I've Lost 100 Pounds Since VSG Surgery and Am Maintaining 109 Pounds. Will my Skin Shrink Any More? (photo)

Congratulations on losing so much weight and being stable for awhile!  Your question is very reasonable.  After such weight loss, you can understand that you have a lot of loose skin.  Depending on your weight loss, people after bariatric surgery may need body lift, breast lift/augmentation, arm lift, thigh lift, and/or facelift.  Obviously you cannot get too many surgery at the same time as you have to think about the safe of surgery and recovery.  You should limit to about 8 hours of surgery. You should think about which area in your body bothers you the most.  For most people, they start with body lift as the result can give you a big difference.  Also, research on a board-certified plastic surgeon in your area who has specialized in body contouring procedure after weight loss.  Best wishes.

Some potential candidates for a Body Lift are patients who have experienced significant weight loss through procedures such as gastric banding or bypass surgery, stomach stapling, bariatric surgery, lap band surgery, or non surgical methods such as diet or exercise. It is crucial that these candidates maintain a stable weight for an extended period of time prior to surgery to minimize complications and to maximize results.

.

Waiting approximately 12 to 18 months after weight loss has stabilized is best, and when one does not expect further weight loss, as a result of the previous surgical procedure. During this stabilization period, the skin will shrink as much as possible in preparation for the body contouring procedures.

You should be in good health and maintain a nutritional diet during the year following weight loss surgery. Do not smoke during the 6 weeks prior to surgery and try not to recover the habit following surgery as smoking will increase risk of complications and slow the healing process.

Finally, you should have reasonable expectations for the results of the body contouring procedures involve significant scarring.

Congratulations on your weight loss success!   I think you will need to consider plastic surgery to remove your excess skin.  One common first procedure is a circumferential body lift. Most plastic surgeons refer to a body lift as a circumferential body lift = belt lipectomy.  This procedure is essentially 3 procedures in one: extended tummy tuck + waist/lateral thigh lift + buttock lift (with the option of buttock augmentation).   Please visit with a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery to learn more about your options.

Dr. Basu

Houston, TX

Dear Ventura,

Congratulations! It sounds like you've had a very successful weight loss procedure. Your skin will not appreciably shrink any more.  As long as your weight is stable, I would start making progress toward getting yout body lift procedures done.

Best Wishes,

Pablo Prichard, MD

Congratulations on your weight loss and lifestyle changes.  Once you can maintain your weight easily with your 'normal' routines and diet, you can consider surgery to remove the excess skin.  Your skin will not shrink adequately so surgery is in your future if you wish to rid yourself of your past.  Scars are part of it and you must be accepting of them.  Find a local surgeon who can help you through this journey.  And be advised that there are many procedures out there that many doctors do not have much experience in so choose wisely.

Dear Ms. CamarilloCA,

Congratulations on your weight loss!

Weight loss after bariatric surgery can produce tremendous benefits to your overall health, energy, and well being. 

Unfortunately, it also often leaves you with loose, hanging skin that can be uncomfortable and unsightly and will not go away on its own.

Body contouring procedures such as the body lift, thigh lift, breast lift, and arm lift can help remove this extra skin and give you a tighter, more shapely, and trim figure that can help you look and feel your best.

If you have reached a stable goal weight after weight loss surgery and are a non-smoker in good overall health, then you may be a good candidate for body contouring procedures after weight loss.

Please see an experienced, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon for an evaluation and discussion of your goals and concerns.

Warmest wishes,

Larry Fan, MD

Hello,

Congratulations on a job well done!  You look great, have very little excess body fat, and a lot of extra skin.  Your skin will not shrink to any significant extent, and  you'll look just about the same after waiting a year.  To get the middle part of your body to look good, roughly from the bottom of your breasts to your knees, you will need to remove skin all the way around your torso at the level of a belt.  This will leave a scar, but it can be carefully positioned so that it can hide in a two piece bathing suit.  

In my practice, I do not believe the benefits to a single surgery called a 'belt lipectomy' outweigh the risks, so I perform it in two stages.  This significantly lowers the complication rate, and allows me to maximize skin resection.

Certification by the ABPS and membership to the ASAPS are important criteria for your surgeon.  A great reputation as a body contouring surgeon is also important. Look at surgeon's pictures to see if you will be happy with the scarring.  All my massive weight loss patients much prefer their new contour with their scars compared to their previous bodies.

You should get a stellar result! Best of luck!

           I think that you will achieve a very nice result with surgery.  I do not think that your skin will shrink to any extent.  Find a plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of tummy tucks and body contouring procedures each year.  Then look at the plastic surgeon's website before and after photo galleries to get a sense of who can deliver the results.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

There's no question that the timing of massive weight loss surgery is extremely important. When patients are close to their ideal body weight, the results from these procedures are better. This also decreases the potential for complications with these procedures. For these reasons, we prefer that patients be within 10% of their ideal body weight at the time of surgery.

Based on your history and pictures, you have met all of these criteria and should be ready to proceed with surgery. In this particular case, you would be an excellent candidate for a lower body lift. This procedure would remove excess skin from your back and abdomen while simultaneously lifting your buttock in an upward direction. This procedure is associated with excellent clinical results and high levels of patient satisfaction.

If you're considering lower body lift surgery, it's important to consult a board certified plastic surgeon with experience in this area. This surgeon should be able to formulate a treatment plan that addresses your anatomic deformity and achieves your aesthetic goals.