Cosmetic surgery for excess skin following weight loss

With about a quarter of British adults now considered obese, weight loss surgery is frequently in the headlines. However, weight loss, either by surgery or conventional dieting, doesn’t always solve all the problems related to obesity: gaining weight causes the skin to stretch, and if a significant amount of weight is then lost people can be left with sagging, excess skin.

Cosmetic and plastic surgeons Mr Charles Nduka and Mr Asit Khandwala were recently featured on TV show Embarrassing Fat Bodies, carrying out a combined brachioplasty (arm reduction) and gynaecomastia (male breast reduction) procedure on a young male  who was suffering from excess skin problems following extreme weight loss from diet and exercise. Spire hospitals regularly feature on Embarassing Bodies.

Excess skin can be unsightly and cause problems with sweating. For people who have battled to resolve a weight issue, excess skin can be an uncomfortable and permanent reminder of the past.  Exercise helps to tone the skin but, frequently, it is unable to restore it to its original condition. As a result, cosmetic surgery to remove excess skin is becoming more popular.

In another example, a patient underwent a lower body lift cosmetic procedure to remove excess skin. After losing over 10 stone and 16 inches from around his waist, Richard Sherwin opted for cosmetic surgery after weight loss to help restore his self-esteem. He researched on the internet and decided to meet with Mr Graham Offer, a consultant plastic surgeon at Spire Leicester, to discuss the surgical options.

Mr Offer said: “The lower body lift procedure has gained in popularity over the last few years. Although it isn’t considered a routine procedure as few surgeons have been trained to perform it, it’s often suited to patients who have excess skin around the entire contour of their waist area. “

Following his surgery, Mr Sherwin said: “Having worked so hard to lose the weight, I wasn’t going to let excess skin get in the way of my enjoyment of life.”

Demand for cosmetic surgery after weight loss is expected to grow due to the soaring rate of obesity in the UK, and the continued growth in bariatric or weight loss surgery.

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