Right now I weigh 217 lbs, I'm 5'11, 31 and a male. I use to weight 290 but lose weight over the course of 1 and 1/2 years. I still have sagging fat, I really intend on working hard over the next 4-5 months to get rid of as much fat and build as much muscle as possible. I have read on tummy tucks and it looks more like fat removal surgery. What is a surgery for loose skin? And is a tummy tuck easier to perform if there is less fat to be removed?
May 8, 2017
Answer: Body Lift vs. Tummy Tuck Trunk contouring exists as a spectrum with regard to how much skin is removed and what is tightened. If only a minimal amount of skin is removed from the stomach, then it's a mini tummy tuck. If more skin is removed (to the belly button), then it's a traditional tummy tuck. If the scar is extended around the hips to take off more skin on the flanks and lateral thighs, then it's an extended tummy tuck. If the scar goes all the way the body around so that lower back and upper buttock skin is removed (giving a butt lift) then it's a circumferential body lift.The tummy tuck doesn't really remove fat alone, it removes fat by removing the overlying skin with it. To remove fat by itself, liposuction is typically used. That's why many surgeons combine liposuction for fat removal, along with a tummy tuck to remove the extra skin for optimal shaping. If you're able to lose the fat yourself, then there's less of a need for the liposuction, and the procedure becomes easier (as you suggest). I hope that's helpful.Best,Dr. Dan KrochmalMAE Plastic SurgeryNorthbrook, IL
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May 8, 2017
Answer: Body Lift vs. Tummy Tuck Trunk contouring exists as a spectrum with regard to how much skin is removed and what is tightened. If only a minimal amount of skin is removed from the stomach, then it's a mini tummy tuck. If more skin is removed (to the belly button), then it's a traditional tummy tuck. If the scar is extended around the hips to take off more skin on the flanks and lateral thighs, then it's an extended tummy tuck. If the scar goes all the way the body around so that lower back and upper buttock skin is removed (giving a butt lift) then it's a circumferential body lift.The tummy tuck doesn't really remove fat alone, it removes fat by removing the overlying skin with it. To remove fat by itself, liposuction is typically used. That's why many surgeons combine liposuction for fat removal, along with a tummy tuck to remove the extra skin for optimal shaping. If you're able to lose the fat yourself, then there's less of a need for the liposuction, and the procedure becomes easier (as you suggest). I hope that's helpful.Best,Dr. Dan KrochmalMAE Plastic SurgeryNorthbrook, IL
Helpful
May 8, 2017
Answer: Body Contouring for Massive Weight Loss Thank you for your question. Congratulations on your weight loss. Massive weight loss (MWL) patients are unique with respect to truncal body contouring. MWL patients tend to develop circumferential laxity. What we find is that when we only perform abdominoplasty in MWL patients, the patient does not have the results they are looking for. The abdominoplasty does not address the posterior excess and thus fails to correct the full truncal defect. With the rise in MWL surgery and significant weight loss, plastic surgeons developed procedures to more effectively address the deformities they were confronted with in this unique patient population. The lower body lift and belt lipectomy were developed to address circumferential laxity such as that seen in MWL patients. The procedures rejuvenate the anterior abdomen, remove the posterior excess, lift the buttock and can also improve the contour of the lateral thigh. It would be best to seek a plastic surgeon who has specifically trained to perform body contouring for massive weight loss surgery or someone who has extensive experience in performing the procedures. Best of luck.
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May 8, 2017
Answer: Body Contouring for Massive Weight Loss Thank you for your question. Congratulations on your weight loss. Massive weight loss (MWL) patients are unique with respect to truncal body contouring. MWL patients tend to develop circumferential laxity. What we find is that when we only perform abdominoplasty in MWL patients, the patient does not have the results they are looking for. The abdominoplasty does not address the posterior excess and thus fails to correct the full truncal defect. With the rise in MWL surgery and significant weight loss, plastic surgeons developed procedures to more effectively address the deformities they were confronted with in this unique patient population. The lower body lift and belt lipectomy were developed to address circumferential laxity such as that seen in MWL patients. The procedures rejuvenate the anterior abdomen, remove the posterior excess, lift the buttock and can also improve the contour of the lateral thigh. It would be best to seek a plastic surgeon who has specifically trained to perform body contouring for massive weight loss surgery or someone who has extensive experience in performing the procedures. Best of luck.
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