My Bariatric Life

There are many options when it comes to affording bariatric surgery and getting FREE or reduced-cost weight loss surgery is possible.

There are many options when it comes to paying for bariatric surgery. Let's explore them. Click on each hyperlink to learn more on the topic.

Having health insurance does not mean that weight-loss surgery is covered in your policy. About one quarter of people seeking weight-loss surgery will be denied three times before they receive weight-loss surgery insurance approval.

If you have insurance coverage for bariatric surgery and are denied, you have the right to contest the decision and write a bariatric surgery insurance appeal letter.

Since many health insurance plans exclude weight loss surgery, this leaves people faced with the decision to self-pay for bariatric surgery or to forgo what could very well be a life-saving procedure given the devastating effects of obesity and obesity-related diseases on health.

An option is to take out a medical loan for weight-loss surgery.

However, bariatric surgery is expensive if health insurance will not cover the surgery. And many people seek bariatric surgery outside the U.S. and engage in the process of weight loss surgery medical tourism.

Thousands of individuals head to Mexico for Bariatric Surgery to realize excellent quality care, fast wait times, and attractive prices.

With the question of safety of weight loss surgery in Mexico being being top of mind, I turned to Alex Brecher founder of BariatricPal Hospital MX for further exploration. Alex Brecher opened the BariatricPal Hospital MX in 2017 after having run a Mexico Medical Tourism business for 10 years.

As far as free bariatric surgery in the US, while it will no doubt be a challenge, free weight-loss surgery is within the realm of possibility. Free or reduced cost WLS grants and charity care are available.

There also are bariatric surgery clinical trials for surgical weight-loss candidates. Use our Match to Clinical Trials in 60-seconds widget on the bottom right column of MyBariatricLife.org to locate a trial near you.

Eat Right Now® is an Evidence-based program developed from over 10 years of groundbreaking medical research by Dr. Judson Brewer MD, PhD while he was at Yale University School of Medicine’s Therapeutic Neuroscience Clinic and UMass Medical School’s Center for Mindfulness.

Oh if the weight loss surgery fixed our "brains," too. Or wherever it is that originate the preoccupation with food, the gnawing in the pit of our stomachs, and the loud voice that says, "I want that!"

Unfortunately our brains are WIRED FOR ADDICTION according to research. Each time we eat something sweet or salty or crunchy our brains release “feel good” chemicals – the same chemicals that drive other addictions like smoking, alcohol and even cocaine.

Fortunately, we can learn to differentiate between real hunger and emotional craving, and to identify the triggers that drive our cravings.

Psychiatrist Judson Brewer's A Simple Way to Break a Bad Habit was the 4th most watched TED Talk of 2016.

Psychiatrist Judson Brewer is a thought leader in the “science of self mastery,” having combined nearly 20 years of experience with mindfulness with his scientific research therein. An internationally known expert in mindfulness training for addictions (he wrote the book The Craving Mind), Judson has developed novel treatments to help individuals with substance abuse and eating disorders.

And these same principals can work to stop cravings and bad eating habits.

To learn more about the mechanism of habit development and discover a simple but profound tactic that might help you beat your next urge to snack, check out Dr. Brewer's app Eat Right Now®.

Eat Right Now® is an Evidence-based program developed from over 10 years of groundbreaking medical research by Dr. Judson Brewer MD, PhD while he was at Yale University School of Medicine’s Therapeutic Neuroscience Clinic and UMass Medical School’s Center for Mindfulness.

The app can change people’s unhealthy relationships with food and help them break the cycle of craving-related eating, according to a study published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine.

Dr. Brewer is joined by experts Kara Nance, MD FACP, a leading nutrition and weight management expert, and Ashley E. Mason, PhD, an expert in food craving and addiction.

According to a study from UCSF, participants in the Eat Right Now® program reduced their food-related cravings by 40%.

