Weight loss is often just the first step in a comprehensive plan to regain a trim silhouette
NEW YORK, Aug. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Major weight loss is often the realization of a long-held dream. But the achievement of this goal can bring unexpected consequences: loose skin that has lost its elasticity may hang off the body, affecting its newly slim appearance. Rather than a final outcome, major weight loss may be just the first step toward your desired silhouette, says Dr. Scott Zevon, a leading plastic surgeon in New York City.
Develop an Individualized Approach
Consulting with a plastic surgeon to develop a plan for body contouring after weight loss helps patients understand that their desired outcome may be best reached in stages. Crafting this type of surgical plan is highly individualized, says Dr. Zevon, because each patient's body is different. Some patients may have sagging in the abdomen, under the arms, or in the breasts for women, while others notice differences in their faces. In cases where sagging and loose skin is evident in a number of areas, a staged approach might be most appropriate, with procedures to address each issue. The following surgeries are often included in post-weight-loss surgical contouring:
- Breast lift to correct flattened or sagging breasts
- Tummy tuck to remove excess skin hanging over the abdomen
- Lower body lift to correct sagging skin of the buttocks, groin, outer thighs, and abdomen
- Thigh lift to correct sagging at the mid-thigh area
- Brachioplasty to remove excess skin from the upper arms
- Facelift to reduce sagging skin in the mid-face, jowls, or neck
Dr. Zevon advises patients that it may take several years to achieve optimum body contouring after major weight loss if a combination of these procedures is required. Body lifting surgery (also called surgical body contouring) will not only improve a patient's appearance, but strengthen the underlying body tissue in the affected areas.
Have Surgery at the Appropriate Time
To begin the process of body contouring, a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon is a key step; the surgeon can identify procedures that will tighten loose skin and bolster weak tissue. Dr. Zevon recommends that patients wait until their weight loss is complete and a stable weight is maintained before undergoing body contouring procedures, as continued weight loss will lead to additional sagging skin while rapid weight gain will cause stretch marks and large scars. When done at the appropriate time, body lifting surgery can be the final step in reclaiming the body after dramatic weight loss.
About Central Park Plastic Surgery: Scott J. Zevon, MD, FACS, has been featured in New York Magazine as one of the Best Doctors in New York and is listed in the Castle Connolly directory Best Doctors in New York. The Central Park Plastic Surgery offices and AAAASF-accredited ambulatory surgical facility are located at 75 Central Park West, New York, New York 10023. He can be reached by phone at 212-496-6600 or at http://www.drzevon.com
Media Contact: Mary Monahan, 212-496-6600, http://www.drzevon.com