Massive Weight Loss
Body Contouring
Massive weight loss, whether it be from diet and exercise, or bariatric surgery, can have many health benefits. However, you may be unhappy with your appearance because of loose and sagging skin, and irregular body contours. This can be addressed through surgical body contouring by Dr. Capek at her Albany, NY practice. In general, body contouring following weight loss targets excess fat and skin in several body areas, resulting in a smoother, more rewarding body contour. Patients throughout the Capital District areas of Albany, Schenectady, Troy and Saratoga trust New York Plastic Surgeon Dr. Lucie Capek to perform their body contouring surgery. Many of our patients also travel from New York City, Vermont, Massachusetts and beyond to receive her skilled and compassionate care.
Following major weight loss, the skin and tissues have minimal elasticity and cannot reshape to the smaller body size. Skin that is severely stretched is most common in these specific areas:
- Abdominal area
- Face, neck, and jowls
- Upper arms, or “batwings”
- Breasts
- Buttocks, groin, and thighs
Surgical body contouring helps improve the shape of the body’s tissue that supports the fat and skin. This procedure can be the final step in your weight loss journey by enhancing your new, healthy figure. It is important to understand that this procedure needs to be maintained through diet and exercise, or the sagging fat pockets can redevelop.
Am I a good candidate?
If you have undergone massive weight loss, or weight loss surgery, body contouring procedures may be right for you. It’s important that the patient has a positive, realistic goal for their body and are committed to live a healthy lifestyle after surgery. It is also ideal if patients have a stabilized weight and aren’t planning on losing more weight post-surgery. However, this alone doesn’t determine your candidacy, and a consultation with Dr. Capek is necessary since every patient’s situation is unique.
Before Your Procedure
Overall health and personal outlook can greatly impact the outcome of your surgery. These will be carefully evaluated in your consultation with your plastic surgeon. The success of your procedure, safety and overall satisfaction require that you honestly share your expectations, fully disclose your medical history and commit to following Dr. Capek’s instructions.
Your plastic surgeon will carefully explain your body-contouring plan. Prior to any surgery, you will be given specific instructions that may include information about diagnostic testing, medications, day of surgery instructions, anesthesia, and post-operative care.
In addition, you will be asked to sign consent forms to assure your plastic surgeon that you fully understand the procedure(s) and any associated risks or potential complications. Possible risks of body contouring include bleeding, infection, fluid accumulation, delayed or poor healing, skin loss, blood clots, excessive or widened scars, numbness and other changes in skin sensation, and irregular or asymmetric scars. Any surgery carries risks associated with anesthesia. These risks and others will be fully discussed prior to your consent. It is important that you address all your questions directly with your plastic surgeon. It is natural to feel some anxiety, whether excitement for the anticipated outcomes or preoperative stress. Discuss these feelings with your plastic surgeon.
Your Procedure
The body contouring procedure is typically performed under general anesthesia in Dr. Capek’s surgical facility. The surgery procedures that may be recommended include:
- Arm lift – corrects sagging upper arms, or “batwings”
- Thigh lift – corrects sagging inner, mid, and outer thigh
- Lower body lift – corrects the contour of the abdomen, buttocks and groin
- Breast lift – corrects sagging, drooping breasts
Dr. Capek will suggest a personal customization procedure based on your desired outcome. All the procedures require surgical incisions to remove stretched, excess skin, and they vary is size depending on the amount and location of skin to be removed. Dr. Capek uses advanced techniques to place incisions in inconspicuous places that are hidden by most clothing or your natural body shape. Body contouring is usually performed in stages defined by a surgical plan depending on your specific conditions and goals, as well as Dr. Capek’s judgment. To understand every step in the operation process, please visit each procedural page within our site.
After Your Procedure
Healing processes and instructions to follow after surgery depend on the procedures performed. It’s important to look through each procedure page to understand the risks and healing process associated with each operation. With every case, you can expect to be dressed in bandages at the incision areas and small tubes may be placed to temporarily drain excess fluid or blood that may collect; this helps prevent complications such as infections.
Wound healing may take up to 2 weeks, and you can generally return to work and normal activity within 3 weeks. As healing continues, incisions will improve. Once you have completely recovered, it may be necessary to begin additional procedures in other areas of your body. Of course, follow-up appointments are necessary to ensure optimal healing and monitor any risks that may occur.
The Results
The results from your body contouring procedures are can be seen after the procedure, but it may take up to a year for the final results to be appreciated. Results vary by patient. Although visible scars are something that may take time to get used to, this is a small price to pay for your new physique. The results are long-lasting as long as you maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle. Dr. Capek’s goal is for you to be ultimately satisfied with your weight loss experience, smoothing, and contouring of your body according to your specific desired results.
If you would like to learn more about body contouring procedures after major weight loss, contact our office today to schedule your consultation. Reshape and revitalize the amazing new contour of your body with this combination procedure today. Our office is just 13 miles from Albany and 9 miles from Schenectady, New York.