You can learn about the Eat Right Now app on the program website and sign up for a 7-day free trial. Note that this is NOT an affiliate link.

Since many health insurance plans exclude weight loss surgery, more people are opting to self-pay and turning to Mexico for bariatric surgery at facilities like the BariatricPal Hospital MX in Tijuana. That is because the cost of weight loss surgery in Mexico can be significantly reduced from the costs for surgery in the USA and Canada. But is it safe?

My heart breaks for morbidly obese people whose health plans do not cover bariatric surgery. With health plans that exclude weight loss surgery, if they deem it a medical necessity then you may be able to successfully fight for surgery coverage. I don't know what the success rate is for people who attempt this but it is surely worth trying.

Since many health insurance plans exclude weight loss surgery, this leaves people faced with the decision to self-pay for bariatric surgery or to forgo what could very well be a life-saving procedure given the devastating effects of obesity and obesity-related diseases on health. Accordingly, more people are opting to self-pay and turning to Mexico for bariatric surgery at facilities like the BariatricPal Hospital MX in Tijuana. That is because the cost of weight loss surgery in Mexico can be significantly reduced from the costs for surgery in the USA and Canada.

For others, the preconceived notion of Mexico being an undeveloped country filled with sub-par "everything" and drug cartels has banished any thoughts of traveling there for bariatric surgery. But I can tell you from personal experience that Mexico is not like that.

I drove through Mexico last year from the US border to the Belize border, throughout the Yucatan Peninsula and most of the eastern states. I spent about 5-weeks living there. And I even received healthcare from a gastroenterologist at StarMedica in Merida. It was a very good experience... a wonderful experience. And both the healthcare and the facility were on-par with -- if not better than -- that which I have experienced in the USA.

Mexico is largely like the USA with cities and infrastructure and shopping malls and hospitals. Of course there are isolated rural areas, but I did not encounter problems with safety even there. What I did encounter was a very warm and friendly culture that I would one day like to revisit.

In this article I interview Alex Brecher founder of BariatricPal Hospital MXabout the safety of weight loss surgery in Mexico.

http://www.mybariatriclife.org/bariatricpal-hospital-mx-qa-safe-bariatric-surgery/

21 hours ago, GotProlactinoma said:

Best facelift I’ve ever seen. You really do just look like a version of your high school self. Appropriate and pretty and like you. I’m keeping that doc’s name for one day!

I just love Dr. Winslow. I cannot say enough good things about her. I have to add that she went to the Oklahoma City Bombing and was reconstructing the faces of the children who suffered injuries. G-d bless Dr. Winslow. xoxo

On 3/16/2018 at 11:30 PM, Creekimp13 said:

I haven't been diagnosed NES, but I do have issues with night time eating that I've discussed with my therapist.

What's helped me a lot:

1. Swearing off eating after dinner. No more late snacking. I have herbal tea only after dinner. Kinda like a gremlin, I should never be fed late. LOL

2. Taking melatonin at 9pm really helps. Gets you to bed at a reasonable hour, and helps cut evening cravings. Improves your sleep quality and duration...which also helps with hunger. Improves your circadian rhythm.

Good idea about taking melatonin. Thanks!

What are the pitfalls that you've encountered on this journey? Night time eating is a big one for me. I always was a late night binge eater. Although I don't binge eat any more the habit of craving food at night is a monkey on my back. There are times I can go virtually all day without eating but at night there are times when I'll be starving for food.

There is actually a syndrome related to nighttime eating categorized as either night eating syndrome (NES) or the sleep-related eating disorder (SRED). NES is characterized by evening hunger, abnormally increased food intake after the evening meal, nocturnal awakings with ingestions, morning anorexia, and insomnia. Unlike binge eating, excessive amounts of food are not eaten. Ironically, one of the treatments for NES is to eat regularly throughout the day and include Protein at every meal.

If you suspect that you have NES then get yourself to a therapist who specializes in eating disorders. The National Eating Disorders hotline can be a good starting point: 800-931-2237.

