June 10, 2015
Every patient who walks through our doors has a unique story. The decision to have plastic surgery is always a personal one and we are so lucky to be able to join so many patients on what is so often a transformative, uplifting experience. I always feel grateful when our patients send us personal updates and share their stories with others, creating new communities on Facebook or YouTube in order to help others with similar struggles. It’s such a helpful tool to hear from someone who has actually gone through the procedure you’re interested in so that you can be as informed as possible, regardless of whether you decide to go ahead with surgery or not.
One of our recent body contouring after weight loss patients generously sent us photos of her journey and gave us permission to share her story with others. I’m so thankful for this gesture that will undoubtedly help so many others who find themselves in similar situations.
In November 2013, she weighed 309 lbs. By committing to lifestyle changes involving her diet and exercise plans, over the proceeding 16 months, she was able to lose an astonishing 145 lbs. This is such an incredible achievement that requires an impressive amount of hard work and dedication – she really transformed her whole life. I mean, it doesn’t get much more inspiring than that. However, after putting so much time and effort into her transformation, she found herself in the same place that many people who lose a significant amount of weight find themselves. While the weight is gone, there is loose skin that remains, especially around the abdominal area. Instead of being able to fully embrace their new body and improved health, people who have lost substantial weight often find that this unwanted saggy skin interferes with the worry-free life they were hoping to achieve. A lot of times it can even have an impact on their body image, which is detrimental to their efforts to keep the weight off as they move forward.
Unlike body fat, excess skin does not respond to changes in diet or exercise. In fact, it can really only be eliminated with surgical intervention like body contouring. When we talk about body contouring, what we’re talking about are procedures like tummy tuck, breast lift, arm and thigh lift. This way our patients get to totally enjoy the results of all the effort that went into their weight loss, whether it was achieved through lifestyle changes or through bariatric surgery.
These images show our patient in November 2013, then in March 2015 following her 145 lb. weight loss. The third image shows her results 6 weeks after her body contouring procedure. As she told us when sharing the photos, “I hope these images will help some future patients see what incredible results are possible with this surgery. And I know it’s still going to get better!”
Studies have shown that patients who undergo body contouring after weight loss have a better chance of maintaining their weight loss results and often report a higher quality of life. This procedure frequently leads to not only improved health but also improved happiness, and that’s really the one-two punch of the work that we do.
We want everyone who comes to see us to celebrate who they are and what they’ve achieved. Whether that includes a person who wants to fully actualize the results of a major weight loss endeavour, or a mom who wants to restore her body after pregnancy and breastfeeding, or someone who wants to refresh their facial appearance so it matches the vitality of their personality, we’re lucky to be able to be here to help write the next chapter in each person’s unique story.
Did we answer all your questions? Our goal is to ensure you have the best information possible to make your decision. If you still have questions, we’re here to help.
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