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It isn’t a secret anymore; according to the Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 3 Americans are obese. Many individuals are now turning to the very effective, weight-loss procedure, bariatric surgery, as part of their plan. Bariatric surgery will likely leave the patient much thinner, but what about the stretched, excess skin left behind?

That’s where plastic surgery near Lakeland, FL comes to play. Board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Shienbaum offers various body contouring procedures for patients struggling with excess skin after losing a lot of weight.

No Alternatives for Excess Skin

Although there are some skin tightening lasers and technology in the cosmetic field, the solution for excess skin simply is a body contouring procedure. Many bariatric surgery patients find themselves underwhelmed because they lost so much weight, but loose skin still hangs from their now thinner body. These extra folds may make an individual feel unattractive or self-conscious in tight-fitting clothes, a bathing suit, or even naked.

The Realistic Expectations of a Body Lift

The biggest challenge for most patients is understanding that your body requires a little bit of loose or extra skin to sit down, stand up and perform other activities. Every massive weight loss patient is unique and have different areas they would like to address. The goal of Dr. Shienbaum’s body contouring method is to take off the most excess skin possible, while leaving scars in the most inconspicuous places as possible.

The Three Main Areas of Concern

The three main areas of concern after weight loss are typically the stomach, breasts, and arms where excess skin is present. With an arm lift, the best option for scar location includes inside of the arm, so it is not visible when resting against the side of your body.

As for the stomach, treating a weight-loss patient is significantly different than treating a post-pregnancy patient. First, there is just more excess skin. Second, the looseness of the skin is both vertical and horizontal, so the incision may need to extend around the torso. However, this case is the most extreme of excess skin removal.

The breasts are generally left sagging, and deflated. Depending on how much extra skin you have and how far your breasts sag, you may require a breast lift, breast augmentation, or a combinational approach to achieve fullness.

Summary

In general, post-bariatric patients, or patients who have undergone massive weight loss, should listen to their plastic surgeon about the realistic expectations of their body lift procedure in Riverview, FL. Additionally, patients should be at their target weight for at least six months before considering plastic surgery. But for stretched, excess skin, the only way to remove it is surgically.

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Dr. Marvin Shienbaum is a double-board-certified plastic surgeon with over 30 years of experience in all forms of Cosmetic Surgery, including Tummy Tucks, Breast Augmentations, Mommy Makeovers, Liposuction, and Brazilian Butt Lifts. Providing services to the entire Tampa Bay area, including Riverview, Lakeland, Brandon, and Tampa, Florida. To find out more about these procedures, please visit brandonplasticsurgery.com.