It is a dream for most people to have full, thick hair especially when they notice that thinning hair and/or Hair loss is visible. Most bariatric surgeons will tell you the hair loss is only temporary -- but most patients will become quite alarmed to see the many strands of hair at the bottom of their bathtubs day after day. You can take the following steps to slow or stop hair loss and thinning hair...

It is a dream for most people to have full, thick hair especially when they notice that thinning hair and/or hair loss is visible. Most bariatric surgeons will tell you the hair loss is only temporary -- but most patients will become quite alarmed to see the many strands of hair at the bottom of their bathtubs day after day.

Causes of Hair Loss and Hair Thinning

Following weight loss surgery, our bodies must adjust to a lesser amount of calories. Only those organs that require nutrients the most will receive them. Hair is not among those organs.

Hair strands also retreat into a state of temporary suspension after weight-loss surgery and do not produce new strands. The condition is temporary, and you don’t need to be concerned about losing all your hair.

Likewise, thinning hair is caused by deficiencies in our nutrition; for instance, low Iron levels in the body causes hair loss.

Treatment for Fuller Thicker Hair

The causes of hair thinning and hair loss can be treated using natural elements like supplements and essential oils. Additionally, remedies for thinning hair or loss include reducing stress, having balanced hormones, eating a great diet and so much more.

Read these articles to learn how to slow or stop hair loss with natural treatments:

Stop Hair Loss After Weight Loss

In the first 6-months it's common for patients to experience hair loss after weight loss surgery. You can take the following steps to slow or stop hair loss...

10 Home Remedies for Thinning Hair

Here are 10 natural remedies for thinning hair that include: reducing stress, having balanced hormones, eating a great diet, using supplements and much more...

On 2/7/2018 at 5:23 PM, atwoah said:

Sure. It included two nights in a hospital and then one night in a hotel. There was a valet st the hospital at all times that spoke fluent English. Most of the nurses knew English, some was broken but I never had an issue communicating with them. The hospital was super clean. I was never in any pain while I was there and the nurses were really attentive. There was also always a doctor there on staff. I met the surgeon who spoke fluent English and also the nutritionist who gave me a goodie bag with some Powerade and coconut Water, and broth for the hotel stay. After the hospital, the valet took us to the hotel and took us around Tijuana to see the markets and the beach. We had to pay for the uber to take us there but the valet translated for us and showed us where to go. Also the doctor made a hotel visit to make sure that I was healing okay. Overall they were really attentive and it was as good if not better care than the United States.

I did not have surgery in MX but I did have treatment at StarMedica hospital in Merida for IBS. And I found just as you did that the quality of care and the facility were as good if not better than I have gotten in the USA.

I don't speak Spanish but did not have too much of a problem communicating with people during the month that we were in MX. Many speak English, and Google Translate app on my mobile phone was helpful when I encountered people who did not.

How is your aftercare being managed? Do you attend any support groups?

On 2/4/2018 at 4:22 PM, NegreteLove said:

I have been living on both sides of the border for 8 years and get all my healthcare in Mex.
I had my sleeve done in Mexicali by Dr Juan Francisco Arellano. I am receiving excellent care by Dr Arellano and his team. I had my sleeve done on 12/20/17 after care up to one year is completely covered in the cost of the surgery. I am able to reach the surgeon directly if needed 24/7. Dr Arellano is very dedicated to the success of each patient.

Sent from my SM-J327T1 using BariatricPal mobile app

How much did it cost? Do you have to go back to Mexico for the aftercare? We do not live anywhere near the border. But we are considering living in MX for the Winter.

I am very glad that my friend prepared me for this! And I am very glad that I went with Dr. Winslow! Holy cow she does amazing work!

