Cosmetic surgery can be a great addition to bariatric procedures such as LAP-BAND® near Bakersfield. After dramatic weight loss, many men and women still struggle with loose, excess skin and stubborn areas of fat. A cosmetic surgery procedure such as liposuction or a tummy tuck can be a wonderful complement to weight loss surgery and often provides the “finishing touches” on a patient’s new, slimmer physique.

Safety Information

One of the questions my LAP-BAND patients frequently ask me is whether or not it is safe to undergo cosmetic surgery after a LAP-BAND is placed. The answer is yes – you can have a successful cosmetic result after LAP-BAND surgery; however, it’s important that your surgeon understand that you have had that procedure in order to take precautions to avoid harming the LAP-BAND access port. Additionally, it’s best to wait until your weight has stabilized before undergoing cosmetic surgery since additional weight loss may affect the results.

Popular Post-Weight Loss Procedures

There are several options for body contouring after weight loss surgery. These procedures can help to remove excess skin and can provide a smoother body shape. Some common choices include:

• Liposuction
• Tummy tuck
• Arm lift
• Thigh lift
• Body lift

Enhancing Your Results

A proper diet and good fitness routine can help to accelerate weight loss and create more shapely body contours. By living a healthy lifestyle and making good decisions regarding nutrition and exercise, you can enjoy sustained weight loss and a better quality of life.

When considering bariatric surgery near Fresno, timeliness is very important. If the decision is made too abruptly (meaning that the patient is unwilling to adopt different lifestyle habits), the success of the surgical outcome may be compromised. On the other hand, waiting too long for weight loss surgery may pose a greater health risk for obesity-related issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Therefore, it is extremely important to plan for surgery at a time that is appropriate for the patient physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Typically, I use the following criteria as a guide when determining whether or not an individual is ready for bariatric surgery. Most men and women who are good candidates exhibit the following characteristics:

• Possess realistic expectations about their results
• Are committed to making lifestyle changes in diet and exercise
• Do not suffer from drug addictions or psychological issues
• Are at least 100 pounds overweight or have a BMI of 30 or greater
• Have been medically cleared for surgery

If you are considering a weight loss procedure in Walnut Creek such as bariatric surgery, it’s important to start planning the plastic surgery phase of your transformation now. Many people who experience massive weight loss experience a reduction in skin laxity. By consulting a qualified plastic surgeon now, you can understand the different body contouring options available and have time to make the right decision for you.

To start planning your post-weight loss surgery, I suggest scheduling a meeting with a board-certified plastic surgeon to discuss the following:

Your expectations: Discuss your goals for surgery and your expectations about the results. Your surgeon can provide you with a realistic idea of what can be achieved through the combination of weight loss and surgery.

Your priorities: Achieving the results you want often takes multiple procedures. Discuss your priorities with your surgeon. Your surgeon can then work with you to customize a treatment plan.

Timing: Most people are required to maintain a stable weight for several months before having plastic surgery. Your plastic surgeon will evaluate your progress and help you determine when you are physically and psychologically ready for surgery.

Many of my post weight loss patients in Sacramento are considering a lower body lift. This dramatic procedure, sometimes referred to as torsoplasty or belt lipectomy, produces significant body shaping results.

Used to reshape the entire torso, this procedure addresses common trouble spots which include the midsection, buttocks and lateral (outer) thighs. By targeting excess skin and stubborn fat deposits which affect the midbody area, it helps my patients achieve substantial improvements to their overall appearance.

Ideal candidates for this type of surgery have reached and are maintaining their goal weight. They also have moderate to severe drooping of the skin. I recommend torsoplasty for patients who want to successfully address common “trouble spots.”

• Getting Help for Love Handles – Love handles may sound cute, but as a post weight loss patient, you know they are anything but. Torsoplasty removes an entire belt of skin and fat from around the abdomen and hips, where excess fat and loose tissue are likely to remain after significant weight loss.
• Achieving Better Bottom Lines – People who have lost a lot of weight often have buttocks that appear flat or droopy. Torsoplasty can be used to reshape and elevate the rear. Fat repositioning or transfer also can be used to add volume if necessary.
• Taking Your Thighs Higher – As needed, stubborn fat deposits are removed from the outer thighs to smooth their appearance. Excess skin is also removed from this area and the skin is lifted to improve the appearance of the outer thighs and buttocks.

