Plastic Surgery After Massive Weight Loss

Dr. Griffin has been working with patients who have had massive weight loss (50 to over 300 pounds) to improve their appearance. Some of these patients have lost the weight through dieting, but most have had specialized gastric (stomach) surgery to help them lose weight. Many of these people have dramatically improved their overall health by losing weight, but many suffer from low self-esteem because of the residual saggy skin left over after the weight loss. Although these patients are healthier, they still do not feel good about themselves and have to "hide" behind loose oversize clothing.

By using a combination of specialized techniques, Dr. Griffin is able to improve the shape and appearance of these patients, improving self-esteem and allowing them the freedom to wear normal clothing again. Many times, these patients require multiple procedures on different areas of their bodies to achieve their ideal result. This can sometimes be done in one operation, but may take as many as three surgeries to achieve the optimal result.

Dr. Griffin specializes in doing a procedure called the Mid-Body Lift or Trunk Lipectomy. This procedure, while not indicated for every patient, is almost always necessary in patients with massive weight loss who have loose skin extending all the way around the abdomen and back. This procedure tightens the skin and muscle of the abdomen. It also tightens up the lower back, buttock and lateral thighs by extending the abdominoplasty incision completely around the trunk on the upper part of the buttocks, or on the lower back. This eliminates the "dog-ear" or extra skin in people whose loose skin extends farther around than the flanks than is removed with a standard tummy tuck.

An additional benefit is a lifting and tightening of the loose saggy skin on the buttocks and outer thighs. Sometimes, as much as 8 to 12 inches of redundant skin can be removed from the sides of the abdomen. This produces a dramatic improvement in the result in comparison to patients who just undergo a traditional abdominoplasty.

While not an ideal procedure for every patient, the Mid-Body Lift can dramatically improve the patient with very loose skin and poor tissue elasticity (the skin's ability to recoil or shrink with weight loss). The procedure is performed in the operating room under general anesthesia and usually takes about four to five hours. Patients sometimes stay in the hospital for one night and then go home to finish their recuperation. Drain tubes are placed under the skin to absorb fluid and usually remain one to two weeks.

This procedure can be modified for different body types with different areas of sag by placing the incision in different locations. In this way the procedure can be tailored to your specific needs.

The mid-body lift is often done in conjunction with other procedures to correct additional areas of saggy skin located on the inner thighs, upper back or arms. Procedures such as a medial thigh lift, upper back lift or brachioplasty (upper arm lift) can be done to improve these areas.

To read more detailed information about this subject, follow this link to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons' web site:
Treatment of Skin Redundancy Following Massive Weight Loss