excising a significant amount of skin in the process, breast
lifting can smooth, lift and tighten the skin around the
patient’s rib cage.
Initial recovery takes around five to seven days and
resulting scars should fade over time. CBM
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