Body Contouring After Bariatric Surgery - Does it Help the Body?

The desire to lose weight is one shared by many people. If someone is considered to be extremely obese and they are having trouble losing weight through a regular diet and exercise program, they might consider having bariatric surgery (which also includes gastric bypass surgery). Bariatric surgery is also performed when a person is experiencing serious health issues due to their weight. While having bariatric surgery to reach the desired weight should be celebrated, the loss of an extreme amount of weight (such as 100 pounds) can leave excess skin behind on the body. Let’s take a look at how body contouring procedures address this issue and help to improve the look of the body.

Body Contouring After Bariatric Surgery – Ideal Candidates

An ideal candidate for a body contouring procedure is a person who has already reached their final weight goal and has also made the commitment to not regain so much weight that they will once again be diagnosed as obese. In addition, the ideal patient will have excess skin that is located in certain areas of the body, but they do not have a good amount of excess fat that is left on the body.

A good candidate can be a person who is experiencing issues with skin hygiene and is looking to reduce the occurrence of an infection or skin rash that can often form between the folds of excess skin on the body.

No matter the reason for the bariatric surgery, the patient needs to have realistic expectations when it comes to the final results. Instead of just assuming what type of results they will see after the procedure, they need to chat with a board-certified surgeon who can explain how each patient will see different results depending on how much work needs to be done and their own individual healing process.

Body Contouring After Bariatric Surgery – Popular Procedures

Abdominoplasty, which is also known as a tummy tuck, is performed to give the abdomen a tighter and more toned look along with a better contour. The changes to the contour of the body are made by removing excess skin and fat from the abdomen. The procedure is also able to give a look to the weakened or separated muscles in the abdominal wall that is smooth and firm. The final results include a flatter stomach as well as an improved stomach tone. This procedure should not be performed before bariatric surgery as it is not intended for weight loss or for someone who is still considered to be obese.

CoolSculpting is a nonsurgical body contouring procedure where the doctor uses a special tool in order to cool targeted areas of the body to a freezing temperature. The freezing temperature is able to freeze and kill fat cells in the treated part of the body. Within a few weeks after the procedure, the body of the patient will break down the dead fat cells and flush them out of the body through the liver. While CoolSculpting is not intended to tighten loose skin on the body, the treatment can improve the look of lax tissue and provide an improved tone and texture to the skin in areas of the body such as the abdomen, thighs, back, and arms.

Mastopexy, which is also known as a breast lift, gives the breasts a look that is more refreshed and rejuvenated instead of their current saggy or droopy look. The surgeon will remove excess skin that is located in the area of the breasts in order to reshape the breasts and give the surrounding skin a tighter look and feel. Keep in mind that a breast lift is not able to alter the size of the breasts so patients that want a different breast size need to talk to their doctor about breast augmentation.

Body Contouring After Bariatric Surgery – Recovery and Risks

The amount of recovery time after a body contouring procedure depends on the type of procedure that is performed along with the extent of the work performed by the surgeon and the individual healing ability of the patient.

The appearance of a scar also depends on the choice of procedure and the extent of the changes made by the surgeon. This is something that should be discussed in advance with the doctor who is performing the body contouring procedure.

Some of the most common risks of these treatments include bruising, swelling, an infection, redness, asymmetrical results, and possible difficulties with the healing of a wound.

As shown in this section, the recovery and risks of a body contouring procedure vary per treatment and per individual. In order to determine the right approach to contouring the body after bariatric surgery, the patient needs to be examined by their doctor to make sure they are healthy enough to have the procedure of choice and that they are an ideal candidate for the desired treatment.

- MA