Question:
I am 22 will I need plasitc surgury afterwards

I am going to have my duonel switch in late march early or april. I am 22 and a "lightwieght" bmi of 40, 215 and 5'1. I am wondering how many other people my age (or wieght/hieght) have had to have tummy tucks and such afterwards. I am a self pay and can barely afford my wls, I really doubt i will be able to afford a tummy tuck or anything else.    — Megan B. (posted on March 2, 2003)

March 2, 2003
When I was 18 I lost 80 pounds. I did not need to have any surgery. The doctor said that since I was still real young my stomach would go to how it should be. He was right. I was able to wear half tops. I have gained a lot of weight since this. I know this time around I will need surgery. It is HANGING different this time. I guess time and babies will do that. Keep up the hope that you don't need surgery. Good luck.
   — Cameron Van Winkle

March 2, 2003
Hi, I think there are more factors involved than just age. I was 22 when I had my VBG, lost 130 pounds but I still had an "apron" hanging from my stomach. In my case, even though I was pretty young, I had been obese most of my life. I started gaining weight when I was in 4th grade. I think that if the skin has been stretched for that long of time, it just can't bounce back to normal. But age, genetics, if you have had any babies, how long you were obese; these all play a part in whether you will have redundant skin.
   — Ali M

March 3, 2003
Liek the previous poster said, there are other things that play a role in skin elasticity. Can be age, weight, how long you were obese, genetics and sometimes just luck! I'm 23 and was 5'2" and 250lbs (I was only obese for about 5 years), I now weigh about 140lbs. with 10 more to lose for my goal. So far, everything looks pretty good. My arms and legs look good, arms are muscular and no hanging skin- my friends say I have better arms than them now! lol My tummy is still kinda mushy. I still have some more weight to lose though, like i said, and my tummy is gonna be the last place to go. It probably could use tightening, but not really enough for a tummy tuck or anything. The one thing I do have a problem with is my boobs! I lost sooo much weight there and now they just sag, so I will def. get a lift. But overall, my skin has come back pretty well. SO you just have to hope for the best!
   — Lezlie Y.