I am so glad that a woman who had been through it gave me the insider tips on my facelift. I owe her big time for: 1) convincing me not to have my face done by the bariatric plastic surgeon who did our body lifts, and 2) preparing me that I would look like monster after my facelift. In the end, I got the most incredible amazing life-changing facelift from a FACIAL plastic surgeon, Dr. Catherine Winslow, and she was cheaper than my body contouring plastic surgeon wanted for the facelift who never could have done the work that she did. And I did not have an emotional breakdown when I woke up form surgery and looked like a monster... and slightly inhuman for weeks afterwards. Although it was quite a shock to my family!

I repeat: Be prepared. If you get a facelift by a facial plastic surgeon s/he is likely to do a whole lot more to maximize the improvements to your facelift after weight loss than a bariatric plastic surgeon is able to do. Thusly this extensive amount of work might leave you looking slightly inhuman for a week or more, as it did me. And, like me, you may not look like yourself for months.

Now I will prepare you just like my friend prepared me. Here are a couple of photos from the early weeks after my facelift. I look slightly inhuman or at least like someone beat me up. And you will, too, so be prepared for this and avoid a panic attack after your facial plastic surgery! This links to my blog post.

http://www.mybariatriclife.org/my-facelift-after-weight-loss-and-looking-slightly-inhuman/

23 hours ago, Water Nazi said:

YOU LOOK WONDERFUL AND THE HOSPITAL AND RECOVERY HOUSE LOOK FANTASTIC. I AM GLAD TO HEAR AND SEE SUCH POSITIVE REVIEWS.

18 hours ago, atwoah said:

BariatricPal has their own hospital in Tijuana. It was 4600 for the sleeve. I just got it done and it was a great experience.

THanks. Do you care to elaborate on your experience?

@NegreteLove thank you for sharing your experience and your surgeon.

After safely driving all over Mexico for a month last year and experiencing excellent healthcare and a warm and friendly culture for myself, I would feel very comfortable going there for surgery and saving loads of money. Fortunately my RNY in 2003 was covered nearly 100% by my insurance company and I did not have to go through the red tape of supervised 6-mos diets, psychiatric evaluations, and nutrition counseling. But I have a close family member whose insurance does not cover WLS. We are considering the gastric sleeve and if and when he decides to go through with it then we will travel to MX for surgery. The gastric sleeve is in fact a fairly straightforward surgery and the cost in MX can be as little as 10% of the cost in the USA. According to the ASMBS it has less early complications than the DS or RNY. I don't see any data on long term complications but I am sure it does not carry the risk of nutritional deficiencies as the DS and RNY.

I would love to hear the real life experience of people who have had the gastric sleeve in MX. Thank you.

Getting a diagnosis of diabetes nearly two decades ago was a critical turning point in my life. Had I not gotten diabetes, then I likely would not have gotten the surgery in 2003 and turned my health and my life around.

A few years back, I was 1 of 6 people featured in a photo shoot of real people who have defeated their diabetes. And what an incredible day it was! I got to choose the location of my shoot -- the beach -- and was driven there by limousine. The photographer took shots of me doing planks, sprints, and meditation on the beach, as well as hanging out on the boardwalk. That experience was the closest I've come to being a model (a teenage dream of mine).

Across the decades I have been every size, from a junior size 7 to a women’s size 24. Getting a diagnosis of diabetes was a critical turning point in my life. It was a wake-up call that I answered, the impetus for me to have my gastric bypass surgery. Had I not gotten diabetes, then I likely would not have had the surgery and turned my health and my life around. My diabetes earned me a 3-night staycation in the hospital. I went home with 5 prescriptions for diabetes and hypertension. Within a year I had bariatric surgery and I credit it with saving my life.

But getting the surgery isn't a guarantee of success. It is vital, too, that we become skilled in Using Your Gastric Pouch for Weight Loss. Over the years I must have slipped back into old dysfunctional patterns of relating to food because I began to gain weight at 5-years post-op. And I ended up having a revision surgery.

