Is There Any Way to Have a Body Lift As Pro Bono Work to Use the Excess Skin for Skin Grafts Ect..in IN? (photo)

Hello and thanks for your post and photos. For a high quality body lift operation by a certified surgeon it is best to save up your money and when you're financially ready then have your surgery. Best wishes, Dr. Aldo.

Thank you for your question about the possibility of undergoing a body lift as pro bono work for donating excess skin, such as for skin grafts. First and foremost, congratulations on your significant weight loss of over 130 pounds, a truly commendable achievement.
Current State of Pro Bono Body Lifts:
As of now, I am not aware of any plastic surgeons or programs that offer body lifts pro bono specifically for the purpose of donating the excess skin for grafts.
There was a past initiative by the Musculoskeletal Foundation of America that involved using skin from body lifts for grafts and mesh creation, but this program has since been discontinued.
Alternative Avenues:
Weight Loss Foundation of America: This organization occasionally sponsors needy patients for such surgeries. Due to high demand, it's a competitive process, but it could be worth exploring.
Fundraising Efforts: Consider setting up a GoFundMe campaign or seeking donations through community groups like local churches.
Hospital Negotiations: Some hospitals may be open to waiving or reducing fees based on financial need.
Discounts for Advertising: Some plastic surgeons might offer reduced fees in exchange for using your case for promotional or educational purposes.
While the options for pro bono body lifts are limited, these alternative routes might provide some opportunities for assistance. I encourage you to explore these avenues and also keep in touch with plastic surgery clinics or charitable organizations that might offer such programs in the future.
I hope this information is helpful in your search for options. Best of luck as you continue on your journey.
Sincerely,
Dr. Katzen

Thank you for the question. What patients may not realize is how much “overhead” is associated with performing good quality and safe elective plastic surgery. In other words, there are significant expenses, outside of surgeons fees, associated with these types of operations. Therefore, it will be unlikely that “pro bono” elective plastic surgery will be available to you.





Plastic surgeons offices can point you in the right correction when it comes to “credit” companies that work with patients seeking surgery.Although I understand your desire to have the procedure performed  soon, it is always in patients' best interest to achieve a certain degree of financial stability prior to undergoing elective surgery of any type. Patients should also keep in mind that additional surgery may be necessary in the short or long term, following the primary procedure that is being performed; this additional surgery may be associated out-of-pocket expenses. Again, best to achieve a physical, emotional and financial “stable state” prior to considering elective plastic surgery. 

You may find the attached link, dedicated to mommy makeover surgery concerns, helpful to you as you learn more. Best wishes. 

GREAT job on the weight loss! But where you you hear about free surgeries or yes the "pro bono" stuff??? The costs to operate are fix kind of so to have a TT surgery the costs range from $3,000 to $5,000 Who is picking that up?  Thus best to save and obtain the surgery. 

Dear Jessiec2003,

First, congratulations on your weight loss.  Like many patients after having lost the extra weight, you are frustrated because the extra loose skin and tissues also did not go away.  Unfortunately, the myth of having the needed surgeries to correct the extra skin problem for free in exchange for helping burn patients continues.  With modern skin culture techniques and the newer skin replacement products, there is little to no need for excess skin in burn treatment.  Your best option is to contact one of the medical schools in your region that has a plastic surgery training program.  Many of these programs have clinics where the plastic surgery residents see the patients and perform the needed surgical treatments.   These clinics are supervised by the attending plastic surgeon so the residents are not operating alone but the surgery will be performed by the residents and your care will be handled by them also.  The good news is that you often get the surgery at a very discounted rate and you help train the next generation of plastic surgeons.  Best of luck.