How long after gastric bypass should patients wait before considering plastic surgery?
I’m asked this question frequently. Some surgeons recommend a certain length of time, such as 18 months. However, I think the answer is different for every patient. Each patient loses weight at a different pace. And, patients have differing amounts of excess weight to begin with. I feel that once a patient has reached a plateau with weight loss and maintained a stable weight for a few months, it’s time to consider plastic surgery. For some patients this will come after nine months and for others it may be up to two years. What are the most common procedures? The most common is abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) or panniculectomy. Other very common procedures are: belt lipectomy (body lift), breast lift (mastopexy) often with implants, and face or neck lift. Less common procedures include brachioplasty (arm lift) and thigh lift. (Please see individual procedures for specific information.) Does insurance cover these procedures? The only procedure that is sometimes covered is panniculectomy (tum
