Question:
Did you have any plastic surgery after your weight loss?

I am in the research portion of this surgery. I am curious to know what percent needed/not needed plastic surgery after such tremendous losses. I want to have this surgery but I am unsure about the need for plastic surgery following the loss. I weigh in now at 272 and would like to drop to around 140. Thanks in advance.    — Melissa W. (posted on June 28, 2004)

June 28, 2004
I'm 5'6", started at 252 lbs. I weighed 146 the day I had plastic surgery. I'm 41 years old and was overweight for about 14 years. I had a lower body lift, breast lift and inner thigh lift (pantyline incision). I weighed 138 a couple of weeks ago when I was at the surgeon's office for a follow-up and wearing a loose size 6. I still have a little bit of swelling at 8 weeks post-op.
   — [Deactivated Member]

June 28, 2004
There are way too many factors involved to determine ahead of time if you will need PS, so I would not fret about it. My experience is that when I lost about 200lbs at age 33-34 I do not remember having tons of excess skin, although it was not tight either. But I know the thought of PS never entered into my mind. However, 8 years later and regaining 200 lbs and then losing 228 lbs made PS a must. I've already had a lower body lift during the first procedure, then the equivalent of a upper panni (roll above the navel and around the back that could not be taken care of with the first surgery) and I will have the excess skin on the legs removed in Nov. After that I will take a step back and see. If I want to finish what I started then I definitely need the huge bat wings removed off my arms and then a breast lift/implant surgery. I do not know if I will end up doing the rest after the legs. I'm already feeling surgeried out and I have to do the Nov one yet. So time will tell. <p>I honestly thought going into WLS that I could get by without any plastic work because of how things went last time. But restretching out my skin again by 200 lbs was more than it could bear and just could not shrink the same again. I had my opportunity the first time and blew it, so I live with the consequences. Depending on your age, where you carry your weight etc. you may or may not need any plastics. What's most important is to get the weight off. The rest can be decided at some later date.
   — zoedogcbr

June 28, 2004
I am 51 years old and 5'7" tall. I've lost nearly 220 lbs, starting at 396. I probably do need plastic surgery, but have opted not to do it. I just don't want to undergo the pain and expense of another surgery. I'd love to be rid of the excess skin, but it's not worth it to me to have to take off work when the pain and recovery would be worse than it wads for my RNY.
   — Cathy S.

June 28, 2004
I am 54; I turned 50 the day I left the hospital after my RNY. I was 260 and am now 124. I'm 5'8" tall. I could have lived without plastic surgery I guess, but for me it felt like the sewcond step in the weight loss process. I have had breast lift w/augmentation, arm lift, inner thigh lift and tummy tuck. I could have used the lower body lift (circumferential cut all the way around the body) but my insurance did not approve it and I did not want to pay the difference. They did pay for the tummy tuck, inner thighs and breast lift. I paid for the arms and for the implants. While I could have functioned OK without the surgeries, it has made a TREMENDOUS difference in mobility to have the extra skin gone. But: everyone is different. It depends so much on your body shape, skin elasticity, age, and how long you have been obese. There is no way of knowing ahead of time what you will need/want. HOWEVER I would not want anxiety about future plastics to affect your decision about wls. Make each decision on its own merits. Good luck! hugs, Ann
   — [Deactivated Member]

June 28, 2004
I was 248 on the day of surgery and now weigh 125. I've had 3 plastic surgeries and will have a 4th in March. I DEFINATELY needed the plastics. I've probably had 6 to 7 pounds of excess skin (NOT FAT)removed from my body. Unfortuately, when you hit a certain age, your skin does not bounce back very well. Plus, it's been stretched out for years of being overweight. I thought losing the weight would change my life. It did. However, that was the easy part. I think waiting to have all of the plastic surgeries that you need afterwords is the hard part. Most of the surgeries aren't covered so you have to finance them yourself. I tend to do 1 plastic surgery per year so that gives me 12 months to save up for it. I've found that I was MORE unhappy with my body after I lost the weight and seeing the excess skin then when I was fat.
   — Patty H.

June 29, 2004
I WAS 267 WHEN I BEGAN. I AM NOW DOWN TO 150 AND I HAVE HAD PLASTICS. I HAD A BREAST LIFT AND AUGMENTATION AND A TUMMY TUCK. I AM 28 AND HAD A CHILD, SO THE TUMMY TUCK WAS KID OF A NECESSITY. I COULD HAVE LIVED WITHOUT THE BREASTS, BUT I FIGURED I HAD GOTTEN THIS FAR. I WOULD LIKE A THIGH LIFT, BUT MY HUSBAND HAS CUT ME OFF ON SURGERIES!
   — amanda nelson

June 30, 2004
If I had unlimited funds, my dream would be to have tummy tuck, upper thighs, arms, buttocks and breast lift with implants. Of course, this is not going to be possible - unless I win the lottery!! LOL Actually, I could probably live without most of this. I've lost about 104 pounds, starting at 270, at 5'8", and am surprised given my age (46) and how long I carried the extra weight, that my skin issues are not worse. My tummy is a little loose, but doesn't hang down. The tops of my thighs look like "raisins" bunched together, but it could be worse. My butt is a little loose and hang-y, but again, it could also be worse. What did surprise me is how much my breasts have deflated. They have really flattened out, and kind-of point downward these days. Pre-surgery I was a 42D, and am now about a 36 B-C, depending on the bra I choose. So having the breasts done may be in my future, if I can save up the cash. Good luck on your research and in your WLS journey. Lap RNY 9/11/03, 270/166/???
   — Carlita

June 30, 2004
If I too had unlimited funds, I'd have it all done but considering my age (56) and the fact that I've been fat since I was 11 and yo-yo dieted for years, it's not really too bad. I do plan to have my arms done since those are hard to hide (thank God for 3/4 length sleeves) but can live without the rest. My tummy isn't too bad and I can cover my upper thighs with shorts. I'd really love to have my chin and under my eyes done but again, it's not really too bad. I started at 276 and weigh 159 now. I am 14 pounds from goal but haven't started looking into PS yet. Best of everything to you.
   — scbabe