If you are considering body contouring surgery after weight loss surgery like the many men and women that have visited us from New Orleans, Metairie, Houma, Baton Rouge, Mandeville, Covington and beyond please come in to see Dr. Elliott Black or Dr. Summer Black for a free consultation.  Complete your weight loss transformation with our board-certified plastic surgeons.  Dr. Elliott Black and Dr. Summer Black have more than 40 years of combined plastic surgery experience in helping men and women correct their skin after a significant weight loss. Body contouring is an ideal option for male patients who feel self-conscious about their masculine form or lack thereof. For male patients it can help them achieve the sharp chiseled body they desire.  We have performed thousands of body contouring procedures and want to help you formulate a surgical plan that works for you. 

Body contouring surgical procedures to consider after weight loss:

• Arm lift – Eliminate the sagging of the upper arms
• Breast lift – Improve the appearance of pendulous, flattened breasts
• Facelift – Tighten the mid-face lax skin
• Neck lift – Remove hanging skin from the jowls and neck
• Lower body lift – Address the sagging of the abdomen, buttocks, groin, and outer thighs
• Thigh lift – Improve the sagging of the inner, outer and mid-thighs
• Tummy tuck – Reduce the excess skin hanging over the abdomen

If you are thinking about having surgery to remove your excessive skin after weight loss, we can find the best way to get the results you want. Call and schedule a consultation with Dr. Black Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery today.

Your body after weight loss may show a significant change on the scale, which is quite an accomplishment, but your skin may not have the elasticity to bounce back from the stretching of being overweight  You may qualify for after weight loss surgery (body contouring) if you are in good health, have sustained your weight loss for 6 months or longer, and can have a surgery with general anesthesia.  For our patients, who had gastric bypass, gastric sleeve,  or a weight reduction surgery, we recommend having medical approval from your primary care physician or the bariatric surgeon who performed your weight loss surgery, before proceeding.

Body contouring, especially combination surgeries, is usually performed in a hospital where you can stay in-patient overnight.  If you are expecting to have multiple surgeries, our plastic surgeon will want to have you monitored very closely after the procedure.  These surgeries are performed under a general anesthetic, and in most cases, skin is excised and lifted into a higher position, then sutured in place.

Your plastic surgeon may also separate the surgeries to limit the risk of infection, avoid heavy blood loss, and improve healing, especially if you have health problems or other medical conditions that may delay proper healing.

Our medical team will do our best to educate you on the various surgical procedures, the risks and limitations of the procedures and the after care instructions you will be responsible for at discharge and in your at-home recovery.  Following body contouring procedures, there will be some pain, swelling, and bruising around the incisions for the first 10-14 days.  Tubes may be used to drain the incision site of any blood and fluid for several days following the procedure.  Some patients may be issued an antibiotic to help prevent infection.  Patients will experience some pain, which is normal, and the swelling can take 6-12 weeks to subside.  It is very important that patients are careful moving around the first few months following surgery.  After the surgery, you should wear a compression garment to support the healing process for the first 3-6 weeks.  You will be given post-operative care instructions and you can pre-schedule your follow up appointments to help you stay on track during your recovery process.  You will need to rest for at least 7–10 days before returning to work, however, we encourage you to ambulate frequently after surgery to help prevent a blood clot or pulmonary embolism.  Regular physical activities can be resumed within 6 – 8 weeks.  In some patients, it may take 12-18 months for the swelling to completely subside and the scars to mature.  You will need to schedule follow up appointments at our office periodically for progress checks.

It may take some time to be cleared by your plastic surgeon to go the gym for vigorous exercise.  The good news is that many of our weight loss surgery patients that have the extra skin removed report having better range of motion and improved exercise tolerance.  Most patients love their results and report looking and feeling fabulous without the extra skin.

You did an amazing job.  Losing a significant amount of weight is a difficult task.  With the amount of time and investment you have made into your health and body image, we want to inform you that there are surgeries to help you lose unwanted skin that doesn't bounce back with good elasticity.  Each patient has a different story and medical circumstance, and our board-certified plastic surgeons at Dr. Black Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery will give you a private consultation on how body contouring may be to your benefit.  We want you to succeed and love your new body. Call and schedule your consultation today.