Body Contouring Surgery

The body contouring surgery is a cosmetic surgery that helps improve the shape and proportions of the body. This generally, is done after an extreme weight loss due to either dieting or bariatric surgery. The sudden weight loss leaves the skin loose and saggy. The affected areas are the abdomen, buttocks, thighs, breasts, upper arm, neck, face, i.e., the areas where there is the most deposition of fat during weight gain. Some people with excess skin and soft slacking tissue also undergo this surgery.

Overview
The body contouring or body sculpting is done to various parts of the body. Most common one is the abdominoplasty, that is also known as tummy tuck. In this surgery, a cut is made at the lower abdomen and excess skin and fat is removed. This is done after pregnancy as well to remove the loose skin and is often accompanied by liposuction. Next is the belt lipectomy, where the buttocks, thighs and hips are shaped. It is mostly an extension of abdominoplasty in case of heavy weight loss. These two are together called the lower body lift.

Brachioplasty or the arm lift is done to give shape to the flabby arms. In this surgery, a cut is made from above the elbow to the arm pit. This is done on the inner side of the arm and the loose skin as well as fat is removed. Mastoplexy or the breast lift is done to the individuals who have sagging breasts due to age or due to weight loss. It definitely acts as a confidence booster for most women. The cut is generally made around the areola, below the breast horizontally, or from the nipple to the bust line vertically, depending upon the shape desired. The surgery is performed to remove excess skin and to tighten the tissues. These are together called upper body lift and may include the tightening of back skin as well.

Often face and neck lift is also recommended to excess weight loss patients. The surgery tightens the skin of face and neck. Since the area is very prominently visible, the cut to be made has to be inconspicuous. Generally for facelift the cut follows the hair line on the side as well as in front of the ear. For neck lift, the incision is made behind the ear, extending to the scalp.

Surgery after Weight Loss
Most of us strive for that perfect figure of an hourglass and to achieve it we go through a lot. To shed off the excess weight that we accumulate, we go for a workout, diet and when we want the results to be quick, bariatric weight loss surgery and liposuction comes to the rescue. But with quick weight loss, comes the loose and sagging skin that did not get time to tighten or get back to shape due to the sudden fat loss. This skin needs to be tightened to give a presentable shape to the body. This is where body contouring surgery after weight loss comes into picture.

After the bariatric surgery, the patient may have certain nutritional deficiencies and hence, in general, they are asked to keep a gap of at least a year between both the surgical procedures. The success of this surgery depends on the age, and on the size and shape of the area to be treated. The type of scar resulting from the surgery depends on the area of skin to be tightened. The scar is more noticeable in case of post surgical fat removal. Although, after the surgery, you would definitely feel more confident in wearing body hugging clothes.

Yo have to keep few essential things that in mind before going for this surgery:

• The weight should be stable for more than a year if you want to go in for this surgery. This time allows the excess skin after weight loss, to shrink as much on its own.
• You must have a healthy diet. Any deficiency in body may lead to certain complications during the healing phase post surgery. Also, you must quit smoking at least 2 months before the surgery.
• Lastly, you must be psychologically prepared for the surgery. Keeping realistic expectations helps because the surgery will not make you look like you did in your teens.

The surgery needs a hospital stay of at least 4-5 days. You may experience slight pain, soreness and swelling post this surgery. You can resume your day-to-day routine within 2-3 weeks but if you are required to do a lot of physical work, you may be advised to take rest for more than 4 weeks.

Cost
The excess skin removal cost depends on many factors such as your location, the surgeon, the time and effort required for the procedure and other costs like lab charges, anesthesiologist and the cost of hospital stay. On an average, the cost is in between $8,000-$15,000. This cost is highly variable, for example, in Los Angeles, you may be charged as much as $28,000 for the tummy tuck and up to $12,000 for face lift surgery.

Risks
There are a few risks involved in the body contouring surgery for excess skin removal, that you must know, before undergoing the surgery. The dangers include infection, bleeding, abnormal scarring and asymmetrical appearance. In some serious cases, there may be separation of incision, loosening of skin or tissue death. There may also be blockage and blood clot formation in the blood vessels that may lead to further complications. Apart from these, there are few side effects that are also seen post surgery that includes swelling, pain and numbness, bruising and scar formation.

Talk to your health care provider about the pros and cons of body contouring for your case, before you decide to spend money in this process. Also keep in mind that since the surgery is cosmetic in nature, the medical insurance will not cover the cost of either the surgery or the subsequent repercussions of it.