Bariatric surgery and gastric bypass surgery are becoming popular options for losing weight. In addition, society has become more body conscious and the population has moved increasingly towards dieting and exercising to lose weight. With either of these methods, often times people can loose a significant amount of weight in a short time. This can create excessive loose skin that will often not shrink on its own. Many times the only way to alleviate this is through plastic surgery. Body Contouring surgery can help reduce the excess skin and contour the abdomen, breasts, arms and thighs. Each problem area can be addressed with specific surgical options, including abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), mastopexy (breast lift) or breast reduction, brachioplasty (upper arm lift), medial thigh lift and face or neck lift.

Tummy Tuck

Abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, helps improve the overall appearance of the abdomen and torso as there is often sagging skin leftover after weight loss or pregnancy. This procedure is performed under general anesthesia. The surgery may take anywhere from 2-4 hours, depending on your overall condition and the amount of work that needs to be done. Most patients are released a couple of hours after the completion of surgery. 

The procedure is most commonly performed by making a horizontal incision above the pubic area that extends to each hipbone. A second incision is made around the navel. The skin is then separated from the abdominal wall, exposing loose tissue covering the abdominal muscle. Loose, stretched out muscles are tightened with sutures. The skin is lowered over the abdomen and the navel is reconstructed. The excess skin and fat are then removed and the incisions are  sutured together.

Drains are inserted to eliminate fluid builup. Often times an implantable pain pump will be inserted to alleviate pain for the first few days. Firm elastic bandages are applied to the area and the patient is placed in a tight fitting garment to reduce swelling.

Breast Lift or Reduction

There are several types of mastopexy, or breast lift, procedures ranging rom the simple lifts with minimal scarring to extensive lifts with more incisions. Often a mastopexy is combined with the use of a saline or silicone breast implant to create fullness. The type of lift is individualized for each patient depending on the severity of ptosis, or sagging, and the desired patient goals.

Though not a simple operation, mastopexy is a very common procedure performed by Dr. Tjelmeland. Mastopexy is an outpatient procedure performed under either local or general anesthesia depending on the complexity of your individual case. The surgery may take between 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours.

Smaller lifts, or Circumareolar Mastopexy, can be accomplished with incisions just around the areola. An  incision is made around the bottom of the areola and up above the top of the areola. The areola and nipple are then moved up to their new position. The skin is then gathered and sutured around the areola in its new position.

More extensive lifts, or Standard Mastopexy, and Reductions involve an incision along the natural fold under the breast, then up to and around the areola. This incision is commonly called an "anchor" incision. The nipple and areola are then repositioned. The skin surrounding the areola is brought together to reshape the breast.

After surgery, sutures will be covered with gauze and a surgical bra or sports bra will hold the breats in place and help alleviate swelling. Sutures will remain for about 10 days.

Arm Lift

Arm lift, or brachioplasty, can greatly improve the appearance of the upper arms if excess fat and skin are present. This is an outpatient procedure usually performed under general anesthesia that can take from 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours.

The incision is placed on the inside of the arm and extends from the elbow to the underarm. Incision length will depend on the amount of fat and skin to be removed. The excess skin and fat is excised and often liposuction techniques are utilized as well. The underlying tissue is tightened and reshaped and the overlying skin is draped over the new contoured arm with the excess removed.

 Often, drains are placed to collect any fluid build up and can be removed in about a week.

Medial Thigh Lift

A medial (or inner) thigh lift can vastly improve the appearance of your inner thighs if excess or sagging skin is present. For typical cases, the procedure will begin with liposuction to the inner thighs. The incicion is placed in the inner crease of the groin and will run front to back. The exact length of the incision will depend on your particular body and the extent of sagging. Excess skin and fat is excised and the remaining is tightened and sutured.

Sutures will remain for 10-14 days. Vigorous activity with the lower extremity must be avoided for at least 2 weeks following surgery.