Losing a significant amount of weight (100 pounds or more) as a result of weight loss surgery or through diet and exercise will enhance your health, your outlook on life, and your appearance.

Often people who have achieved substantial weight loss can be left with large amounts of heavy, loose folds of skin around the abdomen, arms, thighs, breasts, buttocks and/or face. Skin can sag and lose elasticity from being stretched for a long period of time.  After a great amount of weight has been lost, the skin often does not shrink back to its former size and shape.

Allen Gabriel, MD, cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon with Southwest Medical Group Plastic Surgery specializes in body contouring and reconstructive surgeries.

Challenges of excess skin:
Excess skin can make getting dressed a chore; restrict mobility, and cause hygiene and medical problems.  Chronic skin-on-skin contact can result in rashes and other sores that can lead to infection.  Excess skin can also be a cosmetic issue.  People who have lost a large amount of weight often want their bodies to reflect the new, more confident and positive image they have of themselves.  Many times, the only way to remove excess skin left after extensive weight loss is through body-contouring plastic surgery.

Is body-contouring right for me?
The best outcomes from body contouring surgery are achieved when the following criteria are met:

Consistent weight: Has your weight been stable for at least a year with no further weight loss expected?  For best results, body contouring should not be done for approximately two years following the start of any extensive weight loss program.  This time allows the skin to shrink as much as possible and your nutrition to be stabilized and optimized, factors that will help significantly in your recovery.

Health status: Are you in good overall health?  Do you have any chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease?  People in poor health are not good candidates for body-contouring surgery procedures.  Each patient should see his or her primary care provider for approval to proceed with body-contouring surgery.

Nutrition: Do you eat a healthy diet?  Problems such as protein deficiencies can interfere with healing after surgery.

Abdomen:  Also known as a "tummy tuck," abdominoplasty involves removing excess skin and tightening of the underlying abdominal muscles.

Buttocks/upper thighs: A body lift, or belt lipectomy, is a procedure to remove skin and lift the thighs and buttocks.  This is usually performed as a continuation of an abdominal procedure.  The incision is made in the belt area in the upper hips and excess skin is removed below the incision.

Thighs: A medical thigh lift, is designed to remove excess skin from the upper leg, involves an incision along the inner thigh starting at the groin and extending as far as the knee.

Breasts: A number of breast procedures are available, including breast lift with or without augmentation (enlargement with implants) and breast reduction.

Face and neck: Removing excess skin around the face or neck after weight loss is akin to a traditional facelift, except that more skin is removed.  As a result, incisions need to be planned very carefully.  One incision is made in front of the ear, while another follows the hairline.

A combination of surgeries may be done at the same time, as long as safety can be maintained.

How long is recovery time?
All surgeries are performed in the hospital under general anesthesia, and most patients stay in the hospital one to four nights. A certain degree of soreness, swelling and bruising for two to three weeks after surgery is normal.  Most people can return to work after two to four weeks.

Will insurance cover body-contouring surgery?
Insurance companies usually do not cover body-contouring surgery because they consider it cosmetic.  In addition, insurance companies might not pay for treatment for an complications that can result from the surgery.  It is important for you to check your insurance benefits if you are considering body-contouring surgery procedures.  Your surgeon's office can give you estimates of how much you can expect each procedure to cost.

Learn more now about Dr. Gabriel's education and experience.