Fast forward to 2013 after my plastic surgery, I became set upon living life larger than ever -- doing all the things that I wanted to do. One might say I am making up for lost time. I came to love planks and squats and HIIT and lifting weights and sprints with my dog Blue and BodyCombat class. I ran with my granddaughter in her first 3k, and we hiked for hours in the mountains of northern California. I learned to row, meditate, belly dance, and tai chi. I completed a strenuous all-day ropes course and overcame my fear of heights. I traveled the USA in an RV and lived in Belize and Mexico for 4-months. And so much more, more, more. I feel that the plastic surgery saved my soul.

I am so grateful for how my life has changed, now having defeated my obesity and diabetes for nearly 15 years. I lead a life well-lived. But when I was morbidly obese, I led a life half-lived. The biotech company behind the photo shoot shares my story with patients and healthcare professionals and with employees to encourage people that they can defeat diabetes, too. It is an honor to inspire people to better health.

Be thankful for who you are now, but keep fighting for what you want to be tomorrow. Strive for Daily Success.

On 11/16/2017 at 10:12 AM, nurse247 said:

No boobs or arms. Just lower body lift through Dr. Cardenas.

My cost was 11k. I also got a modest amount of lip filler. I love it!

You look great but that's a lot of money for Mexico.

Say buh-bye to the habits that kept you trapped in mounds of flesh and fat. And say hello to easy-to-prepare home-cooked meals of whole foods.

I have become much more health conscious and logical since having my gastric bypass weight loss surgery in 2003. And I have witnessed that just as there is a method for obesity, there is a method for weight loss. As a result, making good food choices for your bariatric life can be as simple as swapping out unhealthy foods and cooking methods for their healthy versions. I promise you will love cauliflower rice, zoodles, and air-fried veggie chips so much that you’ll never feel deprived of your potatoes and Pasta again.

Say buh-bye to the habits that kept you trapped in mounds of flesh and fat. And say hello to easy-to-prepare home-cooked meals of whole foods.

INVEST IN SEVERAL QUALITY SMALL APPLIANCES AND LEARN NEW, HEALTHY WAYS OF PREPARING FOODS.

Investing in a few high-quality small appliances and kitchen tools will pay for themselves with the money you save on processed convenience foods — and you’ll be rewarded with highly nutritious foods and superior taste!

Check out a few basics to get you started:

• Coleman grill for amazing grilled meats, fish, and vegetables! Take this portable grill on road trips, too!

• Slow cooker or electric pressure cooker make food very tender and easier to digest.

• Osterizer is the best blender I’ve ever had for frozen Protein Shakes and smoothies — and it’s far cheaper than a Vitamix!

• Cuisinart food processor for chopping cauliflower into rice to pureeing cashews into nut butter or roasted cauliflower into mashed potatoes, and more.

• Wok pan for quick and healthy stir-fry meals in minutes.

• Vegetable spiralizer to make grain-free noodles from zucchini (zoodles) or sweet potatoes.

• Air-fryer for healthy veggie fries, crunchy veggie chips and more!

Want the Bariatric Diet Tips that I have culled from experts in health and wellness and have enabled me to maintain a 120+ pound weight loss? Get more life-changing bariatric diet tips: READ NOW.

Living larger than ever,

My Bariatric Life

I challenge you to find an easier way to lose weight than drinking plenty of ice cold Water. Get your fill of pro tips and more in this story...

We take it for granted and perhaps do not recognize the many properties of water. Open the tap, and here it comes. Travel to the shore front and there it is, oceans and oceans of the stuff. It fills rivers and streams. It fills the shelves of markets and convenience stores. It falls on golfers who shake an angry fist and lament that their day on the green is ruined.

Just imagine how ruined all our days would be if it never rained. To state the obvious, water is vital.

How Much Water Should I Drink?

For as long as I can remember we have been told to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day – more if you exercise heavily but less if you drink other beverages frequently. That seems a bit outdated to me. More recently, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends that men should consume about 3.7 liters (about 13 cups) of water daily and women should consume about 2.7 liters (about 9 cups).

