Surgery After Weight Loss
Conveniently located to serve the areas of Montreal, Quebec
Losing a significant amount of weight is a considerable achievement. Your body is healthier and many of the comorbid diseases related to obesity such as diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol are cured by your weight loss. Congratulation! However, massive weight loss causes excess skin in the face, breasts, abdomen, arms, and legs. Despite all the exercises, the skin never re-drapes to the new thinner body due to the loss of its elasticity that was caused by Obesity. Dr. Doumit, the renowned plastic surgeon, has been performing body contouring for many years with phenomenal aesthetic results. Patients with excess skin around their abdomen, arms, thighs, breasts, and face are great candidates for body contouring surgery such as abdominoplasty (also known as a tummy tuck), body lift, arms lift, thighs lift, mastopexy (also known as a breast lift) and facelift. Dr. Doumit will work with each patient post massive weight loss to determine the best way to achieve their goals.
Dr. Doumit is an exceptional surgeon. I first underwent an abdominoplasty as well as a redrapage and a breast augmentation with Dr. Doumit in April 2015. During the whole process, whether it be the first information meeting, pre-operative follow-ups, the surgery itself, or the numerous post-operative follow-ups Dr. Doumit was available, patient, and present in front of questions but especially of exemplary professionalism. At all times I have felt in good hands with an extremely competent team and a leader like Dr. Doumit whose talent is no longer to prove. The results of this surgery are impressive, very impressive. Which decided to have a lift of arms and thighs in July 2015. Again under the good care of Dr. Doumit, I felt taken care of. I felt that we were listening to my needs and that we understood the result I wanted. He advised me perfectly because he is concerned and meticulous about the result and his work. Dr. Doumit is available and he will always take the time it takes to answer all our questions and reassure our concerns (something I didn’t have because I quickly felt confident.) After 2 important Surgergia, I recommend Dr Doumit without any hesitation. You will certainly be satisfied with his work and his services, there is absolutely no doubt.
Contents
Before and After Photos
Ideal Candidate
The most successful outcomes from body contouring surgery when these key criteria are met:
- Weight trend: Has your weight remained stable for at least six months, with no further weight loss expected?
- Overall good health: Are you in overall good health? Do you have any chronic medical conditions (such as diabetes or heart disease)? People in poor health are not good candidates for body contouring procedures. It is highly recommended to consult a doctor to carefully assess your health before proceeding with surgery.
- Nutrition: Do you have an overall healthy diet? Problems such as vitamin or protein deficiencies might compromise optimal healing after surgery.
- Smoking history: Did you smoke in the past six weeks? If so, you will be instructed to quit smoking for this period before surgery as smoking slows down the healing process and increases the risk of serious complications during and after surgery.
- Individuals with a positive outlook on life and realistic expectations of what the body contouring procedure can accomplish for them are usually good candidates for body contouring procedures.
The best way to assess if you are a candidate for surgery after significant weight loss is to discuss your situation with Dr. Doumit at the Centre de Chirurgie Plastique et Esthetique de Montréal.
Preparation
The best preparation for your plastic surgery after a significant weight loss procedure includes discussing with Dr. Doumit important questions about your expectations and current health. Dr. Doumit will evaluate your general health status and any pre-existing health conditions. Dr. Doumit will offer you a pragmatic and honest opinion about what is best for you.
To ensure the best results of body contouring after significant weight loss, be prepared to discuss:
- Why do you want the surgery, your expectations, and desired outcome
- Medical conditions, drug allergies, and medical treatments
- Use of current medications, vitamins, herbal supplements, alcohol, tobacco and drugs
- Previous surgeries.
Dr. Doumit may also:
- Talk about your options for different body contouring procedures available to you and propose a treatment strategy.
- Assess the degree of skin laxity and evaluate muscle tone.
- Record your measurements in detail
- Evaluate your general health and any pre-existing health conditions or risk factors
- Take pictures for your medical record
- Discuss the expected results of surgery after a significant weight loss procedure and potential risk factors and complications of the procedure.
Details
There are a variety of body contouring surgeries that treat different body deformities. Dr. Doumit, a renowned plastic surgeon in Montreal, will work with you to assess and identify those problematic body areas that have been affected by significant weight loss and that are most bothersome to you.
