Patients can lose weight from either natural or surgical options. If you have lost weight even as little as 50 pounds, you may notice loose hanging skin or unwanted areas of localized fat. If so, you may want to consider a consultation with Dr. Ryan Hoffman at the Main Line Institute of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Ryan Hoffman is a board-certified plastic surgeon who was trained in body contouring for both men and women who want to improve the look of their body shape following major weight loss.
Who is a Good Candidate for Body Contouring in Philadelphia?
There are two major complaints patients have after natural or surgical weight loss- excess hanging loose skin, and stubborn persistent fat. When the skin stretches during weight gain it loses its elasticity. No further amount of diet or exercise will cause the skin to retract. Combinations of body contouring procedures are designed to remove excess skin and tissue as well as persistent fat. These operations can be combined as one large procedure or can be split into staged procedures.
Body contouring can be broken up into 3 distinct procedures:
- Liposuction – Removes persistent pockets of fat
- Body Lift – combination of procedures to remove excess hanging skin: Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty), Arm Lift (brachioplasty), Back Lift, Breast Lift (mastopexy), Thigh Lift
- Fat Grafting – Used to improve the contours of your figure
The best candidates to undergo body contouring after weight loss are healthy non-smokers who have achieved a stable weight loss for 3 months.
Expectations for Body Contouring in Philadelphia
Every patient is unique and Dr. Ryan Hoffman understands that. Not everyone has the same excess skin or fat in the same location after massive weight loss. Dr. Hoffman will help you choose the combination of procedures that best corrects the areas of your concerns. This is done during the initial consultation process. Dr. Ryan Hoffman, will determine with body contouring after weight loss procedure best takes care of your particular concerns. These procedures include – liposuction, breast lift, thigh lift, arm lift, or tummy tuck. Dr. Hoffman will determine if you are a good candidate to have more than one body contouring surgery performed at the same time.
Regardless of the procedures chosen- they all typically involve removal of fat by liposuction, improvement of contour via fat grafting, and removal of excess skin by placing surgical incisions in the folds of skin to assure the best scarring post operatively.
Post Operative Recovery From Body Contouring in Philadelphia
Much like your surgery, your recovery is individualized depending on the body-contouring surgery that you have had. The more procedures that you had performed at the same time the longer your recovery can be. For any of the body contouring procedures, you should plan to rest and take time off work about 2 weeks. You will need to wear compression garments that promote skin contraction and minimize swelling for about 2 months after surgery. Surgical drains may also be used to help remove excess fluid in the days after surgery. They usually are removed in the office one or two weeks after your surgical procedure.
If you live in Philadelphia area and are interested in body contouring surgery after weight loss, we invite you to call our office today, 610-896-6666, to schedule a consultation with Dr. Ryan Hoffman. The practice is located at Lankenau Medical Center at 100 East Lancaster Ave, MOB East – Suite 660, Wynnewood, PA 19096.