Removing excess skin and fatty tissues to achieve the results you want, whether you desire to look more youthful or complete your weight loss journey.
About Body Contouring
When should I consider body contouring?
Patients who have lost significant amounts of weight, whether through surgery or diet and exercise, are frequently and unfairly left with excess skin that cannot be removed without surgery. If you are facing this, surgeries to tighten and improve your body shape are typically your best option to address these issues.
When is the right time to come in to discuss body contouring?
Body contouring is a process that takes careful planning and timing, oriented around your goals and desires. Unfortunately, many patients are unaware of their options and only find out after being left with excess skin and fat despite their wonderful accomplishment. There is no wrong time to discuss your options, even if you are still losing weight. Some patients desire to have several areas addressed, some patients have only one area that is bothering them. Almost all of these issues require an outpatient surgery to address, and we will always be happy to discuss this with you in more detail, including outlining a long-term plan based on your goals and future plans.
I want to take care of everything at once. Is that possible?
Many times the answer is "no." This is for your safety. These operations, especially when combining procedures, can last several hours. For your safety we will not recommend any procedure that extends beyond 6 hours. Most of our patients require 2 to 3 operations over months to years to address all of their areas of concern, but this is not absolute and will be discussed at your consultation.
Patients who have lost significant amounts of weight, whether through surgery or diet and exercise, are frequently and unfairly left with excess skin that cannot be removed without surgery. If you are facing this, surgeries to tighten and improve your body shape are typically your best option to address these issues.
When is the right time to come in to discuss body contouring?
Body contouring is a process that takes careful planning and timing, oriented around your goals and desires. Unfortunately, many patients are unaware of their options and only find out after being left with excess skin and fat despite their wonderful accomplishment. There is no wrong time to discuss your options, even if you are still losing weight. Some patients desire to have several areas addressed, some patients have only one area that is bothering them. Almost all of these issues require an outpatient surgery to address, and we will always be happy to discuss this with you in more detail, including outlining a long-term plan based on your goals and future plans.
I want to take care of everything at once. Is that possible?
Many times the answer is "no." This is for your safety. These operations, especially when combining procedures, can last several hours. For your safety we will not recommend any procedure that extends beyond 6 hours. Most of our patients require 2 to 3 operations over months to years to address all of their areas of concern, but this is not absolute and will be discussed at your consultation.
Abdominal & Lower Body Contouring
I just want a panniculectomy, because that is what’s covered by insurance. Can you do that?
The short answer is, yes. Unfortunately insurance covers only what is absolutely necessary, which is an amputation of skin without any consideration of your appearance. Panniculectomies do not include body shaping, do not address any other areas left behind (sides, flanks, back, buttocks) nor does it allow you to receive the procedure that gives you the abdominal shape you are likely desiring. A panniculectomy by itself typically leaves you very misshapen (read “mangled” or “unnatural”), and sometimes without a belly button. We are always more than happy to discuss this procedure with you further in person.
I want to address my hygiene as well as my body shape. What can be done for that?
Many times this includes a panniculectomy combined with a tummy tuck/abdominoplasty, and lower body lift (read “circumferential body lift”). This is the most common procedure our patients seek out because it addresses the lower abdomen (including excess skin and fat), flanks/sides, lower back and outer thighs. This procedure can also be tailored to address buttock deflation (read “flat butt”) to help augment/enhance this area with your own tissue.
The short answer is, yes. Unfortunately insurance covers only what is absolutely necessary, which is an amputation of skin without any consideration of your appearance. Panniculectomies do not include body shaping, do not address any other areas left behind (sides, flanks, back, buttocks) nor does it allow you to receive the procedure that gives you the abdominal shape you are likely desiring. A panniculectomy by itself typically leaves you very misshapen (read “mangled” or “unnatural”), and sometimes without a belly button. We are always more than happy to discuss this procedure with you further in person.
I want to address my hygiene as well as my body shape. What can be done for that?
