After Weight Loss Surgery in Charlotte, NC

Following significant weight loss, many patients are left with excessive skin that can be remedied by after weight loss surgery, a number of procedures that remove the extra skin, tighten muscles and tissue underneath and then reshape and contour the body. Charlotte plastic surgeon, Dr. Vincent Voci, can perform a number of surgeries to improve problem areas, including arm lifts, thigh lifts, and body lifts. Dr. Voci might perform some combination of surgeries at once or do them separately. After weight loss surgery is often the final step in the complete weight loss journey.

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.