Body lift surgery helps patients feel comfortable in their own skin after major weight loss
People who lose a significant amount of weight often bear a physical reminder in the form of loose, sagging skin. The skin causes a range of medical problems — back pains and chafing, for example — as well as emotional distress. Any joy in losing weight is often tempered by feelings of unhappiness and discomfort.
The only way to tighten the skin is through surgery, and one procedure in particular has achieved strong results for patients at Westside Surgical Hospital. Cosmetic surgery physician Dr. Mark Schusterman regularly performs body lift surgery at WSH for people who have excess skin on their face, breasts, back, trunk and thighs. He says that the procedure can give people a feeling of great confidence and reassurance.
“People want to look good and be able to wear normal clothes,” he says. “The benefit of this particular procedure is that it gives them a new waistline. Losing weight is really only half of the equation.”
Dr. Schusterman is seeing an increasing number of patients who are seeking information about the procedure.
“It’s not a matter of reassuring them as much as asking them to be patient before undergoing the procedure,” he says. “The loose skin can be a deterrent to exercise or any form of physical activity.”
Dr. Schusterman performs a complete evaluation to determine whether or not the individual is a viable candidate. Candidates for body lifts include patients who have lost more than 60 pounds and maintained their current weight for at least six months. If the patient has undergone gastric bypass surgery, they are advised to wait a year before pursuing body lift surgery.
Maghan Stiles of Missouri City, Texas, is one of the individuals who have benefited from body lift surgery. After undergoing weight loss surgery, she had excess skin on her midsection. Further complicating matters was severe scarring that resulted from a childhood accident where she experienced second- and third-degree burns over 70 percent of her body. The excess skin tended to be infected around Stiles’ scar tissue.
Dr. Schusterman was able to remove 10 pounds of tissue from Stile’s midsection.
“Maghan was a prime candidate for the body lift surgery because she was very motivated and she had worked hard to get her weight down,” he says. “Having a good attitude is the best way to ensure success. She is really doing great since the surgery.”
Although Stiles has resumed many of her normal activities, a patient’s new body needs time to adapt.
“Some patients try to do too much, too soon,” says Dr. Schusterman. “They run the risk of having complications if they don’t allow themselves the time to heal. Although they may be anxious to exercise and get back to the gym, we ask them to be patient. But after the procedure, they can continue to lead a healthy lifestyle that includes proper diet and exercise.”