Christopher D. Prevel, MD (retired)

One of the most frustrating outcomes of Body Contouring Surgery Following Weight Loss is the re-stretching of the skin, especially to the Upper Arms or Inner Thighs. The degree of stretching is due to many factors: age, genetics, amount of skin/fat removed during surgery. Some patients need a second operation to achieve their goals.

I recommend that you have a consultation with your Plastic Surgeon to explore the options that are available. I do not recommend any Laser Skin Tightening/Velashape treatments or any other non-surgical treatment based upon the information you provided in your question.

A focused upper arm/shoulder exercise program combined with your Brachioplasty Surgery will give you the best contour. Your action plan should consist of:

1. Personal trainer who will help you isolate and develop the Deltoids/Biceps/Triceps muscles of the upper arm and shoulder. This will improve your "deep volume."

2. Brachioplasty Surgery (combined skin resection and SMARTLIPO MPX or Erchonia LIPOLaser Liposuction sculpting of the fatty tissue)

3. Laser Skin tightening/Velashape to improve the tone and stretchmarks of the skin.

Good Luck with your surgery!

Scar Revision following Brachioplasty  (Body Contouring Surgery) is a common procedure performed under local anesthesia in an office setting. However, Contour Revision combined  with Scar Revision may require a return to the operating room with a greater level of anesthesia depending on the extent of the revision that you require.

Prior to revision of any Body Contouring Surgery site, it is important to compare, with your Plastic Surgeon, your pre-operative photos with your most recent post-operative photos. If your main goal is improvement in the appearance of the scar, and you only wish to have a portion of the scar revised, then an in office procedure is the most economical way to proceed. However, if you are unhappy with the shape of your arm (contour) as well as the look of the scar, then you may need a return visit to the operating room to achieve an optimum outcome.

A frank conversation with your Plastic Surgeon is the best way to proceed.

Good Luck!

Based upon the information provided in your question, you seem to be the ideal candidiate for breast reduction: trim, healthy and with symptoms of neck pain/back pain/shoulder pain that have not been relieved with non-surgical treatment. I recommend the following:

1. See your Pediatrician with your Mom and ask she/he to order x-rays to determine if your bony growth plates have closed. If they are closed, your have stopped growing in height. In addition, if your breasts have not changed in size in the last year, they have also likely stopped growing (except if you gain weight).

2. Ask your Mom to schedule a consultation with at least 2 Plastic Surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (you can check on line to confirm their certification) that have been recommended by other Nurses, Physicians and family members and friends. They will be able to provide you detailed information that will help you and your Mom make an informed decision.

Even with all of this information and if you choose to proceed with surgery, it is possible that you may need a revision operation if your breasts have not stopped growing. Read as much as you can about Breast Reduction Surgery and ask your Plastic Surgeon to refer your to other young women who have had Breast Reduction Surgery so you can decide if this is the right operation for you.

Good Luck!

The most transforming BODY CONTOURING LIFT FOLLOWING WEIGHT LOSS  is a Lower Body Lift. No single body lift procedure seems to restore a patients self confidence as does the circumferential Lower Body Lift.

However, many patients do not have the financial resources or the recovery time to devote to proceed with the LOWER BODY LIFT. In my experience and those of other large University Medical centers in Pittsburgh and Dallas, a Lower Body Lift can be safety performed in a reasonable operative time with the appropriate surgical team. Be sure to choose a surgeon who has a team to assist her/him in the operating room to both reduce the operative time and to perform the "extra" procedures (Auto-Augmentation of the Buttocks) that will result in an outstanding surgical outcome. Other than your own weight and general health, the experience of your surgeon and the surgical team is the most important factor in determining a safe and satisfying outcome.