please be aware!! all ps do not specialize in weight loss patients

My Friend of 15 years chose a ps based on pricing. Her results are not good at all and he refuses to correct. She had a Tummy Tuck and BL. The results are not good. She still has a large muffin top and the bottom is not flat, her breast are still saggy and look like teardrops. He told her that patients that have a large amount of weight loss are not good candidates for PS!!! What the HE@@ 

ok...I haven't made the journey through wls yet to get to the ps point..but I call bs on that one. If they are a good ps they would be able to cut it off and put back together in a good way not butcher people up or do dumb stuff to still get paid. I think the only thing I have heard is the malnutriction part...they want you healthy that way but wls has nothing to do with it otherwise that i understand..but this is just imo

Jodi that is a VERY incorrect assumption one that the previous posters friend made.  The laxity of our skin is VERY VERY VERY different then say your average patient who goes to get a "mommy makeover."  There is an inherent skill level to pulling ENOUGH skin to take off and if you don't have "much" experience with that then you end up STILL looking like a melted candle.  All be it a smoother candle but none-the-less it's different.

Ms Shell

Of course not all plastic surgeons specialize in weight loss patients.  During the research phase, it's important to look at their before/after galleries - and also validate that the pictures shown are their actual patients and not shared images (usually this is indicatedin small print at the bottom of the website).  Also, find other patients who have used the surgeon - the local weight loss support groups can help with that.

When you meet with the surgeon for the first time, ask very specific questions about their experience with weight loss patients.  If the surgeon is good, you should leave the consult with a good idea of what the final results will be.  It's a matter of being very attentive to what they say and what they show you.

But keep in mind, there are weight loss patients who are not good candidates for plastic surgery - med hx, social hx, etc all play a part in that too.

But a broad sweeping statement that all weight loss patients are not good candidates - well, that's wrong.  There's a lot of proof on this board of folks who have gone through it with great results.

YOU NEVER PICK A PS by price, I realize not everyone has the money to get it done but when I have someone slicing up my body I want to make sure he is experienced in WLS patients cause our skin is different and that he is a board certified PS.
for those of you that had great results with a general surgeon that is wonderful but I just wouldnt want to chance it.
you pick a PS from his skills not his price tag

WLS patients are really different from non-WLS because of

What their skin has been through numerous weight loss-gain cycles  is in no way comparable to a "mommy makeover" in an individual who gained a few pounds during pregnancy.

The overall amount of skin: some patients literally have "skin for two."  The overall amount of new skin they grow to accommodate their largest size can be remarkable.  While "removal of excess skin"  is simple and easy on someone who just has a little hanging tummy, most WLS patients need to be "refitted" into their new skin.  This is the  "regional not local approach" I teach at seminars to other surgeons.

The quality of the skin:  WLS skin is typically very damaged after gain/loss plus nutritional challenges.  The techniques used in surgery, management of problems afterwords, and the result expectations are totally different.

Psychological issues: my experience is that many WLS patients do not (and may not ever) have had a good, normal, or balanced body image. This makes satisfaction after PS very tricky unless one has experience with these issues.

Traditional techniques are usually not adequate to treat the deformities from massive WLS.
Newer procedures like the Upper Body Lift, Buttock auto augmentation, Spiral Flaps and others have been very recently developed especially (and only because the old ways failed) for WLS patients.

Yeah..I'm nuts about this stuff. 

We know u are that's why u r the best!!!

Thanks Dr. L =)

Thank's for everyone's insights. My heart really goes out to my BFF. I just couldn't believe that he refused to correct. I agree research is the key!!! I went to 4 consults and asked a lot of questions.  And DR. L thanks for ur response that's why if all goes well when elizabeth calls me back!!! I'll be on ur schedule really soon!!!!