It is a surgical procedure to correct the sagging that occurs in the body as a result of the weight lost after the stomach surgeries called “bariatric surgery” performed to lose excess weight. In order for postbariatric surgery to be healthier, it is recommended that the patient maintain his weight for at least 6 months and 1 year and remain stable at the intended weight.

Post-bariatric surgery can be handled in separate operations such as belt lipectomy, arm stretching, thigh and leg stretching, and breast stretching.

PREPARATION FOR SURGERY

Detailed examination of the patient is the first and most important step. The general condition of the patient, accompanying diseases, medications used, and whether expectations are realistic are the most important points for us. There may be fluid electrolytes and some protein deficiencies, especially with patients who have undergone gastric surgery. All of these must be examined before the operation.

Detailed examination together with the anesthesiologist is a must for preoperative preparation. If the patient smokes, it is recommended to stop 3 weeks beforehand, and blood thinners to be discontinued before the specified time.

Preoperative planning is an important step for surgical preparation. Depending on the patient’s physical examination and general condition, operations are performed in one or more sessions.

SURGERY METHOD AND HEALING PERIOD

Belt lipectomy surgery treats sagging in the back, buttocks, side and back waist area along with the abdominal skin. In the operation, the tissues surrounding the waist are removed, the anterior surface of the abdomen and the back are stretched downwards, the tissues planned to be removed from the waist area are buried under the hips to gain volume. It is an operation that takes about 4 hours under general anaesthesia. After the operation, patients are hospitalized for 3 days, and the patient can meet his own needs in the early period. It is necessary to use bandages for 3 weeks. A shaper corset is worn for 6 weeks. It is ensured that the scars due to the incisions on the waist remain below the laundry line so that they won’t be visible when viewed from the outside.?

In thigh lift surgery process, sagging of the thigh skin to the sides and downwards is treated. This surgery can be combined with liposuction to thin the legs. In a 3-hour operation under general anaesthesia, excess skin and subcutaneous tissue are removed with incisions extending along the inguinal line. After the operation, the patient stays in the hospital for 2 days. When he leaves the hospital, he should use a corset in the form of tights for 4-6 weeks.

RISKS

The elasticity of the skin of patients who have lost excess weight is often impaired. In addition, dilations in some lymph and vascular systems may occur during weight gain and loss in the body. For all these reasons, problems such as bleeding, seroma (fluid accumulation), infection, blood accumulation, poor wound healing and scars may be slightly greater than the other operations. Impaired skin elasticity sometimes requires revision procedures. Fortunately, since we mostly perform it in a few sessions, revision of the previous procedure can also be performed in the next surgery, if necessary.