Body Contouring

Body contour surgery following massive weight loss

Patients who have managed to lose a significant amount of weight can become frustrated by the appearance of excess redundant skin. Significant weight loss is becoming much more common due to gastric bypass ("stomach stapling") operations. Just as some women have excess abdominal skin after one or more pregnancies, many patients who undergo gastric bypass operations have excess skin in the areas of weight loss. This can occur in any area that was affected, including the neck, breasts, arms, back, abdominal wall, hips, and legs.

There are several San Francisco cosmetic surgery procedures that are helpful in treating this condition. A neck or a face lift can reduce excess folds of skin around the face or neck; a breast lift can be extended to the sides and back to help eliminate excess skin in those areas; a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) is frequently required, sometimes with extension to the back.

Techniques originally devised to rejuvenate the upper arms can be used to eliminate the excess skin that can occur following significant weight loss. Likewise, thigh lifts can be used to improve the appearance of the legs.

Body contour restoration for HIV-related lipodystrophy

Patients with long-standing HIV positivity often develop areas of fat accumulation and/or fat atrophy. It is not clear if this is due to the disease alone or to one class of medication used to treat HIV. Regardless of the cause, the result can be very troublesome to the patient. Most commonly affected areas are the cheeks which lose their fullness, and the upper back which develops a soft-tissue mass. As the mass increases in size, it becomes increasingly uncomfortable, causing postural disturbances and neck pain. The mass can extend to the posterior neck or even the scalp. Often there is fullness in the anterior neck as well. Other areas affected are the chest with breast development (gynecomastia); the abdomen with increasing internal fat deposition (isolated truncal obesity), and the arms and legs with atrophy or wasting.

Many of the affected areas benefit from surgical treatment. There are soft-tissue fillers which can be used to treat the soft-tissue atrophy of the face (Newfill, Radiance). The excess soft tissue of the back and neck can be treated with ultrasonic liposuction and/or direct excision. Gynecomastia is also readily treated in this fashion.

This plastic surgeon in San Francisco serving the Bay Area offers all aspects of body contouring including liposuction, abdominoplasty and more. Contact Dr. Kind or Dr. Chang at 415-565-6884 or email us. View plastic surgery photos from this Bay Area plastic surgeon.