Many times this includes a panniculectomy combined with a tummy tuck/abdominoplasty, and lower body lift (read “circumferential body lift”). This is the most common procedure our patients seek out because it addresses the lower abdomen (including excess skin and fat), flanks/sides, lower back and outer thighs. This procedure can also be tailored to address buttock deflation (read “flat butt”) to help augment/enhance this area with your own tissue.
Breast & Upper Body Contouring
My breasts are deflated/flat/low/droopy. What can be done for that?
Breast shape after massive weight loss varies from person to person, just as breast shape prior to weight loss varies from person to person. Breast shape is commonly addressed with an upper body lift (surgery to address upper back excess skin) which allows us to use your own tissue to make your breasts bigger (if that is what you desire). When breasts are the only issue you would like addressed, or you do not have significant excess upper back skin, you can undergo a breast lift (elevation of the nipple) or breast lift with augmentation (ie elevation of the nipple with implant placement to enlarge the breast) to address breast deflation. This can be combined with other operations, or performed by itself.
Breast shape after massive weight loss varies from person to person, just as breast shape prior to weight loss varies from person to person. Breast shape is commonly addressed with an upper body lift (surgery to address upper back excess skin) which allows us to use your own tissue to make your breasts bigger (if that is what you desire). When breasts are the only issue you would like addressed, or you do not have significant excess upper back skin, you can undergo a breast lift (elevation of the nipple) or breast lift with augmentation (ie elevation of the nipple with implant placement to enlarge the breast) to address breast deflation. This can be combined with other operations, or performed by itself.
Arm Lift
Can you improve my arm contour? I have “bat wings.”
Excess skin of the arms can be very frustrating, visible and exhausting to see every day. This is made especially difficult after all of the hard work you put in to achieve your weight loss. Excess arm skin can be addressed with an arm lift (“brachioplasty”), which is one of the most common procedures we perform. Please discuss this operation further with Drs. Bailey, Morton or Hutter.
Excess skin of the arms can be very frustrating, visible and exhausting to see every day. This is made especially difficult after all of the hard work you put in to achieve your weight loss. Excess arm skin can be addressed with an arm lift (“brachioplasty”), which is one of the most common procedures we perform. Please discuss this operation further with Drs. Bailey, Morton or Hutter.
Face & Neck
My face/neck is droopy/deflated after all of my weight loss. What can you do?
Unfortunately a smaller percentage of patients experience severe deflation of the face and neck after weight loss. This is a similar issue to excess skin elsewhere. Typically this requires skin tightening of some form, whether through non-surgical means or through surgical means such as a face/necklift. You should discuss this with Drs. Bailey, Morton or Hutter to explore your options further.
Unfortunately a smaller percentage of patients experience severe deflation of the face and neck after weight loss. This is a similar issue to excess skin elsewhere. Typically this requires skin tightening of some form, whether through non-surgical means or through surgical means such as a face/necklift. You should discuss this with Drs. Bailey, Morton or Hutter to explore your options further.
Where will you perform my operation?
The majority of our body contouring operations are performed at our AAAASF Certified Ambulatory Surgery Center in Renton, WA. This offers you the benefits of world class surgeons with decades of experience as well as the comforts of a safe, boutique and personalized experience while navigating one of the most important days of your life.
Insurance Coverage
Most patients are surprised to find out that their insurance does not cover most of these procedures. Drs. Bailey, Morton and Hutter will always work with your insurance when they believe you deserve coverage, even partial, of your procedure. Though they agree with their patients that many of these procedures should be made accessible through insurance coverage, this is unfortunately not the healthcare or insurance system that we work together in. We know considering plastic surgery is complicated, and recovery time, benefits, risks and costs all have to be considered. Our surgeons and staff are a collective group of compassionate caregivers that live to serve you. We will always help guide you to a decision that is best for you, even if that decision is to not move forward with surgery. If you are interested in considering a payment plan, we will be more than happy to provide you with information regarding these options.