Read, Planning a Great Bariatric Diet Grocery List

During a workout or other physical activities, on hot or cold days, and owing to your weight and certain medical conditions, you may need more. The online daily hydration calculator is a great tool that calculates how much water you need by factoring in those criteria. I just used it to calculate how much water I need today. The result - 3.2 liters.

The benefits of this simple discipline are many.

Water for Optimal Health

Water is an energy booster, relieving the dehydration that makes you feel fatigued. When you are thirsty, you have already become a bit dehydrated. Dehydration also makes the body and mind feel stressed whereas 70 to 80% of your brain tissue is water.

Water helps to prevent muscle cramping and is a lubricate for the joints of your body. Water also hydrates your skin cells and gives your face a younger appearance. In addition, it is a good for digestion and helps to keep your bowels regular.

As an added bonus, it has been proven that drinking water helps to lose weight.

Water for Weight Loss

It has been shown that people who drink two glasses of water twenty to thirty minutes before they have a meal lost weight more quickly and lost a greater number of pounds then those who did not drink water prior to eating.

It was also discovered that people who drank water before meals consumed an average of 75 less calories over that course of that meal. If this action were continued for one year, a person would lose 14 ½ pounds.

It has also been shown that being just 1% dehydration causes a drop in metabolism that can interfere with weight loss.

The body has difficulty differentiating hunger from thirst. If you do not consume enough water across the day, thirst might be interpreted as hunger and more food will be eaten then is necessary.

Read, My Top 10 Bariatric Diet Tips for You!

Finally, drinking plenty of water to stay healthy during a fasting diet is essential.

Drink Iced Water for Maximum Calorie Burn

Calories can be used to define the amount of energy contained in food. Another definition for calorie can be the measure of energy it takes to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree Celsius. Therefore, your body burns calories when you simply drink iced water.

Read, Eating Foods that Burn More Calories

Your body burns 17.5 calories raising the temperature of a sixteen ounce glass of iced water. If you comply with the eight glasses of eight ounces of water per day recommendation but drink iced water instead of non-iced water, you will burn 70 calories per day. Over the course of a year, the numbers will add up and translate into weight loss.

Living larger than ever,

My Bariatric Life

On 6/23/2017 at 0:14 AM, RLT said:

I'm having the orbera placed on Monday. I have a question.....does the coach nutrition part cost extra? The reason why I'm asking is that the place I'm getting mine done at is charging me $55 a month for the nutrition part. I was under the impression it was included. I don't want to make a fuss until after I get the balloon in fear of them saying they won't do it.

Hi RTL, I hope that your procedure went well! Like you, I was under the impression that the support program was included in the cost of the device/procedure. I think that your best bet would be to call the manufacturer's customer service/support enter for the ORBERA balloon and ask them. Please let us know what you find out. Thanks and good luck on your journey!!!

EDIT: I found the following info on the product website. It sounds to me like the 12-month aftercare program is included but the Coach app and program costs extra.

Aftercare Support and ORBERA® Coach

Included in the ORBERA® weight loss program is ongoing aftercare support for the entire 12-month program, which is essential for the success of your weight loss goals. After the procedure, you will receive support from your team of coaches which may include an ORBERA®-trained Dietitian, fitness trainer, psychologist and treatment team.

Also available is access to ORBERA® Coach, which is an online tool and mobile App exclusively available for ORBERA® System patients. The ORBERA® Coach program makes daily tasks like meal planning, finding healthy recipes and grocery shopping a piece of cake (minus the cake). To keep you on the right track throughout the weight loss program an entire support team will be there to help you every step of the way. Your ORBERA® Coach support team would be led by an ORBERA®-trained Dietitian and your physician to help guide you on your weight loss journey.

