Sagging skin is a common problem for people who undergo significant weight loss after bariatric surgery. This often comes in the way of the aesthetic appeal that patients look forward to, after all the trouble of undergoing a bariatric surgery. For someone who has borne the expenses of bariatric surgery in pursuit of good looks, slack skin could be a big disappointment, but it can be corrected with the help of plastic surgery.
If you dread the thought of spending thousands on cosmetic treatment right after having paid the massive bill of your bariatric surgeon, you may just consider traveling abroad for plastic surgery after weight-loss surgery.
Drooping skin is not just a cosmetic problem; it becomes a pain if it starts hindering your daily life. Too much loose skin can not only hamper your dressing but also become an obstacle for your daily chores and create health issues like rashes and infection.
Cost of plastic surgery procedures is quite prohibitive in countries like the US, the UK, and Canada. Patients looking at cheap plastic surgery after weight loss surgery would do well to go abroad to maximize savings.
Plastic Surgery Procedures Required After Bariatric Surgery
Plastic surgery, after obesity surgery, is often done in several stages. When the weight loss is massive, it leaves loose skin all over the body including abdomen, buttocks, thighs, breasts, arms, face, and neck. One or two areas are taken care of at a time. This is to minimize blood loss, infections, and other complications.
Here is a list of on plastic surgery procedures for each of the problem areas. Your plastic surgeon will recommend which procedure you need when and how to best go about it. 
- Abdomen: The most commonly known plastic surgery procedure for the abdominal area is the tummy tuck or abdominoplasty. This involves removal of the loose skin and tightening of the abdominal muscles. In some cases, only excess skin needs to be removed. This procedure is called panniculectomy.
- Buttocks and Upper Thighs: Removal of fatty tissue—called lipectomy—is performed for tightening the skin on your bums and upper thighs. Here the sagging muscles may have to be lifted, besides removing extra skin.
- Thigh Lift: An incision from the groin till the knee is made to remove sagging skin.
- Breasts: Breast lift is performed to uplift the skin rendered loose and sagging by rapid weight-loss.
- Arms: Procedure to remove excess skin from the arm is known as brachioplasty. It involves making an incision that extends from the armpit to the elbow. The plastic surgeon may combine this with a breast procedure.
- Face and Neck: Cosmetic surgery for face and neck after weight loss is very much like the traditional, aging-related facelift. However, more skin may require to be removed for people who have lost weight. Facial plastic surgery has to be planned very carefully.
Factors to Consider for Plastic Surgery after Significant Weight-loss
There are a few factors specific to body contouring after bariatric surgery that you need to consider.
- You should wait for a year or so after weight loss surgery to undergo body contouring. Significant weight loss happens during the first year. For best results, go for plastic surgery after your weight has stabilized.
- Chronic problems like diabetes and heart ailments do not bode well for body contouring. You need to be in overall good health.
- A proper diet with sufficient nutrition is essential. Protein deficiency can affect healing after plastic surgery. Since the weight loss surgery would have already placed several restrictions on food, you need to choose your diet well.
- You must have realistic expectations from plastic surgery. Marked improvement is likely but do not expect plastic surgery to completely reverse effects of weight gain and aging.
Risks of Plastic Surgery after Weight Loss Surgery
Plastic surgery after weight loss involves making larger incisions than traditional cosmetic surgery, as more skin needs to be removed. You must be aware of the following risks:
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Death of skin tissue
- Scars
- Asymmetrical looks
- Rare complications like clots in veins and lungs, pneumonia and heart attack
A skilled surgeon and patient’s commitment to follow the post-surgical instructions can help minimize the risks of any surgery.
Cost of Plastic Surgery Abroad
Cost of plastic surgery is much lower in destinations like Thailand, India, Costa Rica, and Mexico compared to the prices in the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, etc.
A tummy tuck procedure that costs somewhere around $6,000-$8,000 in the US, can be availed in India for less than half that price.
It must be pointed out that cheaper rates in these countries do not mean substandard facilities. Plastic surgeons and weight loss surgeons in Mexico, Costa Rica and India are highly qualified and experienced and the hospitals in our network are some of the most hygienic and well-equipped healthcare facilities in the world. The low-prices of medical treatments in these countries are mostly due to the lower cost of living here.
For more information on plastic surgery after weight-loss surgery, fill-out the estimate-request form on the right.