The following areas are those most commonly affected by significant weight loss and treated by surgical intervention:
- Abdomen: Also known as a “tummy tuck,” an abdominoplasty involves removing surplus skin around the abdominal area and tightening the underlying abdominal muscles. An incision is made just above the pelvic region from hip to hip. The incision extends to the back to lift the buttock (belt lipectomy, circumferential abdominoplasty) when necessary. If there is severe skin laxity, a Fleur De Lys abdominoplasty is performed by making a vertical incision along the midline of the abdomen
A panniculectomy is the removal of an “apron” of excess skin and tissue overhanging below the belly button. The tightening of the abdominal muscles or extending the incision to the back is not performed during this surgery.
On certain occasions, an abdominal hernia is found. Hernias under a certain size can be repaired during the same procedure as that removing the excess abdominal skin.
- Buttocks/upper thighs: A belt lipectomy or lower body lift is a procedure in which skin is removed, lifting the lateral thighs and buttocks. This procedure is usually performed during or after an abdominal procedure. The incision is habitually made just above the buttock crease, extending in the belt area in the upper hips, and continues to join the abdominoplasty incision. Excess skin is removed, lifting the buttock, and lateral thighs and tightening the abdomen.
- Thighs: Also known as medial thigh lift, this procedure removes excess skin from the upper leg through an incision along the inner thigh starting at the groin and extending as far as the knee.
- Breasts: Various procedures exist for breasts, including breast lift, breast lift with augmentation, and breast reduction. Excess skin is usually removed through an upright incision along the middle of the breast, known as vertical mastopexy. Occasionally, an additional horizontal incision underneath the breast is needed in the shape of an inverted “T”, hence an inverted mastopexy.
- Arms: During a brachioplasty, also known as arm lift, excess skin is removed from the arms. An incision ranges from the armpit up to the elbow. Sometimes, this procedure can be accompanied by a breast procedure.
- Face and neck: In a face and neck procedure, excess skin is removed from the face and neck area. This procedure is similar to the usual facelift, except that more skin is removed.
An “upper body lift” is a body contouring procedure that may include a combination of arm, back, and breast/chest surgeries. A “lower body list” may include a combination of hips, thighs, abdomen, and buttocks surgeries. Such combination surgeries prolong the duration of the operation. They can only be performed if the safety of the patient can be maintained. The exact combination of procedures to be performed will be individually determined by Dr. Doumit during a consultation with you at the Centre De Chirurgie Plastique & Esthétique De Montréal.
Recovery
Following your body contouring procedure(s) after significant weight loss, Dr. Doumit will provide you with a compressive garment that will need to be worn for 4 to 6 weeks. The compression garment will tightly hold the skin in, reduce the swelling, and aid in the natural tightening of the skin. A small, thin draining tube may also be temporarily inserted under the skin to collect any fluid that the body forms during the healing process. The number of drains will depend on the procedure. In the recovery period, you may experience some moderate pain that is usually well-controlled with pain medications.
Swelling and bruising may be present for up to two or three weeks after surgery. Restrictions include no exercise and lifting of five pounds or more for two to four weeks. Walking is encouraged, however, no further exercise is recommended until full healing has been achieved. Most people can return to work two to four weeks after surgery, but people with physically demanding jobs should wait at least three weeks.
During the process of recovery, Dr. Doumit will monitor your progress regularly and will ensure the best results.
Results
Results of surgery after significant weight loss are perceivable almost immediately. As the swelling subsides and the scars fade, results gradually become more apparent. This might take several months, depending on individual needs. The result of a body contouring procedure may take as long as one year to be fully developed. Provided a stable weight and regular exercise, overall results will be permanent, along with visible scars from surgery. In the normal aging process, it is normal for your body to lose some firmness.
Follow-up with Dr. Doumit will ensure that results remain optimal and are long-lasting.
Safety
As in all surgical procedures, surgery after significant weight loss carries some risk.
Possible risks of a body contouring procedure include unfavorable scarring, bleeding, fluid accumulation, infection, bruising, poor wound healing, skin discoloration, swelling, soreness, major wound separation, asymmetry, persistent pain, swelling, blood clots in the legs, numbness or tightness.
Cost
The cost of surgery after significant weight loss varies according to the complexity of the surgery that needs to be performed. Dr. Doumit will discuss the costs with you.
