Restoring the Appearance of Your Body After Major Weight Loss

Are you one of the millions of Americans who is overweight? Getting in better shape and achieving a healthy weight is a tremendous decision for your health and wellness. Many times, however, a person who achieves a major weight loss still may have appearance concerns because of excess, loose skin. If you recently accomplished a significant loss of weight but are self-conscious about excess skin, the cosmetic surgeons Dr. Paul Gorman and Dr. Renee Marshall at GLOW Surgical Arts can help you restore your appearance and regain your self-confidence.

A tummy tuck is a popular choice for patients who have completed weight loss.

Clinically known as an abdominoplasty, a tummy tuck corrects hanging abdominal skin or the separation of stomach muscles. It's also one of the most popular procedures in all of cosmetic surgery; according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 129.753 tummy tucks were performed in 2017—an increase by 2 percent over numbers from 2016.

Here's what you can expect during and after a tummy tuck.

Each patient has their own individualized healing process but, generally speaking, a tummy tuck entails one to two weeks of recovery time before resuming work and your normal routine. Your Redwood City cosmetic surgeons Dr. Paul Gorman and Dr. Renee Marshall will provide a comprehensive post-operative recovery guide for you to follow.

A tummy tuck is just one of the different types of skin lifts that your cosmetic surgeon can perform.

Skin lifts or contouring procedures are recommended to resolve aesthetic concerns for patients who have just lost a significant amount of weight. These procedures are intended to correct the appearance of any hanging or excess skin, creating smoother contours with no obvious scarring. A procedure of this type can make a big difference in your overall appearance. Other examples of a skin lift include a buttocks lift, an upper arm lift (which is referred to clinically as a brachioplasty) and an inner thigh lift.

Find out if a tummy tuck or a skin lift is right for you.

If you have gone through gastric bypass or lost significant weight by some other means, you likely qualify for a tummy tuck or skin lift surgery. However, if you lost weight via surgery, GLOW Surgical Arts advises you wait for a year after a gastric bypass before pursuing a cosmetic surgical procedure. This interim period will make sure that you can maintain your new, lighter weight through a healthy lifestyle.

Before undergoing a tummy tuck or any other type of skin lift, one of our cosmetic surgeons will meet with you to discuss your own unique aesthetic goals. You also will undergo a physical examination, to make sure you are in good enough health to go through the surgery, and also identify the specific locations of the excess skin you want to be treated. Call our office at (650) 241-2209 to schedule this initial consultation today.

GLOW Surgical Arts is proud to serve the cosmetic surgery needs of our patients in Redwood City and throughout the Bay Area.