Abdominoplasty

Before considering abdominoplasty, it is essential that those who have undergone procedures for morbid obesity give themselves time before they proceed to their desired abdominoplasty. This is so that they lose all the pounds of excess weight which they had before their surgery for morbid obesity.

This period should NOT be less than 18 months.

Obesity surgery puts the body under catabolic stress, and this can last 12-18 months.

Even if the weight of the formerly obese person is stabilized before 18 months have passed after the initial operation, the body will CONTINUE to lose fat, and the weight of the fat is immediately replaced by a corresponding amount of body mass.

This means that if the patient tries to undergo any plastic-aesthetic restoration by removing the excess skin or use of implants or other endoprostheses, before 18 months have passed, they run the danger of a failed aesthetic result because the skin may continue to loosen or sag.

Abdominoplasty is the most common type of abdominal skin rejuvenation surgery, with the removal of the excess skin, restoration of the dimensions of the white line, any possible hernias, and the repositioning of the navel.

It is a demanding operation on formerly obese patients, compared to that applied to people who merely want “aesthetic perfection”, without there being any real evidence of former obesity, and whose reasons are solely to satisfy a personal desire.

The reason why it is a demanding operation is that formerly obese people, and especially those characterized by abdominal obesity, after losing excess weight, have quite a large “hang” of skin in their abdominal area, which can often burden them with functional problems including urination.

Specialized surgery requires the surgeon’s knowledge and performance of additional, either simpler or more complex, elective or urgent surgeries.

Many of the simple surgeries that could be performed on their own are usually surgeries which can be performed at the same time as other more complex ones, such as upper gastrointestinal surgery.

For example, a laparoscopic cholecystectomy or a laparoscopic adhesiolysis may well be carried out at the same time as a major morbid obesity operation, such as biliopancreatic diversion.

Here indicatively are some procedures that can be performed safely and with experience.

Special mention is made of abdominal surgery in patients who have previously undergone surgery for morbid obesity.