Losing a large amount of weight (100 pounds or more) as a result of weight loss surgery or through diet and exercise is a major accomplishment that will enhance your health, your outlook on life, and your appearance.
Many people who have achieved great weight loss can be left with large amounts of heavy, loose folds of skin around the abdomen, arms, thighs, breasts, buttocks and face. Skin can sag and lose elasticity as a result of being stretched for a long period of time. After significant weight loss, the skin often fails to shrink back to its former size and shape.
Problems of excess skin
Excess skin can make getting dressed a chore, limit mobility, and cause hygiene and medical problems. Chronic skin-on-skin contact can result in rashes and other sores that can lead to infection. In addition, excess skin can be a cosmetic issue. People who have lost a large amount of weight often want their bodies to reflect the new, more positive image they have of themselves. Many times, the only way to remove excess skin left after extensive weight loss is through body-contouring plastic surgery.
Risks and side effects of surgery
Most body-contouring procedures involve making an incision in the least obvious part of the area to be trimmed, removing excess skin, and suturing the area with fine stitches to minimize scarring. With these types of procedures, scarring is unavoidable. Liposuction may be used in conjunction with some procedures.
Because of the significant amount of skin to be removed during contouring surgery, there are greater associated risks than with standard cosmetic surgery.
Risks include:
▪ Bleeding
▪ Infection
▪ Separation of incision
▪ Skin laxity (looseness)
▪ Skin necrosis (tissue death)
▪ Abnormal scar formation
▪ Formation of a seroma (a mass or lump caused by fluid buildup in a tissue or organ)
▪ Asymmetry (unbalanced appearance)
▪ Unsatisfactory results
Rare risks include:
▪ Deep vein thrombosis (blockage caused by restriction in a vein, possibly leading to the formation of a clot)
▪ Pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung)
▪ Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
▪ Pneumonia
