Colorado Plastic Surgery Center -- Body Contouring After Large Weight Loss

Body Contouring After Bariatric Surgery
or Large Weight Loss

Body contouring after large weight loss is directed at removing extra skin as well as firming and re-contouring the body to more pleasing proportions.

What is the Plastic Surgeon's Role in Helping to Obtain and Maintain the Optimum Health and Form of a Person Who Has Lost A Large Amount of Weight?

Losing large amounts of weight can be the most exciting adventure of a person’s life. It’s what remains when the weight is gone that distresses most people. The skin doesn’t go away when the weight goes away, and often unsightly flabbiness results. The weight-loss person feels so positive about him/herself that he/she often looks to the Plastic Surgeon for help in shedding that last remnant of the old self.

As the Plastic Surgeon rids the body of the excess skin, he sculpts the body at the same time through a process called “Body Contouring,” tightening up muscles which have gone lax due to the overweight burden (especially in the abdomen) and re-adjusting contours (such as breasts) where appropriate.

Background:

When the body has been overweight, the skin has both grown bigger and stretched to accommodate the extra weight. This is especially true if a person has been overweight since childhood where more skin cells are formed to accommodate the weight.

When the weight is lost, the skin stays as big as it always was, but there’s nothing inside it to fill it out. So everything sags. Arms, thighs, buttocks, abdomen, chin, breasts, face. You appear older.

Using advanced state-of-the-art techniques with his bariatic patients, Dr. Slenkovich works closely with the patient, performing a series of procedures to contour the body and tighten the skin and underlying muscles. The results are very satisfying.

PROCEDURES INCLUDE (Click on Procedure):

Abdominoplasty
Thighs And Buttocks Lift; Lower Body Lifts
Breast Lift; Breast Reduction
Arm Lift
Neck Lift
Face Lift

ABDOMINOPLASTY

Just about every large-weight-loss person who comes to Dr. Slenkovich is most concerned about the large amount of excess skin on the abdomen. This is actually good, because the abdomen (along with other areas; see below) is often one of the areas Dr. Slenkovich likes to address first. One reason is that if there are large amounts of excess skin hanging along the lower abdomen, a condition called “intertriginous dermatitis” can develop. The skin becomes red and irritated, often painful. It may bleed, become infected. If the skin can be kept dry, this may be able to be kept under control, but it is frustrating and normally only a temporary solution.

Often insurance companies will pay for an abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, when a patient loses significant amounts of weight and can show he/she has stabilized over a period of time.

In an abdominoplasty, Dr. Slenkovich not only removes excess skin, he tightens the muscles of the abdomen.

For additional information on abdominoplasty, click Tummy Tuck. For information on Liposuction, click Liposuction.

THIGHS and BUTTOCKS LIFT; LOWER BODY LIFTS

Thighs and Buttocks can be operated on at the same time as the Abdomen. This is called a Body Lift and is probably Dr. Slenkovich’s most popular procedure for those patients for whom it is appropriate. The Body Lift not only is an abdominoplasty (removal of excess skin and tightening of abdominal muscles), it's a procedure for excising skin and cellulite of the thighs and buttocks.

Dr. Slenkovich’s patients are genuinely excited about this operation.

The scar is around the waistline (for women, under the bikini-line or panty-line; for men, under the underwear line.

For additional information on this topic, click Lower Body Lifts, Thigh Lifts. For information on Liposuction, click Liposuction.

BREAST LIFT; BREAST REDUCTION

With both men and women, losing large amounts of weight can result in saggy breasts. When a person loses weight, the fat in the breasts decreases. (For women, after age 20 the fat gradually takes over what used to be glandular matter in the breasts.) The skin stays as large as it was when the person weighed more but the fat that used to fill up the skin is gone. The result is sagging breasts.

This can be addressed in one of several different ways.

For women, breast implants can be used to fill up the space where fat used to be. For some women this is all that's necessary.

Often, however, either along with the breast implants or for men and women who do not need or want breast implants, Dr. Slenkovich recommends one of the following. Which surgery is appropriate depends on how much sagginess or extra skin there is.

(1) If the breasts don’t sag too severely, Dr. Slenkovich can perform a circumareolar procedure. This requires only an incision around the areola.

(2) If the breasts sag a moderate amount Dr. Slenkovich can add to the circumareolar procedure an incision from the areola to the base of the breast for a more substantial breast lift.

(3) If the breasts sag severely (“ptotic breasts) Dr. Slenkovich normally recommends an anchor-type incision in addition to the above procedures.

For additional information on women’s procedures, click Breast Lift and Breast Reduction.

For men, sometimes liposuction will be all that is necessary. Three to six months after the liposuction, depending on the results, any loose skin can be removed. After a few months the skin sometimes shrinks, rendering any more surgery unnecessary.

An exciting procedure Dr. Slenkovich performs for some men involves removing excess skin from both the breast area and the upper arms (brachioplasty) at the same time. The resulting scar is then confined to the armpit. This is great for men who have hair on their chests and don’t want a scar on the chest area.

For additional information on men’s procedures, click Male Breast Reduction

ARMS

Dr. Slenkovich uses three different approaches to correcting saggy arms:
(1) Liposuction. While not common, liposuction can sometimes be all that is necessary.
(2) A “mild” brachioplasty whereby Dr. Slenkovich makes an incision under the armpit and removes excess skin. This leaves a scar only under the armpit. Often this is combined with liposuction.
(3) If more skin needs to be removed from the upper arm, Dr. Slenkovich performs a full brachioplasty, resulting in a scar along the inner part of the arm. While this scar is somewhat more visible, most patients feel it is a small price to pay for having full, tight upper arms.

