Will I need ps after rny?

What are the odds of me needing to get some type of skin removal surgery after surgery? I know it's hard to know until the time comes but I am 23 and my highest weight was 306. I am now on the supervised diet and have lost 26 lbs down to 280 this morning. Does the skin of the younger usually have more elasticity and go back more easily or does exercising help a lot?

It's a combination of genes, age, amount of time you have been overweight and how much you lose.   I was considerably older than you, but had only been obese for a couple of years and lost 120lb.   I absolutely didn't need PS but I had it anyway ...   

I have a "before" pic on my profile but you will have to friend me to see it.

I don't know the answer to your question. It all depends on how long you were at your highest weight and how long your skin was stretched. I also know that if you hydrated your body with lots of water your skin would be more elastic than someone who didn't drink a lot of fluids.  I know for me that if I was as young as you are I would plan on it if needed.

Yes, being young gives you a huge advantage, but as the others have said, it depends more on how much your skin has been stretched and for how long.  (I have a friend who had been very overweight for her whole life and had surgery at 24, and still needed plastic surgery on her arms, tummy, and legs.) 

Also, exercise doesn't do anything for the skin itself... just the muscles under the skin.  SO if the skin is stretched beyond its ability to bounce back, all the exercise in the world won't tighten the skin up.

Lora

Thanks everyone! I definitely don't expect it to shrink up to a perfect stomach by no means! I do have an open mind so if I need the ps I will definitely be open to it! Thanks!

Your surgeon might know or you could consult a plastic surgeon.  It's really impossible for us to make a guess since we don't know you or your medical history.

Younger skin usually has more elasticity, yes.  But when someone weighs 306 lbs, the skin doesn't just stretch.  You actually grow more skin to cover your body.  Once you grow skin, you cannot ungrow it, no matter how young you are.

I think there are two different questions about excess skin.  One is, will you have so much excess skin that it causes medical problems, like severe rashes and infections that won't go away, causing you to need surgery to remove it?  The other question is, will you want plastic surgery to improve the appearance of your skin, even if it's not medically necessary to remove it?  I have some excess skin but it does not cause any medical problems.  Some people would probably want it removed anyway, but I do not want to have any surgeries that are not medically necessary.

Most likely yes. From all my years in the bariatric community, I'd guess 80% of us have enough loose skin to warrant plastic surgery. Some live with it, others like me have plastics. I wanted to feel "whole" again.

Hi, I see from your post that you had brachioplastry (that's the underarms, right?).  How painful was it and how long did it take for you to recover?  Where you pleased with the results?  I'll probably need that more than anything.  Thanks!

I'm not Laura, but I had my arms done.  My arms were much more painful than I expected.  Most of the pain was in the armpits (my incisions got from my elbows, up the rms, through the armpits, and down the side of my breasts (he also removed the excess skin under where my bra would be on the sides).  I'm not sure how you define "recover".  I was out of work for two weeks, but had to keep the arms wrapped (the compressions garment was causing the incision in my armpits to open so I had to stop wearing it) for about 6-8 weeks because of swelling, and it took me 8 weeks to be able to lift my arms above my head without pain (like to wash my hair without bending over in the shower). There was still some swelling beyond 8 weeks off and on.

i am pleased with my results, generally. The incisions down along the side of my breasts don't look great, but are mostly covered by my bra.  The surgeon also had to make the arm incision slightly higher on one side so he could remove most of an existing scar from an auto accident (he was afraid that section wouldn't heal well if he didn't because of the width of the scar), so that scar is a bit more easily seen, but it isn't a big deal.  I much prefer the scars to the huge batwings I had!

Lora

Thanks.  I'm not sure what decision I'll make, but I didn't realize it was so extensive (thought it would just be from the elbow straight up to the upper arms).  I'm really bad with pain, so it would have to be really bad for me to do it, but thanks for sharing your experience.  Have a great day.