After Weight Loss Surgery in Lubbock, TX

After weight loss surgery, also known as post-bariatric surgery, completes the physical transformation of patients who have undergone major weight loss, from bariatric surgery or other means. When a person loses a lot of weight in a rapid amount of time, the skin doesn’t always tighten to the new body shape. Instead, excess skin sags and hangs around the body, hiding the patient’s impressive new physique. During after weight loss surgery, board certified plastic surgeons Dr. Schmid and Dr. Mooty of The Lubbock Plastic Surgery Institute will remove excess skin from any needed areas of the body, use liposuction to eliminate any remaining pockets of stubborn fat that were not affected by the weight loss, tighten the underlying muscles and tissues, and then carefully redrape the skin so it’s taut over the body’s contours. During the patient’s initial consultation at the Lubbock or Midland office, Dr. Schmid or Dr. Mooty will discuss the patient’s areas of concern and their goals for their after weight loss surgery. A physical examination may also be needed to help the surgeon determine the best treatment plan for the patient, then the surgeon and patient will create an individualized surgical plan.

Weight loss patients will consider after weight loss surgery to correct or enhance one or more of the following conditions:

• Deflated and sagging breasts with nipples that point downward
• Loose and hanging skin on the abdomen
• Excess skin and pockets of fat on the hips
• Excess and deflated skin on and under the buttocks
• Loose and hanging skin around the knees and inner thighs
• Hanging skin on the underside of the arms (“bat wings”)
• Loose and hanging skin on the neck (“turkey neck”)

The goal of after weight loss surgery is to reduce the amount of loose skin that collects and hangs on the body and to lift the body part, so it appears tighter. Multiple areas of the body may need to be addressed, depending on the needs of each patient. Most surgeons will group body parts together and stage them multiple surgeries. Doing so helps reduce the risk of complications, such as blood loss and infection. Examples of this grouping include:

• Upper body (Liposuction, breast lift, tummy tuck, arm lift)
• Lower body (Liposuction, butt lift, thigh lift, lower body lift)

After weight loss surgery is performed under general anesthesia in an accredited surgical facility. Patients are usually required to spend the night in the hospital so they can be monitored. The recovery following this surgery can be a slow process. While the post-surgical results can be life-changing for many weight loss patients, scarring is an unfortunate part of this process. Every attempt is made during surgery to minimize scarring as much as possible. Patients should adhere to a healthy lifestyle so that the results achieved through surgery are not compromised.

Common body parts that may need skin reduction surgery include the abdomen, buttocks, upper thighs, breasts, arms and neck. The breasts and abdomen are among two of the most popular areas addressed. A large majority of individuals will address the breasts (with a breast lift), and the tummy (with a tummy tuck) in a single surgery. As you lose weight, you will notice which areas are most concerning, and you can begin discussing cosmetic surgery with your plastic surgeon.

Most plastic surgeons require patients to be at or near their goal weight before moving forward with this surgery. However, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, removing the loose skin is all it takes to accelerate the loss of the final pounds—especially if the loose skin is getting in the way of exercise and mobility.

In most cases, no. Insurance companies consider this surgery to be cosmetic, and they usually do not cover any of the surgical expenses. However, each surgical case is different and may have a special circumstance. Our billing coordinator works to provide accurate estimates and thoroughly checks the benefits of each provider.