What you Need to Know about Body Contouring

By now we know that being obese means that a person is at an increased risk for developing chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and sleep apnea.

Fortunately there are numerous ways one can lose the excess weight and lower these risks. Some of those most effective ways include diet, exercise, and certain types of plastic surgeries.

When someone loses a large amount of weight, the results are often nothing short of astonishing. These patients usually feel better, sleep better, and often suddenly have a renewed zest for life.

Unfortunately, excess skin hanging around the face, arms, abdomen, and thighs can prevent patients from looking and feeling their best. It can even prevent them from being as active as they would like to be. Even in their new bodies – it can seem impossible to shed the ghosts of their old ones.

Unfortunately, you cannot get rid of excess skin with exercise alone, and certainly not with skin creams or lotions. The only way to get rid of excess skin and tighten up the tissue underneath is through surgical rejuvenation procedures or body contouring procedures. In fact, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, more than 68,000 people undergo body contouring each and every year.

There are three main body-contouring procedures, which each take about 7 hours to perform.

-Circumferential lower body lift with gluteal augmentation: This is essentially a tummy tuck, a flankplasty with lateral thigh repositioning, and gluteal augmentation. Patients may stay overnight or be sent home to recover following the procedure. It can take up to two weeks to begin feeling better after such an invasive procedure, but the results are well worth it.

-Upper body lift: After the patient is healed, an upper body lift may be performed. The brachioplasty or upper body lift is often performed with a breast lift – either with or without a breast implant.

-Medial thigh lift: Aggressive liposuction of the medial thigh area allows plastic surgeons to resect the loose tissue that is left behind after the liposuction. Patients can usually resume activities after about a week of recovery time.

Not everyone who loses a large amount of weight will need to undergo all three body-contouring procedures. In fact, many do not.

The amount of body contouring will depend most often on the amount of weight that was lost, age, how evenly the weight was distributed, and how much sun exposure the patient has had.

An experienced plastic surgeon will be able to determine which body contouring procedures would be best for you and your body.

How safe is it?

Body contouring procedures are rather invasive plastic surgery procedures. As such, there is the risk of infection, excessive bleeding, and the reopening of the wound. Blood transfusions are needed in about 15% of the cases, but most of the complications and risks are greatly lessened as long as you choose an experienced plastic surgeon with a stellar reputation.

Complications are also decreased when patients allow more time between weight loss surgery and plastic surgery. In fact, most plastic surgeons suggest waiting at least one year following any type of weight loss surgery.

Know Your Options

Contact Pasadena Plastic Surgery Specialists

If you are interested in learning more about body contouring or any plastic surgery procedure, give us a call immediately. There is a reason why so many Pasadena men and women continue to choose Dr. Kevin Ruhge to perform their body contouring procedures and plastic surgeries.

His personalized approach to plastic surgery means that his clients can contact him 24/7 after a surgical procedure.

If you would like to learn more about body contouring, brow lifts, breast augmentation, rhinoplasty, or any plastic surgery procedure, we invite you to meet with Dr. Ruhge for a private consultation at our office in Pasadena by calling 626.397.9095, or by scheduling an appointment online.