Morbid obesity and a significant loss of fat can leave a man with protruding abdomen, sagging upper arms, double chin, baggy hips, and flabby thighs. For some patients, their post weight loss look is not attractive as before their bariatric surgery, said Dr. Jason A. Spector, assistant professor of surgery in the Division of Plastic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College. [Review: Outlines Risks and Benefits of Body Contouring for Massive Weight Loss after Bariatric Surgery, November 2006, nyp.org]
After a big weight loss, a man will have to deal with a droopy appearance due to the loss of supporting muscle, or lean body mass. According to Dr. Jeffrey M. Kenkel of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) Post-Bariatric Task Force, a significant weight loss can leave an individual with many folds of skin and sagging fat. Flabby arms, sagging chest, baggy thighs, and a protruding tummy are obesity-related conditions that can cause back and neck pain, breathing difficulties, and low self-esteem.
Post Weight Loss Cosmetic Surgery for Men
Overweight men have thinner body parts wrapped with flabby skin and pockets of fat after undergoing a bariatric surgery. Some of these fat pockets are too stubborn to eliminate with diet and exercise. Left alone, they can cause lost of skin elasticity and further sagging.
Cosmetic surgeries are usually for men who have a lot of excess fat and skin due to weight loss or aging, says Gerald H. Pitman, M.D., a clinical professor of plastic surgery at New York University. [Article: Cosmetic Fix, Men’s Health, Nov 2007, pages162-164, Vol. 22, No. 9]
To release patients from such discouraging conditions, plastic surgeons use cosmetic surgery to lift and sculpt problem areas. The first in the list on post weight loss cosmetic surgery for men is body lift surgery.
Body Lift Surgery Lifts and Shapes
Body lift surgery shapes and tones body parts such as the abdomen, hips, thighs, and buttocks. Broken into its components, the lower body lift includes the tummy tuck, thigh lift, and buttock lift.
The protruding, sagging abdomen that many develop after a massive weight loss can be due to muscle weakness and pockets of excess fats. A tummy tuck combined with a liposuction procedure can remove stored fats between skin and muscle, resulting in a smoother, toned body contour.
A tummy tuck or “abdominoplasty” removes excess layers of fat in the abdominal wall and tucks sagging skin. It also tightens the extra skin folds around the back and helps lift the entire lower body.
A mini tummy tuck requires a short incision for the plastic surgeon to remove fat deposits below the navel and loose skin from the abdomen. On the other hand, a major tummy tuck would require a larger incision across the abdomen, and around the navel for the plastic surgeon to re-shape a sagging abdomen and remove stored fats, and loose skin. [Article: Cosmetic Surgery Body Contouring for Loose Skin and Tissues by Michael Bermant, MD, plasticsurgery4u.com]
Post weight loss plastic surgery also includes the buttocks, and thigh lifts. A buttock lift can help men and women achieve tighter and firmer buttocks. This cosmetic procedure will extend from the lower abdomen, around the hips, and toward the buttock crease. Excess skin is nipped and tucked to lift the buttocks. In general, a butt lift improves the contour of the buttocks and slims the thighs.
On the other hand, a thigh lift is not a weight loss method. Thigh lift is beneficial for the post-bariatric patients who have saggy, dimpled thighs. Thighplasty shapes and improves the appearance of the lower body following a massive weight loss.
Arm Lift Surgery Removes Excess Fat and Skin
An arm lift, or brachioplasty, is a cosmetic procedure designed to reduce sagging arm skin caused by rapid weight loss. Incisions extend from the armpit to the elbow, and along the inside of the arm. These allow the removal of the loose skin and fat deposits for a tighter, younger looking upper arm.
Breast Lift Raises and Firms the Male Chest
A breast lift, or male mastopexy, tightens a sagging chest caused by extreme weight loss. This nip and tuck procedure raises the chest and misplaced areolas to their normal level by removing excess skin and tissue. Men whose chests fall below the lower edge of the pectoral chest muscles might choose to undergo a breast lift cosmetic surgery. The plastic surgery can result in a flatter chest and smaller nipples.
Body Lift for Looking Better and Feeling Better
Post-surgical body contouring is an effective cosmetic fix to lift and firm a male body. A body lift performed with lipoplasty can slim and reshape to proportion the so-called "problem" areas. However, the method is not an alternative to any weight loss program, but only an excellent fix for sagging skin and pockets of stored fat after a significant weight loss.
An improved appearance can increased one’s self-confidence and self-respect. These are the benefits of post weight loss cosmetic surgery for the formerly obese man.
References:
1. Loss of Skin Elasticity in Post-Bariatric Patients Leads to Modifications to Body Contouring Techniques, The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), plasticsurgery.org, October 08, 2004
2. Body contouring after massive weight loss, Volume 35, Issue 1 of Clinics in Plastic Surgery, The Clinics: Surgery Series Body Contouring after Massive Weight Loss by Al Aly, Saunders, 2007
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