If you’ve experienced major weight loss following bariatric surgery or a medically supervised diet, it’s likely that your skin is not elastic enough to completely recover its tightness. Excessive loose skin in several areas of the body can be a major concern, both physically and psychologically. Some fat deposits may also remain, even after the weight loss. Once your weight loss has stabilized and you have reached your goals, body contouring procedures can remove excess loose skin and remaining fat deposits, restoring a more normal appearance to your body. This can have major benefits for your appearance and sense of well-being.
At McCue Plastic Surgery, Dr. Jonathan McCue provides personalized body-contouring procedures to help patients refine and reshape their bodies after significant weight loss. Serving patients throughout Minneapolis and St. Paul, Dr. McCue combines advanced surgical expertise with a compassionate, patient-centered approach to create natural-looking results that support each patient’s hard-earned transformation.
What is Body Contouring After Weight Loss?
Body contouring surgery may take place in several stages over time, treating one area at a time until the results are complete. The surgeries may include:
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Abdominoplasty – Tummy tuck removes a “muffin top” of excess skin around the belly and can also reconnect separated abdominal muscles for a more toned midsection.
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Lower Body Lift – Sagging skin and fat deposits on the abdomen, buttocks, outer thighs, and groin area are treated in this procedure.
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Thigh Lift – This stage targets sagging skin across all areas of the thighs.
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Breast Lift – Restoring a more natural appearance to the breasts is the goal.
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Arm Lift – Sagging skin on the underside of the upper arms is treated to create more normal contours.
A Thorough Consultation Is a Must
Since body contouring after a major weight loss is a major cosmetic surgery procedure or series of procedures, your consultation with a plastic surgeon is extremely important. In these consultations, Dr. McCue will discuss your goals for the procedure with you, explain what will be involved throughout the process, and outline the results you can expect.
He’ll take a complete medical history and ask you about your medical condition, weight-loss program, current medications, and any pre-existing conditions. He’ll examine and measure you carefully, and will recommend a course of treatment. Dr. McCue will explain all of your options and discuss risks and potential complications of these procedures. You will have many questions, and Dr. McCue will make sure you get the answers you need so you can make a decision based on all the information.
The Body Contouring Procedures
When you decide to have body contouring surgery, Dr. McCue will create a schedule for the procedure or procedures at the Twin Cities surgical facility. Because each of these procedures can be substantial, it is often safest to perform them separately. If there are multiple procedures, they will be timed so you can recover from each surgery before proceeding to the next. For each procedure, you’ll be informed about the steps to be taken and the results you can expect.
In most cases, the procedures will involve a hospital stay. Body-contouring surgery after major weight loss involves incisions, some of which may be extensive. Every effort will be made to place them where they will be concealed by clothing. During the procedure, excess skin and fatty tissue will be removed, and the skin will then be tightened and sutured. Each stage of body contouring involves different techniques, so each will be explained in full to you before proceeding.
Abdominal Contouring After Weight Loss
For patients who have lost significant weight (e.g., more than 50 pounds), there are additional considerations for skin removal that distinguish them from typical abdominoplasty candidates. There is a transverse excess of skin to the upper abdomen as well as loose skin over your love handles. Addressing this is optional, of course, but to achieve the best contour, a variation of abdominoplasty called a fleur-de-lys can be performed, which includes a vertical scar that extends to the top of the abdomen. The belly button can be removed during the surgery and is recreated at the same time.
Loose skin over the love handles, or posterior flanks, requires extending the lower abdominal incision, making the scar longer. If the buttock skin is particularly loose, the posterior scar may extend completely around the small of your back in a 360-degree fashion. Liposuction alone does not address loose skin.
Upper Chest Contouring After Weight Loss
Breast or male chest contouring is readily combined with the removal of excess skin along the arms. Loose skin around the lateral chest wall (bra strap region) and the armpit can be addressed by connecting the skin excision of the arms to the breasts as an extended brachioplasty.
Body Contouring Recovery
All surgeries require time for complete recovery, and body contouring surgery is no exception. Following the surgery, you may have a hospital stay during the initial phase of recovery. Before returning home, you’ll receive detailed instructions for self-care during the remaining recovery period and information on things to watch for and report during the recovery. You’ll also receive any necessary prescriptions for discomfort, to prevent possible infections, and to promote healing. Follow-up visits with the doctor will also be scheduled. Complete recovery will take time and patience, and carefully following recovery instructions is very important for a smooth recovery period.
Body Contouring FAQs
Unfortunately, that is not the case. Some people believe they still have fat to lose when they see sagging skin adding bulk to their bodies. All skin becomes less elastic with age, due to a natural decline in collagen and elastin production. If your skin is no longer tight enough to fit snuggly around your slimmed-down contours, the only practical solution is to remove the excess skin with surgery.
Dr. McCue recommends that you postpone cosmetic surgery until after your weight loss journey is complete and you have reached (or come close to) your goal weight. Allow your weight to stabilize for about six months so that your body can adjust to its new proportions and your skin has time to retract. You may discover that with some time, your skin is still elastic enough to shrink on its own. It is also important to have time to become comfortable with your new diet and lifestyle. You want to be sure you can successfully maintain your weight, since losing or gaining a significant amount of weight in the future can undo some of the attractive contours achieved with plastic surgery.
Although the general principle of removing excess skin remains the same for male and female patients, Dr. McCue may adjust his techniques during these surgeries to align with the patient’s gender. Usually, women prefer slim figures with soft features and curves, while men want a toned body shape that is not necessarily svelte. Dr. McCue takes the patient’s preferences into account when creating a surgical plan.
Yes, often patients have loose skin in multiple areas. To create appealing contours throughout your body, it may be appropriate to combine multiple procedures. During a consultation, Dr. McCue can devise a customized surgical plan that reflects the changes you would like to see. They can usually be performed on the same day, which allows you to save on certain costs and overlap your recovery time.
The price of your body-contouring surgery depends on the areas from which skin is being removed and the amount of skin that needs to be tightened. Dr. McCue can provide a quote after devising a personalized surgical plan for you during a consultation. Body contouring is typically considered an elective procedure. However, for patients who have undergone bariatric surgery and have experienced significant weight loss, some body-contouring procedures may be considered medically necessary and therefore covered. Financing options are available.
Plastic surgery requires incisions, which will leave some scarring. Dr. McCue is careful to place incisions along natural curves and lines where scarring is most easily concealed. Most patients agree that scars, which fade significantly over time, are a reasonable trade off for removing excess skin that makes their frame look wider.
Complete Your Weight Loss Transformation with Body Contouring in Minneapolis, MN
After significant weight loss, body-contouring surgery can help address excess skin and refine your results, helping you feel more comfortable and confident in your appearance. At McCue Plastic Surgery, Dr. McCue creates personalized treatment plans designed to help patients achieve smoother, more balanced body contours while supporting long-term confidence and quality of life.
To learn more about body contouring after weight loss or schedule your consultation, contact McCue Plastic Surgery serving Minneapolis and St. Paul today at (952) 830-0089.
