Plastic Surgery After Weight Loss Columbus

Dr. Bivik Shah performs body contouring for patients who have lost large amounts of weight after bariatric surgery. If you have recently had bariatric surgery in Columbus, Ohio or in the surrounding areas, and now need to have excess skin removed, contact our office today to schedule a body contouring consultation.

• What is Bariatric Surgery?
• Body Contouring Procedures After Bariatric Surgery
• When are you ready for plastic surgery?
• What is the first step?
• How much can you have done at one surgery?
• What do you do after your surgery is scheduled?
• How long is the recovery?
• What is involved in the operation?
• What are the risks of the surgery?

What is Bariatric Surgery?

According to the National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases, nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight, and nearly one-third are obese. Many people struggle with their weight their whole lives, trying diet after diet with no success. But there is a surgical solution to morbid obesity – bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery helps obese patients lose extreme amounts of weight, helping them lead an active, healthy lifestyle that was previously prevented by their weight.

Bariatric surgery is not intended for people who are just slightly overweight. In general, you must be morbidly obese in order to qualify for bariatric surgery. Morbidly obese is defined as being overweight by 100 pounds (men) or 80 pounds (women) with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or over. It is also important to understand that bariatric surgery is not performed with the main goal of reaching an ideal weight – the real advantage of bariatric surgery is the improvement of the patient’s well-being and future health. Some obesity-related medical conditions can be prevented, improved, and cured with bariatric surgery, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, hypertension, infertility, liver disease, low back pain, sleep apnea, and stroke.

If you want to learn more about the benefits of bariatric surgery, contact the Columbus Institute of Plastic Surgery in Ohio today.

Body Contouring Procedures After Bariatric Surgery

You’ve lost all of that weight – now what?

Plastic surgery after weight loss has become extremely popular. The simple truth is, it’s not a matter of wanting surgery – most people need it after significant weight loss. Skin becomes severely loose and has no tone after you lose more than 50 pounds in a short period of time. As a result, the body often looks worse than it did with the weight. During consultations for bariatric surgery at his Columbus, Ohio office, Dr. Shah often hears patients say that they look in the mirror and just can’t bear the sight of all of that extra skin because they still see themselves as fat. Sometimes it is so bad that patients express the wish that they had not lost the weight in the first place.

Dr. Shah encounter these problems every day. They regularly perform plastic surgery on people who have lost a significant amount of weight. Plastic surgery following bariatric surgery and significant weight loss is a very specialized part of plastic surgery that requires years of experience. New techniques in plastic surgery make it possible to perform skin reduction surgery on virtually any part of the body. That means all of the extra skin on the belly, arms, thighs, breasts, neck, buttocks, back, eyes, and face can be removed. It is important to remember that the information here is intended for general knowledge and not for specific patients. As always, the best way to get specific information is to schedule a consultation about bariatric surgery at the Columbus, Ohio office of Dr. Shah.

When are you ready for plastic surgery?

The first step in this process is to determine when you will be ready for plastic surgery. Most people that have bariatric surgery lose anywhere from five to 20 pounds a month during the first six to eight months. Dr. Shah feel that while you are losing this much weight, it is not a good period to have surgery because your body is in a breakdown phase, not a healing phase. Therefore, when your weight loss is down to one to two pounds per month, you are ready to have plastic surgery. Also, if you have plastic surgery after bariatric surgery and you are still losing a lot of weight, you may need to have it again.

To learn more, or to receive a free CD about skin reduction surgery after bariatric surgery, contact the Columbus Institute of Plastic Surgery in Columbus, Ohio, today.

What is the first step?

Your journey to having your skin fit your body begins with a consultation with Dr. Shah. At the consultation for bariatric surgery, Columbus, Ohio plastic surgeon Dr. Shah will explain all of the procedures in detail including the benefits, risks, and how it will best fit your needs. Also, Dr. Shah will help you decide on where to have the procedure done on your body. To learn more about skin removal after bariatric surgery, contact the Columbus, Ohio office of Dr. Bivik Shah today.

How much can you have done at one surgery?

Dr. Shah’s extensive experience makes it possible to have surgery on more than one part of the body. This means that you could have up to three regions of the body operated on at the same time. To learn more about body contouring after bariatric surgery, or to receive a free CD about skin reduction surgery after bariatric surgery, contact Columbus, Ohio staff

What do you do after your surgery is scheduled?

At this point, Dr. Shah will meet with you again to discuss the exact procedures you will be having, along with the risks and benefits. You will have plenty of opportunities to ask any questions you might have; we are concerned with your comfort and want to make sure that all your needs are taken care of.

How long is the recovery?

Individual regions of the body, such as the belly and arms, have a recovery of about one to two weeks. If you have several regions of the body performed at the same time, the recovery will be longer. For example, if you have three regions of the body operated on, such as the belly, arms, and breasts, your recovery would be about a month and a half.

What is involved in the operation?

If only one region of the body is operated on, it will be an outpatient operation, meaning you will go home the same day. If you have more than one region of the body operated on, you would have to spend one to two days in the hospital to allow you to heal and to be as pain free as possible. To learn more about how your skin will respond to body contouring after bariatric surgery, Columbus, Ohio surgeon Dr. Shah would like to schedule a consultation with you.

What are the risks of the surgery?

With any surgery, there are some common risks such as infection, bleeding, and blood clots. The chance of blood clots is rare, and the chance of infection or bleeding is about 5 percent.

There are two risks specific to skin reduction surgery. The first is that a small part of the incision can come apart. This may sound horrible, but it is not a big problem. When this happens, it will heal on its own. The second is a fluid collection that would need to be drained in the office. There are other risks that are specific to the individual that Dr. Shah will discuss with you in detail during the consultation. To schedule a personal consultation about the risks of skin reduction after bariatric surgery, contact Columbus, Ohio plastic surgeon Dr. Shah today.

If you have loose, sagging skin from massive weight loss after bariatric surgery, you may be a good candidate for body contouring. The hard part is over. You’ve lost the weight, now it is time to take the next step toward a healthy, beautiful new body! We can send you a CD that includes more involved information about skin removal after bariatric surgery. Dayton and Columbus, Ohio residents are urged to contact our Columbus, Ohio plastic surgery practice today to set up a consultation.