Samaritan Plastic, Reconstructive & Hand Surgery Body Contouring

Abdominoplasty is a procedure aimed at removing excess skin and fat from the lower abdomen along with tightening and restoring weakened or separated muscles of the abdominal wall. Situations such as pregnancy, aging, fluctuations in weight, heredity and prior surgery may lead to excess loose, sagging skin of the lower abdomen as well as weakening of the abdominal wall musculature and loss of the “hourglass” shape of youth.

Abdominoplasty is a good option if you are physically healthy and at a stable weight, you do not smoke, and prior abdominal surgery do not put you at risk for surgical complications. It should be noted that abdominoplasty is not a substitute for weight loss, though it can remove excess abdominal fat. Additionally, while some stretch marks of the lower abdomen may be removed with abdominoplasty, it is not guaranteed to completely eliminate all post-pregnancy or post-weight loss stretch marks.

Liposuction (alternately known as lipoplasty) is a minimally invasive technique to remove fat deposits under the skin and improve body contour and shape. Often, even in spite of good health and fitness, some people maintain disproportionate deposits of fat that are difficult to correct through diet and exercise alone. They can be due to family traits or genetics and may occur in the abdomen and waist, thighs, hips, buttocks, arms, back, chest, cheeks and chin, or the calves and ankles.

Liposuction can be used alone for body contouring or in conjunction with other body contouring procedures. You may be a good candidate if your skin quality is good, you are not overweight, and you have stubborn areas of fat excess that don’t respond to diet and exercise. Liposuction is not a good option for weight loss nor is it a good option to correct “cellulite,” which is the dimpled appearance of the skin that frequently occurs over the hips, thighs and buttocks.

Thigh lift surgery is performed to improve the contour, shape and skin tightness of the thighs. Loss of the elastic properties of the skin with aging, fluctuations in weight, or genetic factors may lead to loss of tightness in the skin and fatty tissues of the thighs. Thigh lift surgery can correct this, resulting in smoother skin and a more youthful contour to the thighs.

You may be a good candidate for thigh lift surgery if you are at a stable weight, health, do not smoke, and have realistic goals regarding the improvement in the appearance of your thighs. While fat is usually removed with thigh lift surgery, it is not a substitute for weight loss and a healthy lifestyle.

Brachioplasty is a surgical procedure that contours and reshapes the upper arm from the underarm to the elbow. It is frequently performed due to sagging of the skin and fat of the upper arm due to aging, heredity, or significant fluctuations in weight. This area is seldom responsive to exercise and toning due to loss of the elastic properties of skin in the area.

Brachioplasty with or without liposuction may be right for you if you are healthy, at a stable weight, do not smoke, and have realistic expectations regarding appearance and scars. The results of brachioplasty will be long-lasting provided that you maintain a stable weight and general fitness.