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2019 05 30

Abdominal plastic surgery after dieting and for those who want to improve their figure

Plastic Surgery, Cosmetic Procedures

3 min. skaitymo

Pilvo plastika po dietu ir norintiems padailinti figura

People who lose a lot of weight quickly immediately encounter another problem: as the fat suddenly disappears, lots of loose skin remains. Gabrielė Latakaitė, a doctor of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Medical Diagnostic and Treatment Centre advises how to solve this problem.

Loose skin after dieting

doctor gabriele latakaite

“Due to rigorous dieting and stomach volume reduction operations, people can lose a lot of weight in a relatively short period of time. Unfortunately, the skin doesn’t retract that fast and it simply sags. This is not just an aesthetic problem that causes numerous psychological worries. Parts under the loose skin are in warmth and humidity and have to be carefully taken care of so that wounds do not open. If the person’s health permits, it’s best to remove the excess skin surgically, performing an abdominal plastic operation, explained Gabrielė Latakaitė, a doctor of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Medical Diagnostic and Treatment Centre.

 

Abdominal plastic operations are carried out both for women and men and are rather common. In a consultation, the condition of the abdominal muscles is also assessed. If these are separated and the abdominal wall has loosened, the stomach will bulge even after a substantial weight loss. The abdominal muscles separate due to the significant pressure exerted by excess weight or pregnancy. During an abdominal plastic operation, these muscles are brought closer together, sutured and the abdominal contour is formed.

How to lose weight so that the skin has time to retract?

For the skin to retract evenly, weight should be lost slowly and over a lengthy period of time. “Skin elasticity is very individual and depends on genetics and the person’s age; as we age, skin loses its elasticity. Healthy and wholesome nutrition, physical activity, and sufficient water intake are the external factors that help to keep the skin firm and supple. On the other hand, we can strengthen this skin property with creams, lymph-draining massages, or contrast water jets improving the blood circulation,” advised Gabrielė Latakaitė, a doctor of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Medical Diagnostic and Treatment Centre.

Doctor’s instructions to lose weight before the operation

Plastic surgeons often admit patients who ask for their excess weight to be reduced and make their body curves nicer. “We perform abdominal plastic operations on people whose body mass index is not above 30. If it is, we ask the patients to lose some weight. For example, if a 1.65 m girl weighs 82 kg, we will advise losing three to four kilograms before the operation. This will accelerate the healing process, and the abdominal plastic will be more effective,” explained doctor Gabrielė Latakaitė.

A medical team effort

People become overweight for a variety of reasons. It can happen that weight accumulates because the person has certain diseases. “At the Medical Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, we have a team of doctors with different specializations, which is important for us when making decisions about who should have plastic surgery operations. First of all, this includes a test laboratory – before any operation, it is essential to have the patient’s general blood count, clotting, and glucose tests carried out. It is also important to obtain maximally complete information from the family practitioner as well as their conclusion as to whether it is safe for the patient to have an abdominal plastic operation performed. For instance, with diabetes, people also suffer from excess weight; however, diabetes also implies worse healing of wounds and an increased probability of sepsis. The medical teams weigh the potential benefits for such a patient and the risks that would arise from surgical intervention,” said Gabrielė Latakaitė, a doctor of plastic and reconstructive surgery.

Combined operations

Often, people arrange to have abdominal plastic and liposuction of the waist area performed simultaneously. If appropriate, liposuction from the back, arms, hips, or thighs is also performed. “By combining the operations, we solve several problems, creating a nicer abdominal contour and removing excess fat. It is important that later on the patient makes the effort to preserve their new body forms. Certainly, the liposuction can be repeated, but it has to be borne in mind that this is a surgical intervention under general anaesthesia; it would, therefore, be safer instead to balance one’s diet and physical activity regimen,” advised Gabrielė Latakaitė, a doctor of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Medical Diagnostic and Treatment Centre.

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