Plastic Surgery after Weight Loss.

Plastic Surgery after Weight Loss.

Scottsdale, AZ – Many patients with major weight loss request body contouring to improve the shape of their body. The most accepted procedure for contouring in these patients is the body lift. However, many patients shy away from body lift because they believe the procedure is too aggressive, carries higher risk, and is too expensive. Other options exist that patients should know about.

The extended abdominoplasty or tummy tuck procedure is one alternative that we are discussing on the blog. Traditionally, this procedure has been performed as an inpatient, hospital-based procedure that can be associated with higher expenses. A recent medical article published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal, discusses extended tummy tuck safely performed as an outpatient. The authors began performing outpatient extended tummy tuck in 2004. A total of 19 patients were included in the study, with an average age of 43 years, and an average weight loss of 142 pounds.

All the patients had successful surgery. No blood transfusion was required with an average blood loss of 130 ml. All patients went home the same day, with a pain pump and prescriptions to control their discomfort. The rate of complications was 26%, with superficial wound separation being the most common complication. Other complications included were infection, bleeding, umbilical necrosis and seroma formation. One patient required seroma sclerosis. No patient required re-admission to the hospital.

This is an important article because it is the first study to address extended abdominoplasty in major weight loss patients performed strictly as an outpatient. The article demonstrates the safety and efficacy of the technique. The complication rate is acceptable and we see that most complications were relatively minor and responded quickly to treatment. This experience supports that extended tummy tuck in patients with major weight loss can be performed safely as an outpatient. The authors emphasize that a high degree of patient education is required to minimize complications and increase the success rate.

I advise patients undergoing extended abdominoplasty to walk immediately after surgery and several times on the first day to reduce the risks of deep vein thrombosis. I have been using extended tummy tuck in major weight loss patients since 2003 and prefer to have patients stay in the facility for 23 hours, which is considered outpatient surgery. The surgery is safe, but requires a lot of work from the patient to ensure they are doing all they can to heal as best as possible.

For more information on plastic surgery after major weight loss, body lift or extended tummy tuck check out our website at www.MyFaceAndBody.com.