Establish your beauty with Body Contouring
Weight loss through exercise, dieting, or bariatric surgery takes patience and commitment and is extremely rewarding. However, many people can’t achieve the body of their dreams after significant weight loss without the additional help of body contouring surgery.
Loose skin in various areas of the body cannot retract with exercise and diet alone and is nearly impossible to conceal under clothing. Furthermore, it can cause chafing, which makes physical activity difficult and uncomfortable. To solve these problems, double board-certified plastic surgeon Gabriel Salloum, M.D., F.A.C.S., performs body contouring surgery in Miami Beach, FL, for men and women who desire a contoured and firm body shape after achieving dramatic weight loss.
What is Body Contouring?
Body contouring refers to any cosmetic surgical procedure that is performed to improve a patient’s shape and body contours. These procedures often combine the removal of excess skin with liposuction, also known as liposculpture. Body contouring surgery is customized to meet each person’s needs and may include the use of specialized surgical techniques to eliminate hanging skin and stubborn fat after significant weight loss.
Dr. Gabriel Salloum creates a personalized treatment plan at the Miami Center for Plastic Surgery to meet the unique needs of each patient. Each surgery may include a combination of body contouring procedures to address different areas of the body, like ultrasound-assisted liposculpture, a tummy tuck, arm lift, breast lift, upper or lower body lift, thigh lift, Brazilian butt lift, and more.
*All patients are unique and individual results may vary.
Ultrasound-Assisted Liposculpture:
Ultrasound-assisted liposculpture is often performed in combination with procedures like body lift surgery or alone to address stubborn fat in problem areas, add contours, and improve body shape when excess skin is not a concern. Liposuction can provide significant improvements to many different areas of the body, including the chin, neck, abdomen, upper arms, hips, inner and outer thighs, buttocks, ankles, and knees.
Tummy Tuck:
A tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) removes excess fat and skin in the abdominal region and repairs weakened or separated stomach muscles. Tummy tucks are often included in body contouring surgery to restore tone and shape after pregnancy, weight fluctuations, age, genetics, or a previous surgery like gastric bypass used for extreme weight loss.
Relatively thin men and women with proportionate measurements may still develop a protruding abdomen, loose abdominal skin, a muffin top, or love handles. A tummy tuck can be incorporated into a complete body contouring procedure with lipo to achieve the desired transformation for each person’s needs.
Lower Body Lift:
The lower body lift, also known as belt lipectomy or circumferential tummy tuck, may be included in a body contouring surgery to restore a beautiful, youthful shape to the buttocks, hips, outer thighs, and stomach. The lower body lift is often used to remove excess lax skin and tissue from the lower back, thighs, and stomach after significant weight loss.
Upper Body Lift:
The upper body lift, also known as the bra line lift, removes excess skin and fat from the upper back, abdominal region, and sides of the chest. The upper body lift combines several procedures during one surgery to lift the breasts, tighten and firm the arms, remove excess fat from the back, and more. The upper body lift is popular among patients who have lost a large amount of weight and are struggling with sagging skin and pockets of fat.
Body Contouring benefits
Body contouring procedures remove excess skin and localized fat to provide benefits like:
- Improved self-esteem and self-image
- Tighter, firmer, improved skin
- Sleeker contours
- Improved clothing fit
- Strategically removes fat in multiple areas for a complete makeover
- Removes hanging skin after major weight loss to improve movement and stop uncomfortable chafing
- Customized full-body rejuvenation
Body Contouring candidates
Ideal body contouring candidates are men and women in generally good health who do not smoke and are close to their ideal weight but struggle with significant lax skin and excess tissue that is unresponsive to exercise and diet. Dr. Salloum may recommend weight loss before surgery and approved candidates must maintain a stable weight for six months before the procedure to help ensure good results.
The Body Contouring consultation
Dr. Gabriel Salloum provides private consultations at the Miami Center for Plastic Surgery’s luxurious spa-like facility, which offers perks like complimentary valet service. During the private meeting, Dr. Salloum discusses the patient’s past and current health status and performs a physical examination. He assesses the skin’s elasticity, takes measurements to determine laxity, evaluates muscle tone, and notes hanging skin and isolated fat before creating a personalized surgical plan.
The doctor may perform several contouring procedures during a single surgery, but upper and lower procedures are typically performed during separate procedures. Dr. Salloum shows the patient before and after photos of similar cases and explains the surgical details, including the risks, benefits and financial investment of the recommended treatment plan.
The Body Contouring Procedure
Dr. Salloum performs body contouring surgery at a local accredited surgical center in Miami Beach, Florida. Body contouring surgery is typically completed within two to four hours under general anesthesia. The combination surgery is sometimes completed as an outpatient procedure, but Dr. Salloum may recommend an overnight stay to ensure an easier recovery in certain cases.