Torsoplasty is an extensive procedure that should be performed only by a highly skilled, trained and experienced plastic surgeon. If you are considering this procedure, do your homework by consulting with several plastic surgeons and viewing before and after photographs of their patients.

Weight loss can make you feel great, but once you’ve lost the weight, how do you transform that better body into one that’s truly healthy – and makes you happy?

When patients who’ve achieved significant weight loss consider Sacramento plastic surgery to remove excess skin, they often don’t know where to begin. The time, money and effort they’ve invested in getting to where they are so far excite them. They can’t wait to take that final step toward a better body.

Before beginning down that road, there are a few steps you should take.

Losing Weight: If you’re still struggling to lose weight, take heart – 55% of all Americans believe they’re overweight. The weight loss community is a caring one, which is why our website features a list of resources for those in need of support. (Check them out here). Losing weight can benefit your body in many ways. A few include lowered blood pressure, reduced aches and pains and a more satisfying appearance.

Maintaining a Stable Weight: If you’ve already lost a lot of weight (or are nearly there), you’re familiar with the benefits outlined above. Maintaining a stable weight over a sustained period of time, avoiding empty calories and increasing protein intake will further prepare you for surgery, allowing us to develop a contouring plan that’s appropriate and comprehensive – meeting all of your individual needs.

Conducting Your Initial Research: Post weight loss procedures should empower you to look as good as you feel. If you want to put the finishing touches on your weight loss achievement, find out more about all of the procedures available to you. Research midbody surgery, breast/chest surgery, arm lifts, thigh lifts, facial rejuvenation and more. Gather this information before going any further.

Schedule Your Consultation: Set aside some time to consult with at least one plastic surgeon who has experience performing post-bariatric plastic surgery procedures. The surgeon you ultimately choose should provide pictures of prior results and let you know what you can expect to reasonably achieve. Make sure you’re comfortable with team members involved in the process. If not, schedule additional consultations until you find the right fit.

Patients at my practice in Sacramento achieve weight loss in many ways before coming in to body contouring surgeries. Some have lost weight with the help of prescription diet pills, such as Phentermine and Adipex. While these weight loss aids can be safe and effective when prescribed by a doctor and used correctly, they are not meant to be used for prolonged periods of time. Additionally, they can have negative consequences which include dependence and long-term health concerns.

Those who have used diet pills to jumpstart or maintain their weight loss appreciate the appetite-suppressing and energy-boosting effects they provide. But when not taking diet pills, many people report a recurrence of appetite and a draining loss of energy.

If not prescribed and administered under the close supervision of a qualified doctor, diet pills can become addicting. Even over-the-counter diet pills have their fair share of problems. For starters, many of these pills are ineffective. Worse, these pills may cause negative interactions between medications being taken to control diabetes, blood pressure or other diseases.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s Internet Pharmacy Task Force identifies and monitors websites which sell drugs illegally to US consumers. One of the FDA’s goals is to control the number of instances in which unauthorized sales of diet pills are completed without a valid, doctor-authorized prescription.

In certain circumstances, diet pills may have a place in a more complete weight loss plan. I take an interest in educating my patients about all of the weight loss options available to them, because a patient who is healthy going into post weight loss plastic surgery is much more likely to have a positive outcome and experience.

You’ve probably heard about toning shoes – the shoes with a distinct curved sole that are meant to help build leg muscles and increase calorie burn. Like thousands of people in the Bay Area, you may even own a pair. I’ve had a few patients recently asking about whether these shoes can help them avoid a body contouring procedure in Walnut Creek such as abdominoplasty, liposuction or a body lift. While I always support a person’s effort to lead a healthier and more active lifestyle, I doubt that these shoes will contribute much to a person’s overall level of fitness.

Fancy Footwork

Toning shoes supposedly increase calorie burn and muscle toning by keeping people a little off-balance with their “rocker-bottom” soles. While this makes some sense in theory, potential drawbacks of the rocker-bottom shoes include higher risk of falling for people with balance problems (potentially causing fractures), as well as back and knee pain. The shoes change your stride; it’s what they’re intended to do, but those changes could have unpleasant results.

