This patient is a 40 year old who consulted with Dr. Daniel concerning abdominal contouring. She had lost nearly 100 pounds after exercising aggressively and adjusting her diet. She even ran 20 miles per week as part of her program.
She told Dr. Daniel that she was truly only concerned with her abdomen, but she may want to address her arms and/or thighs at some point. She was otherwise healthy and had only had a previous back surgery. She was on no prescription medications and she was a nonsmoker.
Her evaluation showed some of the typical changes of a weight loss patient with redundant skin and folds of loose skin in her abdomen. Dr. Daniel recommended an imbricating abdominoplasty (includes tightening of the abdominal wall), as well as liposuction to the hips and waist. Just over six-and-a-half pounds of abdominal tissue was removed, as well as just under a liter of fat tissue from the hips and waist.
One week postoperatively, she stated, “You have changed my life.” She continued to advance her activity well postoperatively and six month postop photos show quite a dramatic result, especially looking at the side views with the flattening of the tummy and her profile. There is dramatic tightening of the skin in the front as well. Clearly, her scar has not fully faded at the halfway point for wound healing (it typically takes a full 12 months to fully fade scars), but both she and Dr. Daniel were quite thrilled with her result.