Certain morbidly obese patients are candidates for bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery achieves a very significant decrease in the patient’s weight.
However, this marked weight reduction may trigger a series of problems that require restorative surgery:
Breast atrophy
- Bariatric surgery may cause the loss of significant volume of breast without altering its position. This can be corrected with breast augmentation.
Breast sagging
- The breast may present significant sagging, with the nipple reaching below the inframammary fold. This can be corrected with the breast lift technique. It may require the insertion of a prosthesis.
Breast hypertrophy
Abdominal laxity
Abdominal separation
- Abdominal separation, or diastasis recti, can be corrected by plication of the muscles. It is usually performed in combination with a tummy tuck.
Jowls
Loose skin on the arms and thighs
- Arm lifts ((braquioplastia) and thigh lifts (cruroplastia) may be necessary in these patients; the loss of volume causes a significant amount of redundant excess skin.