Losing weight is a significant accomplishment. But for those who have had massive weight loss after bariatric surgery, it’s only half the battle—oftentimes, excess, hanging skin sticks around to hide hard-earned results.
It comes as no surprise that as the number of patients undergoing weight loss surgery grows, so does the number of body contouring plastic surgery procedures. 2014 statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons show that lifting procedures associated with massive weight loss are growing at a fast rate.
According to an article from CBS, around one quarter of all weight loss surgery patients go on to have one or more cosmetic procedures, including tummy tuck, arm lift, lower body lift, and breast lift surgeries. Last year alone, the number of lower body lifts performed increased by 7%, with abdominoplasty not far behind with a rise of 5%.
As more and more people are openly discussing the realities of their weight loss surgery journey and seeking out information about their options, it is our hope that body lifting procedures will become part of every massive weight loss patient’s plan from the start. The sooner the notion that plastic surgery is associated with vanity fades completely away, the sooner we can support more people becoming comfortable and happy in their own skin, through whatever methods are most medically appropriate for them.
Read the full article here.