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Vol:26:1
Dr. Gonzalez, Amie, Marlene and I want to wish you, your family and loved ones the best 2009 possible. We hope you all made it through the holidays without backsliding or out of control eating followed by some weight gain. I think most of you followed the guidelines for success continuing on your journey to a healthier and better life. However, if you get away from the program, go back to your basic program . Don't be depressed, don't be in denial and don't despair that you think you blew it and don't give up. Learn from this experience that having weight loss surgery will not make you bulletproof from regaining lost pounds. You have to make it work. Remember if you eat more calories that you don't use for metabolism or physical activity, they get stored as fat with weight gain. An example, I walk on my treadmill at 3.1 mph with 4% elevation for about 40+ minutes and burn about 435-440 calories during this interval. There are 273 calories in one snickers bar and 236 calories in a bag of M&M's. Time spent on treadmill is a lot of work for a small step away from the basics. Bottom line, your destiny is in your control. MAKE GOOD THINGS HAPPEN FOR YOU.
Your surgery is a success. You are a success and have lost your weight, your health and quality of life is good. As you are putting together your new wardrobe, standing in front of a mirror you see how your skin has done with the weight loss. In your minds eye it is tight, firm and no wrinkles, but that is not the person looking back at you. The person in the mirror has droopy breasts, hanging apron, hanging skin from arms and upper legs. You are thinking OMG what am I gonna do about this in order to look and feel better about myself.
Your skin is your largest body part. It has many functions and has elasticity. How your skin is going to respond to massive weight loss like you have experienced is a function of time to look good. If you are over 40, smoked, and recycled weight loss and weight gain many times, don't have high expectations about the skin tightening up on its own. The elastic tissue in the skin is damaged by the above issues and the long standing stress of morbid obesity. What are your options? There are unfortunately only two - #1. Do nothing and adjust to living with the excess skin, or #2. Have it surgically removed.
Our speaker is Dr. Laurence A. Weider, M.D is a plastic surgeon who has experience in taking care of these problems. He will discuss PLASTIC SURGERY AFTER WEIGHT LOSS or as I title the presentation BOOB, BOTTOMS, BELLIES AND THE REST. He will show examples of outcomes in his presentation.
When to deal with the skin issues is clear cut (no pun intended) in our practice. We want you to be approximately 20% above expected weight loss. If you push to have the excess skin removed too early you are at a significant risk of requiring more surgery for skin problems. From our point of view, it is best to have plastic surgery done well once. Also don't expect all areas to be done at the same time. Dr. Weider will use his expertise and judgment in recommending which procedures can be done safely together. The complications related to these procedures are infections, bleeding and of course unexpected events can occur. All these issues will be discussed as well as all questions answered.
A special note of thanks to Dr. Melvyn Lerman who has retired as of January 1, 2009. He is a long time friend, colleague and plastic surgeon who has taken care of many of you over the years. He has given many lectures for our support group and has been a very vocal supporter of our program and contributed his skill to making life better for the morbidly obese.
If you have any suggestions for topics that you think are important please Email me at MCDA339@aol.com or the office at info@obesitysurgerydallas.com.. Boobs, Bottoms, and Bellies are usually a popular topic. Come early to be sure to have a seat. Bring family, friends, and and anyone interested or who would benefit.
Again Happy Healthy New Year.
Dr B |