It will be interesting to see the results after a few years that this has been in the market. It is actually a year-long program, not 6-months although the balloon is only in place for that long. It sounds like a good idea on paper, so-to-speak, and I am glad to see that more comprehensive options that combine support and a procedure are being offered to people who don't qualify for or whom do not wish to undergo weight loss surgery. The proof will be in the outcomes data in the year(s) ahead as to how successful this program is for the masses of people.

People looking for alternative obesity treatments to bariatric surgery now have a potential solution. A study showed that patients lost 33.5 pounds in 16 weeks -- about a third of their excess weight. The method by which these patients lost a large amount of weight was not through an invasive surgical procedure.

People looking for alternative obesity treatments to bariatric surgery now have a potential solution. A small study presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Porto, Portugal, showed that the 38 patients enrolled in the trial had lost a mean 15.2kg (33.5 lbs) by the end of the 16 weeks, which amounted to about a third (mean 31%) of their excess weight.

The method by which these patients lost a large amount of weight was not through an invasive surgical procedure. Rather, the patients had a temporary gastric balloon, about the size of a grapefruit, inserted into their stomachs to effectively restrict its capacity for food. People magazine reports of one woman, Virginia Trice age 59, who lost over 70 pounds with the balloon.

Two versions of the gastric balloon are currently on the market in the US, the ReShape and Orbera balloon. The gastric balloon costs around $8,000, and includes a 1-year nutritional support program.

The ORBERA Balloon

The ORBERA gastric balloon is an FDA-approved weight loss approach that allows you to lose and maintain a significant amount of weight. After the balloon procedure is complete, a support team and an online after-care program will guide you through the lifestyle changes you need to ensure you keep your weight where you want it to be.

During the procedure (lasting approximately 30 minutes), a balloon made of soft silicone is placed into the stomach using an endoscope and filled with a sterile saline solution until it’s about the size of a grapefruit. The balloon, which helps you feel fuller, will remain in your stomach for the next six months at which point it is removed. After the six months, you are used to eating less and feeling fuller quicker, setting you up (and training your body) for a whole new lifestyle.

FOR MORE INFO, READ The ORBERA Balloon: A Different Approach to Weight Loss

ReShape Gastric Balloon

ReShape is an FDA-approved weight loss approach that helps people achieve and maintain a significant amount of weight loss through a simple outpatient procedure that does not permanently alter your digestive anatomy or leave any scars. The procedure is completely reversible, and the majority of people who undergo it can resume normal activity within a few days.

Two balloons are placed in your stomach and filled with saline (salt water) in order to occupy some of the space, making you feel full and less hungry. It’s like built-in Portion Control. In addition to the balloons, it includes a year of all-inclusive coaching and helpful tools. The coaching helps you make healthier choices regarding food and lifestyle while the tools provided help you stay the course.

FOR MORE INFO, READ Is ReShape Right for Me?

You’ve lost all the weight. So, after all that hard work, anxiety and relief, what’s next? Many WLS patients are at least curious about plastic surgery to remove excess skin and fat. And if you’re among them, check out this article for the real world advice of three plastic surgeons.

Paralleling the increasing use of bariatric surgery, there is a high demand for body contouring through plastic surgery. If you’re just beginning down this path, the questions are many. Who will do my surgery? How is recovery? What can I expect?

Choosing and Evaluating a Plastic Surgeon

Many of the surgical procedures performed on the massive weight-loss patient are complex and labor-intensive. The wide spectrum of body contour deformities that can follow massive weight loss often exceed the magnitude of what plastic surgeons have traditionally addressed. That is why weight-loss surgery patients need to work with a surgeon who specializes in bariatric plastic surgery.

