How much is skin???? Question for a surgeon??

Ok a friend of mine and I both have had about 180-200 excess lbs to lose...both have lost over 130lbs....I think my question is once u get super morbidly obese and your body stretches out and your skin grows to accomodate your body....then how do u know how much of your excess weight is skin??? We both are fighting so hard to lose the last bit of our weight but I would like to be able to figure out what is fat and what is skin....I measure myself work out and eat very healthy....It seems like im losing inches from my top part but the skin starts hanging down and ends up resting in my waist which even obese was narrow and now is looking pretty thick. And all that back fat and skin...ugggggggg.....How much skin and fat can be removed with a body and breast lift? I have full spinal arthritis....my insurance will take care of this for me but i just dont know when to go in ?

I had the same question and for me, it was answered when I went for a consult with a PS a few days ago with Dr. Siamak Agha.

Dr. Agha told me I'm done losing weight and he doesn't want me to loose more, that the rest of my weight will come off via plastics. He needs some of the fat on my body to do contouring, so he said he wants me to maintain or at most loose 5-6 more pounds. (I was shocked, I thought I still had another 25 pounds to loose!)

If you start consulting with some PS's I bet you might get a better idea of this.

Good luck!

I still have the same question. Sounds like I'm about the same weight as you....would you mind sharing how tall you are?
Thanks!

Sure thing---I'm 5'3" (it's in my siggy ;-).

Thanks...
I never noticed it in the "siggy"....LOL!

Hi there!

I lost 185 lbs and I am at goal.. I have 10-15 lbs he said when I first saw him.  I asked again the second time I saw him and he says "more than 5, less than 10" So I am not sure they really know till they get in there.  I never had a problem getting down to goal like many do.. but I also eat very few carbs and run.. so not sure if that is why or if its my age or what, I feel very lucky.  I know I have a lot of muscle and lift weights too so maybe that has helped vamp my metabolism some.

Good luck with everything!

Hey Honey!  My belly alone was 7 lbs...and you've seen those pics.  I would take some swimsuit or naked pics and email them to a surgeon maybe for a consult via email.  Its easy enough and you could get a good idea - but I've heard of 30 lb panni's coming off.  I am not sure they know either, but they can guess...mine guessed 4 lbs and it was more.  And the weight loss does go again afterwards, but most importantly you feel freer with no hanging.

Good luck doll!  I'm sure Dr L or someone will chime in.

I'm a fisherman, and am pretty accurate at guessing skin weight to be removed ahead of time!

Its not unusual to have 7-10lbs of tummy skin removed.  My max was around 35lbs on a  huge panniculectomy. http://www.khou.com/news/health/stories/khou080211_tnt_weigh tloss.b095f429.html

Breast skin removal is usually less than a pound unless you are also having a reduction.

Best wishes,

John LoMonaco, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Plastic Surgery
Houston, Texas

www.DrLoMonaco.com
www.BodyLiftHouston.com

wow if u removed that from my front i would be done what u did well....thats beautiful and amazing!! When u do a breast reduction does that encompass the breast tissue under the arm as well??? that seems where i have an issue. I thank you for your time and expertise
Noel

I like your sense of humor...(the fisherman analogy is funny to me).

I happen to have asked my PS this question yesterday. I am just getting starting on my plastic surgery journey.  He said he thought it would be about 7 lbs in total taken off me over a course of 3 surgeries (arms, lower body lift, inner thigh lift).  I shocked and even disappointed.... I thought for sure it must be about 15 lbs, if not more (I've lost about 140 lbs to date)   My biggest fear is that he doesn't take enough off....

His nurse practitioner said most people think the skin and remaining fat will weigh more than it actually does.