Ultimately, even if the shoes are safe and they help you exercise more and lose weight, a body contouring procedure may still be needed to create your ideal look. Pockets of unwanted fat may still remain, and if you lose a significant amount of fat, you may need to reduce excess skin as well. For that kind of improvement, surgery really is the only option.

If the Shoe Fits

If you really want to look and feel your best, exercise more and watch your diet carefully. If you get a pair of toning shoes and they help you raise your level of fitness, stick with them. And, when you’re sure that you’ve tried every possible solution, but you’re still not happy with the way you look, it might be time to revisit your surgical options.

Before you know it, we’ll be finished with the holidays and celebrating the beginning of a New Year. If you’re like many men and women, your resolution is to work out more and slim down a bit. If you’re at or near your ideal weight and just need a little encouragement, liposuction just might be able to help you along.

First, let me explain one very important point: liposuction is not a weight loss method. It is only appropriate for people who are not overweight and have tried to improve their figure through diet and exercise. That said, liposuction has helped some of my liposuction patients in Columbus, Ohio get in better shape or stay in shape.

Why? Once they’ve had those “trouble spots” slimmed, people feel inspired and motivated to keep their figure looking good. Many men and women report that, after liposuction, they feel more confident about how they look in tight-fitting athletic gear. When they’re not self-conscious about minor bulges, they are less worried about hitting the gym in more revealing garb.

If you’ve been considering liposuction, maybe it’s time to take the next step. You can start 2011 looking your best, feeling your best, and excited about your active lifestyle.

Bariatric surgery requires a lot of post-operative dedication for patients, but even after working hard to lose 50 or more pounds, patients can still be left with signs of their obesity including excess skin, cellulite or even stubborn fatty deposits that remind them of their previous weight. After investing so much time, energy, money and emotional effort into radically changing their lifestyle, it can be very disappointing when patients still look overweight or need to wear larger clothes because of excess skin. Since bariatric surgery does not treat excess skin or cellulite, many of my patients choose to undergo plastic surgery as one of the final steps in their journey toward a healthier and fitter body.

Plastic surgery can be a tool to truly sculpt the body into a new shape, bringing about great physical and psychological benefits for patients. Following body contouring procedures, my patients may fit into clothing better and may be more comfortable without all that excess skin. A patient’s self-confidence also benefits from plastic surgery; patients often feel more confident in their appearance and are not afraid to show off their new figure in a swimsuit or more fitted clothing. Once the reminders of obesity are removed, many of my patients feel liberated from their past and want to celebrate their accomplishments with greater confidence.

Procedures like abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), thigh lifts, breast lifts and other surgeries not only bring post bariatric surgery patients one step closer to their ideal shape and size, they also help patients feel like themselves again. For that benefit alone, I highly recommend that my patients undergo cosmetic plastic surgery following their obesity surgery in the Bay Area.

When considering bariatric surgery, many women and men also are concerned about the cosmetic outcome of their procedure. Having weight loss surgery may improve various aspects of a person’s life such as overall health and ability to engage in exercise. However, while many post-bariatric patients report feeling better about their body image, sometimes it is necessary to have a cosmetic procedure such as an abdominoplasty or liposuction in Miami to achieve the look originally envisioned.

Sagging, excess skin will occur following bariatric surgery, as the skin is not able to retighten to fit the patient’s new, slimmer shape. Other post-bariatric cosmetic surgery procedures that can be performed include a body lift or arm lift to remove these areas of loose skin while also targeting pockets of residual fat tissue.

Losing the Weight, Loving Your Look

When a patient has decided on both bariatric and cosmetic surgery, they sometimes wonder whether the same surgeon can and should perform both procedures. There are indeed some bariatric surgeons who subsequently perform cosmetic surgery for their patients. However, in most cases surgeons choose to specialize, meaning that a patient will have one bariatric surgeon and a different cosmetic surgeon. Ideally, these two doctors will work closely together to develop a surgical plan.

The Value of Specialization

There’s something to be said for your doctor being an “expert” in a particular field. It is very difficult for a doctor to master even one discipline, let alone two. This is why most patients choose a doctor who specializes in bariatric surgery and then select a cosmetic surgeon to address the loose skin and residual fat that occurs as they lose the weight.

If you’ve had a bariatric procedure along with cosmetic surgery, who performed the cosmetic enhancements? And how did you select your cosmetic surgeon?