5 Surgeries to Consider After Massive Weight Loss

Dr. Plant helps patients restore and refine their body contours with personalized post-weight loss procedures. Let’s explore five key post-weight loss surgeries that can help you achieve smooth, toned, and proportionate results.

Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)

A tummy tuck is one of the most common post-weight loss procedures. It removes excess skin, tightens underlying muscles, and refines abdominal contours for a flatter, firmer midsection. This procedure can restore core strength, improve posture, and create a more contoured waistline, giving patients a natural and toned appearance. Patients often report not only improved body confidence but also better function and comfort in everyday life.

Advanced Techniques for Optimal Results

Dr. Plant offers a variety of tummy tuck techniques customized for each patient’s body, including drainless abdominoplasty, short-scar abdominoplasty, fleur-de-lis abdominoplasty, extended abdominoplasty, and circumferential abdominoplasty. Liposuction is often combined with the procedure to sculpt the abdomen and flanks, ensuring smooth, proportionate results. Each technique is chosen based on your anatomy, skin laxity, and surgical goals to minimize downtime and optimize long-term outcomes.

Breast Enhancement: Lift, Implants, or Both

Weight loss can result in deflated or sagging breasts. Breast enhancement is about restoring shape, symmetry, and proportion rather than simply increasing size. Dr. Plant evaluates each patient’s anatomy to determine the best approach for achieving natural-looking results. Restoring breast shape often has a profound impact on self-esteem, body image, and wardrobe options.

Restoring Volume and Shape with Implants

Breast implants restore lost volume, correct asymmetry, and enhance overall proportion. Breast augmentation is ideal for patients seeking fullness and a more balanced silhouette. Implants come in a variety of shapes and sizes to create a personalized result that complements your post-weight loss figure.

Achieving Symmetry and a Youthful Contour with a Lift

A breast lift raises sagging breasts to a more youthful position, improving shape and contour. Combining a lift with implants can address both volume loss and sagging, creating results that are natural, harmonious, and proportionate to the body. The incision pattern and technique are tailored to the patient’s degree of skin excess and desired changes.

Arm and Thigh Lifts

Loose skin and stubborn fat on the upper arms or thighs are common after significant weight loss. Arm and thigh lifts remove excess skin and improve contours, helping patients achieve smooth, toned, and proportionate results. These procedures not only refine appearance but also reduce chafing, rashes, and discomfort from skin folds. Depending on the degree of skin laxity and desired outcome, patients may benefit from either a mini, full, or extended procedure:

Mini Brachioplasty (Upper Arms)

A mini brachioplasty removes excess skin and fat from the upper arms using a small incision in the armpit. When combined with liposuction, it provides a firmer, sculpted appearance while minimizing visible scarring. It’s best suited for patients with mild to moderate skin laxity seeking subtle contour improvements.

Full Brachioplasty (Upper Arms)

A full brachioplasty is designed for patients with more significant skin laxity or sagging on the upper arms. The incision typically runs along the inside of the arm from the armpit to the elbow, allowing for the removal of larger amounts of excess skin and fat. This creates a smoother, tighter contour and can significantly enhance comfort and arm mobility.

Extended Brachiplasty (Upper Arms & Side Chest)

For patients with extensive laxity that continues past the arms onto the chest wall, an extended brachioplasty offers the most dramatic improvement. The incision runs from the elbow, through the armpit, and onto the side of the chest, tightening not only the upper arms but also the lateral chest area for a more harmonious upper-body contour. This comprehensive approach can significantly enhance comfort in clothing and overall body balance.

Mini Thighplasty (Inner Thighs)

A mini thighplasty targets the inner thighs by removing excess skin and fat through a small incision in the groin crease. This procedure, often paired with liposuction, results in smoother, more toned thighs and improved body proportion. It enhances both comfort and confidence, especially in clothing.

Full Thighplasty (Inner Thighs)

A full thighplasty addresses more extensive skin laxity along the inner thighs. The incision may extend from the groin down toward the knee, allowing for a more dramatic removal of loose tissue and reshaping of the thighs. This procedure provides comprehensive improvement in contour, comfort, and mobility, especially for patients with significant weight loss.

Extended Thighplasty (Thighs & Outer Hips)

An extended thigh lift is designed for patients with substantial laxity that extends beyond the inner thigh. The incision continues around the outer thigh and hip region, enabling removal of excess skin from a broader area. By tightening both the inner and outer thighs, as well as improving the hip contour, extended thighplasty delivers the most transformative reshaping, especially for those who have lost a large amount of weight.

Liposuction

Even after massive weight loss, some areas of fat may resist diet and exercise. Liposuction sculpts these stubborn deposits to enhance overall body contours and create a proportionate, toned appearance. It can be used as a standalone procedure or in combination with other surgeries for comprehensive contouring.

Sculpting Stubborn Fat with Specialized Techniques

Dr. Plant uses advanced techniques such as Tumescent Liposuction, Power-Assisted Liposuction (PAL), SAFELipo, and VASER/Ultrasound-Assisted Liposuction (UAL), and J-Plasma (Renuvion). These methods allow for precise fat removal and, in the case of J-Plasma, additional skin tightening through controlled plasma energy. By combining fat reduction with improved skin contraction, patients achieve smoother, firmer, and more natural-looking results tailored to their anatomy. The choice of technique is based on factors like treatment area, skin elasticity, and the amount of fat being removed.

Facelift (Rhytidectomy)

Weight loss can also affect the face, leading to sagging skin, wrinkles, and volume loss. A facelift restores youthful contours and definition while maintaining a natural appearance. It can help align your facial appearance with your overall transformation, improving self-image and expression.

Restoring Volume with Fat Transfer and Minimal-Scar Techniques

Dr. Plant combines facelift surgery with fat transfer or dermal fillers to restore facial volume where needed. Techniques such as MACS/Mini Facelift, SMAS Facelift, and hidden, minimal-scar approaches ensure rejuvenation while preserving natural features and minimizing visible scarring. Each technique is selected based on your facial anatomy, aging pattern, and desired results.

Are You a Candidate for Post-Weight Loss Surgery?

Post-weight loss surgery is highly individualized. Dr. Plant evaluates your anatomy, skin quality, and overall health to recommend the procedures that will provide the best results for your goals. Ideal candidates have maintained a stable weight, are non-smokers, and are in good overall health.

How Dr. Plant Creates a Personalized Plan for You

During your consultation, Dr. Plant reviews your concerns, discusses your goals, and develops a customized plan that prioritizes safety, recovery, and optimal aesthetic outcomes. Whether it involves a single procedure or a combination, your post-weight loss transformation is tailored specifically to you.

Ready to transform your body after massive weight loss? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Plant to explore the best procedures for your goals and receive a personalized treatment plan.