Breast Surgery for the Bariatric Patient: Special Considerations

There are breast surgery options available to improve the appearance of the breasts after massive weight loss. Massive weight loss often results in the appearance of excess skin and sagginess that can appear as a disfigurement. Many post bariatric patients seek out plastic surgery after weight loss to improve a disfigured appearance. They may undergo breast surgery, but may also be interested in an upper or lower body lift, arm lift and/or thigh lift. 

For women, breast implants may be required to add volume to the upper pole of the breast. A breast lift may also be performed should it be necessary to improve a droopy appearance of the breast. Alternatively, breast reduction may be required after massive weight loss.

For men, breast reduction in large breasted males is becoming extremely popular. In this procedure, similar techniques for the improvement of gynecomastia are used.
 
In both men and women, breast surgery may be combined with an upper body lift to remove excess skin in the upper torso and upper back.  Yet, breast surgery for those who have just experienced massive weight loss have special considerations to take into account before undergoing breast surgery, especially if it is combined with another procedure. 

• Only a select number of board certified plastic surgeons have received specialized training to perform post bariatric procedures. It is important to inquire about the plastic surgeon’s level of expertise in post bariatric care when considering breast surgery.
• Breast implant and breast lift combination procedures are more difficult to perform together than they are one at a time. This is because there are two types of treatment going on simultaneously which increases the risks during surgery two fold.
• Any time more than one of any procedure is performed simultaneously, the greater the risks that are associated with the surgery and anesthesia. For example, in 2007, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons noted that massive weight loss patients who undergo breast reduction have more pseudoptosis (droopiness) than breast reduction patients who are overweight but maintain their weight.-1- 
• Some plastic surgeons team up during post bariatric surgery to combine their expertise, reduce surgical time and decrease the risk of complications.
• Massive weight loss patients have an additional increased risk for complications because bariatric patients are more likely to have other medical conditions. These medical conditions may result in the need for additional precautions during surgery. In addition, many plastic surgeons performing surgery on post bariatric patients elect to perform the procedure in a hospital and may require an overnight stay for observation.

Breast surgery for massive weight loss patients can be life enhancing in many ways. Yet, it is important to plan properly for breast surgery or any combination procedure when completing massive weight loss.  

Have you or someone you know been considering a breast augmentation? If so, please contact a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon to be better informed of your options.