Your Options for Surgical Body Contouring

You exercise and you eat well. You’re active and you’re healthy. Yet, you’re stuck with areas of stubborn fat or sagging skin that just won’t go away, no matter how hard you try.

You’re not alone. But you’re also not without help.

With a surgical body contouring procedure, you can eliminate excess fat, as well as get rid of extra skin to reshape and contour an area of the body. And it actually works!

How Does It Differ From Nonsurgical Body Contouring?

In a previous blog post, we discussed the relatively new field of aesthetic medicine known as nonsurgical body contouring. Its objective is to sculpt, tone, and contour the body without surgery. It uses a range of state-of-the-art technology to achieve results across a wide array of body areas including the thighs, abdomen, arms, and legs.

But when there is excess skin or very stubborn fat, surgical body contouring is more effective.

It’s important to understand though that neither surgical nor non-surgical body contouring is intended to help you lose weight. Rather, it aims to address specific problem areas where weight loss isn’t effective, or where there is excess skin after significant weight loss.

The end result isn’t necessarily a slimmed down body, but a more normal appearance with smoother contours. For example, a facelift is going to help with excess skin of the mid-face, jowls, and neck. Or a breast lift will address sagging and flattened breasts.

Other surgical body contouring procedures include:

Liposuction

Liposuction aims to remove excess fat from a variety of areas including the chin and neck, hips, abdomen, inner and outer thighs, knees, ankles and buttocks. Liposuction is one of the less complicated procedures to improve body contour and proportion. While it often requires general anesthesia, it can be performed on an outpatient basis.

Arm Lift

Excess skin on the underarm can be the result of weight loss, aging, or heredity. An arm lift removes that excess skin. The upper portion of the arm is reshaped from the armpit area to the elbow and weakened tissues are addressed.

Tummy Tuck

Patients seek a tummy tuck when they want a smoother, firmer abdominal profile. This procedure removes excess abdominal fat and skin while reestablishing weakened or separated muscles.

Lower Body Lift

Excess skin, cellulite, and sagging fatty tissue on the buttocks, abdomen, waist, hips, and thighs are removed in this comprehensive procedure. Smoother leg and abdomen contours are the result.

Recovery From Surgical Body Contouring

Because there’s such a wide range of options for surgical body contouring, recovery varies based on the procedures as well as the individual. For example, a tummy tuck surgery will result in greater scarring and healing than liposuction.

General anesthesia and at least one overnight stay are often required for surgical body contouring procedures. Your surgeon may also require you to wear a compression garment for several weeks.

Again, depending on your procedure, full recovery could take several months – though the initial discomfort usually fades within two to four weeks. Not much to endure to get rid of that pesky fat and sagging skin!

How Could Surgical Body Contouring Benefit You?

If you’re healthy and near your ideal weight, but have stubborn fat and excess skin that won’t respond to diet and exercise, then it could be time to consider a surgical body contouring procedure.

Contact us today to meet with one of our board-certified plastic surgeons. During your free consultation, they’ll discuss your body shaping goals and offer with the best treatment options to meet your needs.