What to Expect from Body Contouring Surgery After Weight Loss

Losing a significant amount of weight is a major achievement.

But even after shedding those unwanted pounds, you might find that your body doesn’t look exactly how you’d like. Stubborn fat deposits could linger on the body despite your weight loss, and if your weight loss was significant enough, you might be dealing with sizable amounts of excess skin.

At our Milwaukee, Wisconsin offices, we’ve talked to countless patients seeking a body transformation following weight loss. For this, we recommend “body contouring” — a procedure or series of procedures that can help you achieve a smoother, more toned appearance following fat loss.

In this article, we’re going to break down exactly what body contouring involves, what you can expect from the procedure or procedures, and everything else you might want to know about body contouring surgery.

 

What Is Body Contouring Surgery?

After losing weight, your body is going to look different than it did before. While this can be a positive in many ways, it can also leave people with problem areas on their body that they’d like adjusted to their standards.

Body contouring surgery is designed to do just that. By removing excess skin and fat while reshaping and tightening underlying tissues, a skilled surgeon can reshape a patient’s body into their ideal form, tackling any problem areas that may have resulted from weight loss due to diet, exercise, or bariatric surgery.

The exact procedures used as a part of body contouring surgery vary from patient to patient. Some of the procedures often utilized in the body contouring process include tummy tucks (abdominoplasty), arm lifts (brachioplasty), thigh lifts, liposuction, and more.

 

What Are the Benefits of Body Contouring Surgery?

While there are plenty of visual benefits to achieving the body of your dreams through body contouring surgery, there are a host of other benefits that you might not have considered.

For example, in addition to improved confidence, many report that the removal of excess skin improves their comfort level. Excess skin can cause chafing and irritation, and once it’s gone, patients say that they’ve experienced an increase in quality of life.

Similarly, those who have had their body contoured sometimes report better mobility following their surgeries. This is because tightened skin and tissues can make physical activity more comfortable and enjoyable, especially when compared to having a substantial amount of excess skin.

 

How Do I Start the Process?

Your journey to a more toned, defined body begins with a visit to a skilled surgeon like Dr. Mark Bosbous.

During your initial meeting, you’ll discuss important issues like your goals, concerns, overall health, and any particular areas you’d like your body contouring surgery to focus on.

From there, your surgeon will recommend a personalized treatment plan tailored to your unique needs as well as answering any questions you may have about the procedure, recovery, and results. During this process, it’s important to be as open and honest as possible so your surgeon can guide you to the best possible outcome.

Once you’ve set out a plan, your surgeon will likely lay out a pre-surgery plan. This plan differs from person-to-person and could include guidelines regarding medication, diet, and weight maintenance.

 

The Day of Surgery, Recovery, and Aftercare

Depending on how many procedures you require to achieve your desired outcome, your surgery may last several hours. In some cases, a patient will require an overnight stay, though others can return home the same day.

In any case, once your procedures have been performed, your surgeon will provide you with detailed instructions on how to care for your incisions and manage discomfort during the initial recovery period.

As far as recovery is concerned, it’s difficult to give an exact timeline given how varied the surgeries involved can be.

However, in general, someone undergoing body contouring surgery after weight loss should expect one week of swelling, bruising, and discomfort, which can be managed with prescribed medications. In the two-to-four weeks following, most patients can return to work and engage in light activities. After that, more strenuous activities can be slowly reintroduced with your surgeon’s approval.

The swelling will subside over the course of several months, which means your final results may take some time to show.

 

Ready to Take the First Step?

If you want to learn more about body contouring surgery or are interested in booking a consultation, contact our Milwaukee, Wisconsin offices. Our team is here to guide you every step of the way, helping you achieve the confidence and comfort you deserve.