For additional information on brachioplasty, click Brachioplasty

NECK

For sagging neck skin, normally Dr. Slenkovich first performs liposuction then excises the excess skin if necessary. For additional information on Neck Lifts, click Neck Lift. For information on Liposuction, click here: Liposuction.

FACE

There are a number of different Facial Surgeries Dr. Slenkovich performs for people who have lost large amounts of weight. For additional information on Face Lifts and the various options, click Face Lift.

The Results

The point of plastic surgery after large weight loss is often thought to be solely removal of excess skin. Not true. The Plastic Surgeon also “molds” the body, giving it the most desirable contours.

Are You a Candidate? If you have loose skin after gastric bypass surgery or massive weight loss, you may be a candidate for body contouring.

How Is Body Contouring Performed -- What is Recovery Like? Body contouring may require more than one surgery to reach your goal. It is typically done in stages. Areas of greatest concern are addressed first. Some procedures may be combined with liposuction to gain further contouring of the body.

Insurance? Insurance may or may not be available, depending upon the circumstances. For more information, contact the Center at 1 (303) 783-1000.

Financing: If your procedure is not covered by insurance, we will be pleased to help you obtain financing. We are affiliated with companies that offer financing for cosmetic surgery.

More information about each of these procedures Dr. Slenkovich performs can be found by clicking here: Tummy Tuck; Liposuction; Lower Body Lifts, Thigh Lifts; Breast Lift; Breast Reduction; Male Breast Reduction; Brachioplasty; Neck Lift; Face Lift.

Dr. Slenkovich has written or edited a number of medical articles on plastic surgery after Bariatric Surgery or weight loss. Click: "Body Contouring, Abdominoplasty"; "Body Contouring, Buttocks Surgery"; "Body Contouring, Calf Augmentation; "Body Contouring, Flankoplasty and Thigh Lift"; "Abdominal Wall Reconstruction"; "Breast Anatomy"; "Breast Lift (Mastopexy)"; "Breast Reduction, Amputation"; "Breast Reduction (Central Pedicle)"; "Breast Reduction (Inferior Pedicle Technique)"; "Breast Reduction (Lejour)"; "Breast Reduction (Less Traditional Techniques"; "Breast Reduction Liposuction Only"; "Breast Reduction (Simplified Vertical)"; "Breast Reduction (Superior Pedicle)"; and "Breast Reduction (Berticle Bipedicle)".

INSURANCE AND FINANCING
We're committed to making your treatment - and paperwork - as painless as possible.

We are affiliated with companies that offer financing for plastic surgery.

In addition, if you're scheduled for elective surgery that is likely to be covered by insurance, we will submit a letter on your behalf to your insurance company, explaining why we believe your surgery meets the criteria for coverage.

Our staff will be happy to answer your insurance questions and help you through the pre-approval process.

We participate in the majority of insurance plans for non-cosmetic surgery, and will be pleased to help you obtain financing if not otherwise covered by insurance.

DR. NICK SLENKOVICH:
"I believe that plastic surgery is among the most personal of medical specialties.

"As a plastic surgeon I regularly see the impact on people’s lives of the procedures I perform, and these transformations are profoundly rewarding.

"I have dedicated my practice to supporting the process of building relationships with patients through listening and open communication.

"Our consultations are designed to be educational and informative, and do not have as a goal to recommend surgery in every case.

"My staff and I share a promise with our patients—a plastic surgery experience comprised of Comfort, Confidence and Caring:

"Comfort through an unhurried approach and a special focus on your physical comfort surrounding your procedure and the recovery period.

"Confidence in our relationship with you, our availability, our service, and our expertise.

"Caring throughout all of your time with us, and through the knowledge that you can always call with your concerns, day or night.

"I invite you to contact our center for more information and a personal consultation."

- Nick Slenkovich, M.D.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

You'll notice our logo is an outline of the human form that, like our patients, is neither young nor old, male nor female, beautiful nor disfigured. It's framed by the words Health+Form

Health represents life, safety, security.

Form represents that which is human, interesting, beautiful, and unique.

Health+Form is the foundation of the promise we share with our patients - a plastic surgery experience comprised of comfort, confidence and caring.

From your initial call through your consultation and follow-up, we encourage you to ask questions, take notes, and feel completely comfortable.

OUR CONSULTATIVE PROCESS

At Colorado Plastic Surgery Center, we strive to see things from your perspective.

What do you expect from your plastic surgery experience? How can we best achieve the results you seek? What can we do to make your time with us relaxed, comfortable, and worry-free?

Our consultative process is comprehensive.

After we learn about your goals, we educate you on available procedures and perform a thorough examination.

We then take a series of high-quality studio photographs that allow us to communicate visually and track pre-op and post-op progress.

Finally, we recommend a course of action tailored to your needs and the results you seek.

Dr.Slenkovich| About Us| Photo Gallery| Procedures| Contact Us

Board Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery

Colorado Plastic Surgery Center, Suite 130, 701 East Hampden Avenue, Englewood, Colorado 80113
866-783-1002 toll-free • 303-783-1000 phone • 303-783-1001 fax