Dr. Joseph F. Capella, a plastic surgeon in New Jersey, affirms: Post-bariatric body contouring is a relatively new area within the field of plastic surgery, in that bariatric surgery only has become popular in the last 10 to 15 years. And because of that, many surgeons have come through their training not having been exposed to post-bariatric body contouring. Because of that these surgeries are not considered traditional procedures, in the sense that they’ve been honed over decades like many of the other plastic surgery procedures. And so what plastic surgeons may do is use these more traditional procedures and apply them to the post-bariatric patient, which often will lead to sub-optimal results.

So, it’s very helpful then, in that regard, to go to a plastic surgeon who has committed to this kind of surgery and does this surgery frequently — and this would be true for any kind of plastic surgery, for that matter. But what’s different about post-bariatric surgery contouring is it is relatively new, and probably greater than 50% or more of plastic surgeons out there right now did not have any exposure to it in their training. Obviously there are on-going conferences to educate surgeons but there’s a difference with having it as part of your training rather than learning about it from a lecture.

Read Dr. Capella’s comprehensive list of criteria for choosing and evaluating a plastic surgeon.

Healing Body and Mind After a Post-Weight Loss Body Lift

Once you’ve removed the loose skin and sagging, is the journey over? Are you obstacle-free? Well, not quite.

The Plastic Surgery Center in New Jersey says: You’ve been through a life-altering experience, and with that, your body and mind need time to heal and adjust. It’s important to acknowledge that, so you can assist in your own recovery and eventually move on …

Recovery from body lift surgery is extensive, which sometimes catches people off guard. And it can be painful, depending on the extent of the surgery and your perception of pain. You should be prepared for swelling (or even numbness) that can last for weeks and sometimes even months. In fact, most surgeons say that complete recovery and final results take up to a year. Of course scarring is a fact of body lift surgery, and scars are particularly distinct up until the first year following the procedure.

Many (if not most) people experience strong emotions following plastic surgery. While excitement and elation are a natural result of such a positive life change, it is also customary that an entire range of feelings can result, including a phenomenon called post-plastic surgery depression which can resemble post-partum depression. Recovery creates the time and opportunity to focus on these emotions.

On the plus side, the surgical results of a body lift are apparent almost immediately. They will remain permanent if you are able to maintain a stable weight (although normal aging obviously results in physical changes). And, depending on the person, the body’s healing process should mitigate scarring.

Read The Plastic Surgery Center’s great advice for healing body and mind after a post-weight loss body lift.

Plastic Surgery Improves Appearance, Mobility, Health and Emotional Well-Being

People may not be fully aware of the many benefits of plastic surgery after weight loss. There are aesthetic refinements in the appearance and improvements in functional mobility, as well as an increased sense of emotional well-being.

Dr. Edward Domanskis, a plastic surgeon in California, says: I think that the benefits of plastic surgery after weight loss are tremendous. When you’re massively overweight it’s one problem. When you lose the weight I think a lot of times the patient doesn’t realize that the problems don’t really go away; it’s just a different problem. It’s a problem of all this hanging skin. And to some people that can be almost as much of a problem as being overweight and having all this excess fatty tissue — physiologically for sure.

In my experience I think it [plastic surgery after weight loss] is a very, very satisfying type of surgery not only to the patient but also for the physician to see the transformation in the patient. To see the reaction of their friends and family to what they’ve gone through and how their overall appearance and psyche tend to change. There’s no question that these procedures are very. very beneficial to the patient.

Watch Dr. Domanskis’ video segment, “What to Expect: Improving Appearance, Mobility, Health and Emotional Well-Being through Bariatric Plastic Surgery.”

If you could site on this bench with your younger self and give one piece of advice about weight or bariatric surgery, what would it be?

If I could sit with my 16 year old self, I would tell her that there was going to come a time when her anorexic eating would no longer work. Her hunger would come back full force and she would not be able to control it. I would tell her that eventually she will resort to bulimia and her life would become out of control in ways that she could not even now imagine. I would describe to her the hell on earth that it would become, so that she understood the gravity of her situation. Then I would tell her that it is critical she tell her parents to get her really good professional help for her eating disorder right away.