During the surgery, Dr. Salloum meticulously makes discreet incisions in the treatment area before removing unwanted skin and fatty tissue. He then performs liposuction and sculpts the area to the desired shape before tightening and smoothing the remaining skin.
Drains may then be placed to remove fluid and blood. Dr. Salloum carefully stitches the incisions to allow proper healing with minimal scarring. Sterile dressings and compression garments are applied to the treated areas to reduce swelling and encourage healing.
Body Contouring recovery
Dr. Salloum provides each patient with aftercare instructions based on their customized surgical procedure. Follow these instructions closely to ensure a smooth recovery and optimal results. Wear the compression garment for four to six weeks to control swelling and encourage skin contraction.
Be sure to get enough rest after the surgery. Avoid sun exposure and heat for 6 weeks because of possible swelling and incision discoloration. Patients typically return to work and resume most activities within two weeks, depending on the details of the surgery and the activity level required at their job. Walking is important for proper healing but you should avoid strenuous activity and vigorous exercise for about 6 weeks.
Why should I choose Dr. Gabriel Salloum?
Gabriel Salloum, M.D., F.A.C.S., is a highly-respected, double board-certified plastic surgeon with the following qualifications:
- Dr. Salloum is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery
- Specializes in reconstructive surgery, as well as ultrasound-assisted liposuction, facial restructuring, and body contouring
- More than 13 years of experience performing plastic surgery
- Passionate about helping men and women meet their cosmetic goals and become more confident in their own skin
- Provides natural-looking cosmetic results
- Takes the time to get to know each patient and answers any questions before creating a unique surgical plan
- Offers a full range of plastic surgical procedures, including facelifts, upper arm lift surgery, body contouring, liposuction, tummy tucks, thigh lifts, Brazilian butt lifts, and breast reconstruction
- Has achieved a large number of 4.5 and 5-star reviews on Yelp, Vitals, RealSelf, and Google
- Named a New York Times Best Plastic Surgeon
Questions about Body Contouring
There are risks with every plastic surgery. However, if you choose an experienced, board-certified surgeon like Dr. Salloum, you can significantly reduce common risks like scarring, fluid acclamation, wound healing difficulties, asymmetry, anesthesia reactions, and infection.
For more information on risks, use a reputable source like The American Society of Plastic Surgeons or ask Dr. Salloum to go over them in detail during your consultation.
Dr. Salloum will provide you with pre-surgical instructions specific to your body contouring procedure. These should be followed closely to help ensure a safe procedure and optimal results.
Body contouring permanently removes excess skin and fat cells. The results can be maintained for years with a healthy diet and regular exercise. However, you will eventually see changes caused by the natural aging process. Furthermore, any future extreme fluctuations in weight can create sagging skin and excess fat once again.
Body contouring often requires large incisions to sculpt the body, remove excess skin, and tighten lax areas. Dr. Salloum carefully creates each incision to minimize scarring and allow concealment while wearing clothing.
However, the incisions created in some thigh and arm lift procedures will leave noticeable scars that can’t be concealed when wearing a bathing suit or tank top. The doctor will point out the potential incision lines during your consultation and will explain your surgical options.
Most patients notice some immediate results after their body contouring procedure. However, it may take 6 to 12 months to experience the full benefits of a tummy tuck or similar surgery because it takes several weeks for the incisions to heal and the swelling to fade.
Most patients experience mild to moderate discomfort after body contouring. Dr. Salloum will prescribe pain medications to ensure a comfortable recovery and you will need to rest during the first week to give your body time to heal.
Body contouring can be performed on almost any area of the body, and excellent results are often achieved on the buttocks with liposuction and sculpting. A tummy tuck or upper thigh lift may be combined with a butt lift to flatten your stomach and reduce cellulite and pockets of fat. A Brazilian butt lift may also be combined with a tummy tuck to achieve outstanding body contouring results. Ask Dr. Salloum for personalized options during your private consultation.
Body contouring surgery combines multiple treatments to achieve exceptional results during one or two surgeries. Body contouring can treat the abdomen, upper and outer thighs, buttocks, arms, bra line, and breasts.
If you live near Miami Beach, FL, Miami Center For Plastic Surgery offers body contouring among its services, and is conveniently located at 4308 Alton Road #720 Miami Beach, FL 33140
Schedule a Body Contouring consultation
Request a body contouring consultation online, or call 305-405-6910 to request a private consultation with double board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Gabriel Salloum at the Miami Center for Plastic Surgery in Miami Beach, FL.
