Thursday, July 7, 2011

Surgical Body Contouring Following Extreme Weight Loss

First I did a lot of research on surgical body contouring procedures. What I found is that for post-bariatric body contouring Tampa surgeons generally recommend a series of procedures that are often performed over the course of a year to minimize infection and complications. These procedures can include any combination of: arm lift, tummy tuck, face lift, neck lift, thigh lift, breast lift, and liposuction. These procedures will be specially designed for each patient in order to remove loose skin, tighten trouble zones, and diminish stretch marks and cellulite.

I also researched who is an ideal candidate for surgical body contouring. In Tampa liposuction is not recommended for weight loss, but rather to complement and enhance a patient’s own weight loss endeavors. While everyone who has lost a lot of weight is likely to experience sagging skin, only those who are at a healthy BMI should consider cosmetic surgery. Once you reach a healthy weight, your chance of successful surgery and recovery increase dramatically.

Based on my research, the ideal candidate will be:

• At a healthy weight

• Have maintained a stable weight for more than 1 year

• In overall good health – those with chronic illness should avoid elective surgery and discuss their options at depth with their physician

• Non-smokers – smokers are always at higher risk during surgical procedures

The biggest downside to a full body lift is the required downtime for recovery. Hospital stays, barring any complications, range from an average of one to four days. During this time tubes are placed in the wounds to drain fluids and the patient has round the clock access to pain medication. Pain, swelling, and bruising often last up to three weeks after the surgery. In Tampa plastic surgery patients are recommended to take a month off of work to allow the body to properly mend and heal. However, those with physically demanding jobs should take longer, or try to negotiate a job with less physical impact for about two months following the surgery.

Of course, regular visits with the doctor to monitor healing must be scheduled, and only your doctor can give you the go ahead to re-introduce activities into your life. Scarring is unavoidable with all invasive surgeries, however, because of the magnitude of these procedures, other risks are associated, including: bleeding, infection, asymmetry, and skin laxity, among others. For a great body contouring cosmetic surgeon Tampa is a great place to research your plastic surgery needs. WNDBXJGPXCX3

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