We are in the midst of an unparalleled epidemic of obesity in this country. This is related to a combination of a general overindulgence in food, excessive consumption of foods high in fat and calories, and a more sedentary life style. Many of these people have realized that, for a variety of reasons, this excess weight needed to be shed. Through arduous dieting, exercise often in conjunction with bariatric surgery such as lap banding or gastric bypass they have lost tremendous amounts of weight, often far exceeding 100 pounds.

Success, finally! Celebration? Maybe not quite yet. Despite the massive weight loss that was so difficult to achieve, what many people didn’t anticipate was the permanent consequences on their bodies of first gaining then losing this sizable poundage. The figure that they envisioned following all this effort is not what they are seeing in the mirror. Instead of being slimmed down, contoured and generally smaller, most are left with unsightly deformities consisting of an excess of lax, irregularly contoured stretched skin that frequently cascades in rolls creating hygienic issues and an aesthetic nightmare.

Which areas are affected? From the face on down, the sequelae from massive weight loss may be seen. There is considerable variability among individuals as to the severity and areas that are most affected. Common areas include the abdomen, buttocks, circumferential trunk, inner and outer thighs, breasts, arms and even face and neck.

Fortunately, cosmetic procedures have been designed and refined that can address essentially any and all deformities related to post massive weight loss deformities. Examples of these procedures include abdominoplasties, thigh lifts, belt lipectomies, breast lifts, breast augmentations, arm lifts, face lifts and back lifts. A strategy for body contouring can be uniquely tailored for your individual needs based on your deformities and goals which could be determined at the time of  consultation.

If you would like to obtain additional information on body contouring surgery such as for a tummy tuck, belt lipectomy, breast lift (mastopexy), breast augmentation, arm lift and face lift, you can contact my office at 480-451-3000.

Steven H. Turkeltaub, M.D. P.C.
Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona

Many women request to have the appearance of their abdomens improved but they are not sure what it is that they need. Is it a tummy tuck? Liposuction? Or something else? How does one determine what is best?

A tummy tuck, also known as an abdominoplasty, is designed to address the lax skin and muscles of the abdomen. This can involve minor looseness that is confined to the lower abdomen (a mini tummy tuck), lax skin that is present both above and below the umbilicus (standard or full tummy tuck), and major excess of skin that hangs down in rolls (tummy tuck or a panniculectomy). Liposuction is best reserved for women who have localized fat deposits but relatively good skin and muscle tone. Of course, there are some gray areas where either procedure can result in an improved appearance though addressing slightly different issues depending on the patient’s primary concerns. There are also some situations where both liposuction and a tummy tuck should and can be done concurrently and others where I recommend first performing liposuction followed several months later by a tummy tuck.

In order to precisely determine whether a tummy tuck, liposuction or some sort of combination would be most appropriate for you, I would need to see you in consultation. To schedule an appointment regarding an abdominoplasty, liposuction, panniculectomy or any other cosmetic surgery procedure, you can call my office at 480-451-3000.

Steven H. Turkeltaub, M.D. P.C.
Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona