Obesity is a huge problem in the United States with more than 1 in 3 adults affected. For those who fight their way back to a normal weight, only half of the battle has been achieved. Skin and fat stretched to accommodate the extra pounds typically does not return to its original shape, but rather drapes loosely over newly thinned bodies.
Al Aly MD, a board certified plastic surgeon currently practicing in Abu Dhabi, specializes in the unique surgical procedures aimed at reducing excess skin on weight loss patients. Through body contouring, Dr. Aly helps patients finalize their transformation, giving them a restored sense of self confidence.
By Al Aly, MD
and Adam McMillon
The Plastic Surgery Channel
Why surgery is necessary after weight loss
“If you think about the problem of obesity, it ranges from childhood to old age,” explains Dr. Aly. “We’ve operated on people as young as 18, to people all the way up into their 70’s.”
For those that loose the weight – surgically or not – they still have a problem: loose skin.
“When one gains a lot of weight, there’s an expansion of the skin and fat over the bones. If you think of that as a balloon, the balloon expands. When they lose the weight, the balloon doesn’t go back to the form it used to be; now it’s loose.”
Addressing the body section by section
“One area we address is around the middle of the body,” describes Aly. “We call that the lower trunk. Essentially we remove a tire of tissue going all around the belly to the back.”
“Next, there’s an upper body lift, from the bottom of the ribs up to the neck, in combination with the arms. We reduce the excess back rolls and put the breast back into its normal position. The last one is the thighs. A lot of the time when people gain weight, they tend to gain fat around the thighs,” says Aly.
There are multiple techniques available to plastic surgeons which allow them to customize not just the thigh lift but all of the lift procedures. Your surgeon will work with you to create a personalized surgical plan that suits your goals once you’ve lost weight.
Plastic surgery working positively in many lives
While it’s more exciting and profitable for the media to focus on botched plastic surgery and over-board procedures, the heart-warming stories are often forgotten.
“I think there’s a lot of bad press that plastic surgery gets,” admits Aly. “This is one of those situations where we really do help people transform their lives. They’ve lost the weight and that’s a life transformation, but it’s halfway. We come in and get rid of that last part that reminds them of what they used to be.”
“It’s one of those things where you’re just honored to be a part of the transformation. If you’ve lived with these patients and see what they’ve gone through, it’s a real heart-warming set of events to experience.”