Plastic Surgery for Post Bariatric Surgery Skin

Mixed feelings about their body after weight loss is not uncommon among bariatric surgery patients. Loose skin is a common occurrence after the rapid weight loss experienced through bariatric surgery.

If you have significant trouble with excess skin after bariatric surgery, a surgeon can assist you with certain procedures that are designed to shrink the skin or remove the excess skin. New advances in laser liposuction, such as SmartLipo, will allow for skin shrinkage. If you need a surgical procedure, speak to a reconstructive surgeon, someone experienced in body contouring after weight loss surgery.

The treatments for removal of excessive tissue can involve extensive surgical procedures. The procedures vary from the basic procedures, abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), mastopexy (breast lift), inner thigh lifts, and brachioplasty (arm lift) to more complicated procedures, including high lateral tension abdominoplasties and lower body lifts.

Body lift surgery is one of the most common procedures used to improve the body's appearance after bariatric surgery. It's also long-lasting, if you keep your weight stable. The surgeon makes one cut along the abdomen and removes excess, sagging skin, lifts and tightens the buttocks, abdomen, waist, hips, thighs, and arms in the same procedure. Liposuction is often used to remove fat and improve body contour. Buttock augmentation may be done since buttocks often flatten with extreme weight loss. Body lift surgery can dramatically change your appearance, and the results are permanent, except for a little natural firmness that's lost with age.

Insurance will cover the cost of some procedures if they are considered reconstructive in nature, to restore normal structure or function. Surgical correction of any cosmetic defect that significantly impacts function of the body part in question may also be covered. Reconstructive surgery is considered surgery that addresses health concerns as opposed to surgery designed to make you look better.

For post bariatric surgery patients, hernias are covered by insurance, as is a panniculectomy, the removal of excess abdominal skin that can cause rashes, lesions and infection. Sores and rashes must be present for at least six months, having failed to heal despite appropriate medical treatment. If these problems are present in other areas, such as the inner thighs, breasts, or under the arms, insurance will likely cover the surgery. Breast reductions are sometimes covered too, depending on the patient profile and symptoms. The skin sores and irritation caused by the skin rubbing together, and their treatments, should be well documented by your primary care physician. Documented properly, medical records will provide great support toward getting your surgery covered by your insurance company.

Tummy tucks or a body lifts done at the same time as an insurance covered panniculectomy and be performed at a discounted rate because the panniculectomy procedure is encompassed within the tummy tuck procedure.

It is very important to keep everything in perspective. While excess skin is not necessarily what you signed on for when you decided to have bariatric surgery, it is evidence of successful weight loss. Your improved health and quality of life are the most important things.