Post Weight Loss Surgery
For patients who have lost a significant amount of weight either on their own or with assistance of bariatric surgery – first of all, congratulations!!
There are some patients who are fortunate enough to have their skin shrink back down on their own without any intervention. The majority, however, would benefit from surgical intervention (in one or more areas) performed by our plastic surgeon. The goal of these procedures is to tailor the skin to match the underlying “new you.” These procedures do involve scars which we try to make as inconspicuous as possible.
Extended or Circumferential Abdominoplasty
Some patients have extra skin (and possibly fatty tissue) that continues from the abdomen laterally and essentially wraps all of the way around to the back. In these situations we have the option of continuing the abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) around the sides onto the back and all of the way around if necessary. Dr. John M. Sarbak can even utilize some of the lower back tissue that would normally be thrown away to augment the buttock area. A procedure such as this also usually brings about some degree of tightening in the medial and lateral thigh areas.
We have been very pleased lately with Indian River Medical Center and their efforts to make some of our larger procedures more affordable for patients. This effort has made it possible for some patients to undergo procedures that would be considered too large for an outpatient setting.
Results Gallery
Arm Lift
This procedure is designed to target the skin (and sometimes fatty tissue) hanging down from the arms between the shoulder and the elbow. Some people refer to this as the “bat wing.” We try to position the surgical scar somewhat lower (than the traditional position at the mid arm) close to the medial undersurface of the arm. In my opinion, this scar is less noticeable. This procedure can be extended as needed beyond the elbow onto the forearm, and as necessary across the armpit to the lateral upper back. (This last possibility is designed to improve the extra tissue that hangs over the outside of the bra.) These techniques can also be combined with liposuction.
Thigh Lift
Excess hanging skin between the groin area and the knees can be a troubling side effect of weight loss. This excess can be addressed by direct surgical excision with or without liposuction. It most often involves a surgical scar that extends along the medial aspect of the thigh towards the knee, though in some cases the scar can be limited to the groin crease area.