So I am basically brand new as I just got my VSG last month, but I'm looking ahead to a year from now and the work I already know I'll need done. I know that for best results your weight must be stable long term, and most people end up waiting about two years before their body/tummy/thigh stuff. But what if I JUST want breast and arms? I feel like if I could feel good in a tank top in a year that would just be such an incredible win for me, my arms in particular have been a sore spot my whole life... is it AS crucial that you be exactly at goal and stable for those procedures to have ideal results?

I also would love recommendations for surgeons for these procedures! I'm open to anywhere, any distance of travel, I got my vsg in mexico so I'm definitely not opposed to medical tourism (and saving money), but also would like to look at reasonably priced surgeons in the states. I have no idea where to start in researching all this, there's soooo many!

Hey@Questin
I was sleeved in July 2018. I did wait to get PS until this last Jan 2021. For me it was a goal i set for myself pre sleeve. I told myself. Get the weight off and get to goal. Once to goal keep it off for a whole year after getting to goal. I did. And then I ended up waiting some more time after that...I waited longer bc of several reasons. Did research on surgeon I wanted and when the time was right. I Just did a breast lift w augmentation and a full tummy tuck a few months ago in Jan. Best decision next to getting sleeved of course that I e ever made. Very happy. I’d say research your surgeon well though. You will see there are a bunch of awesome people in here who had done their arms done and had great results.
I’m in Texas and used a surgeon from here. Dr. Mahlon Kerr. He is in Round Rock, Texas. He is amazing and I’m so happy with my results.
I wish you the best on your PS journey. It’s exciting and such a reward for all the hard work put in. Let us know what you decide to do so we can follow your PS Journey too!

if you want to go to Mexico, Dr Francisco Sauceda in Monterrey and Dr. Laura Carmina Cardenas in Tijuana are very well-known in bariatric circles. They've worked on A LOT of bariatric patients and specialize in massive weight loss patients.

Dr. Joseph Capella in New Jersey has also operated on a lot of us (and specializes in massive weight loss patients, too), and his prices seem reasonable compared to a lot of other US surgeons (haven't seen anything recent on him, though)

several people here have gone to Miami for plastic surgery because supposedly it's one of the cheapest areas in the country for that - I don't know any names, but a few people on here have gone there and can probably give you some recommendations. The prices they've gotten don't seem much more than the prices in Mexico

oh - Dr. Joseph Michaels in Rockville, MD has also been used by a lot of bariatric patients

I personally would look for someone who specializes in body contouring for massive weight loss patients or at least has done a BOATLOAD of them, because it supposedly is a complicated sub-specialty.

Edited March 29, 20215 yr by catwoman7

I started having consults the month I reached goal (7 months post-op) with the intention of getting it done in a couple months. Turns out my doc was booked up, so I had to wait anyway. I ended up getting arm lift, breast lift and tummy tuck 6.5 months into maintenance (14 months post-op over all).

In retrospect its good that there was a wait time because I ended up losing another 15-ish lbs by the time PS surgery came around.

My doc did say that in terms of effect on results, weight loss results in more effect on results than weight gain. The reason being that scar tissue may not shrink as well as it expands.

My PS was done in Dec 2019, and I'm supremely happy that I had it done. Having tight arms in tank tops and being able to go braless in a tube top is pure joy, lol.

P.S. I had mine done in Canada, so I can offer no personal recommendations. I do hear that Columbia is an inexpensive and reliable place to consider though.

Edited March 29, 20215 yr by ms.sss

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1 hour ago, ms.sss said:

My doc did say that in terms of effect on results, weight loss results in more effect on results than weight gain. The reason being that scar tissue may not shrink as well as it expands.

he's actually the only surgeon I've ever read about on these forums who's said that. Anyone else who's mentioned that their surgeon said anything about the gain/loss thing after plastic surgery has said they were warned a 10-15 lb gain either way will affect results. I don't know that there's been any research on this to know for absolute sure, but since there's evidently some difference in opinion, I'd sure want to be at a fairly stable weight before taking the plunge (and ms.sss, I know you and I have had this discussion before, so I'm just reiterating it for the sake of the OP)

54 minutes ago, catwoman7 said:

2 hours ago, ms.sss said:

My doc did say that in terms of effect on results, weight loss results in more effect on results than weight gain. The reason being that scar tissue may not shrink as well as it expands.

he's actually the only surgeon I've ever read about on these forums who's said that. Anyone else who's mentioned that their surgeon said anything about the gain/loss thing after plastic surgery has said they were warned a 10-15 lb gain either way will affect results. I don't know that there's been any research on this to know for absolute sure, but since there's evidently some difference in opinion, I'd sure want to be at a fairly stable weight before taking the plunge (and ms.sss, I know you and I have had this discussion before, so I'm just reiterating it for the sake of the OP)

Good point...I should clarify that this info was given to ME by MY surgeon based on MY body size/frame at the time. I was/am pretty small. I *think* the bigger you are the less the same amount of lbs loss would show vs someone smaller.

I was 125 lbs at time of PS consult (about 2 weeks into maintenance). My surgeon specifically told ME if I gained 15-25 lbs (for me that would be 135-150 lbs), there would likely be very little effect my results...anything more than that, he warned that my scars may widen undesiredly. He also told ME if I lost 10-15 lbs (this would have put me at (110-115 lbs), I should be ok, but anything more than that, I may see sagging/dimpling skin on either side of a taut incision/scar line. So basically, according to him, I theoretically could gain more lbs than lose before I possibly see some adverse effects, in either direction.

I think that if one is a little bigger or smaller than me, the ranges that affect YOU would change accordingly.

As it turned out, I was 115 lbs on PS surgery day.

BTW: some anecdotal observations...I am currently 109-ish lbs (6lbs below my PS surgery date weight), been here for about a month, and I do notice a bit of loose skin on top and below my tummy tuck incision line (my other scars seem unaffected). this is especially true in the incision line were it is darker/firmer. My abdomen as a whole is not nearly as tight looking as it used to be a few months ago...but this is also likely due to the fact I haven't done any core work since January.

In any case. It is probably unreasonable to expect to stay the same weight forever, or stay within 10-15 lbs of your goal weight until you die. Even those who never had WLS gain or lose that amount regularly. You can always get more PS years down the line if you so choose (it is addictive, after all!)

Edited March 29, 20215 yr by ms.sss

16 minutes ago, ms.sss said:

I do notice a bit of loose skin on top and below my Tummy Tuck incision line (my other scars seem unaffected).

This is really encouraging for me, since I'm wanting to jump the gun a bit on breasts and arms only/specifically! I kind of hoped that those two areas don't change as fast as other parts with loss and gain and so wouldn't be as affected if I go a little before my body is totally settled. I can wait however long I need to for tummy and thighs, that's what spanx are for... but boobs and arms I am so so so anxious to have the way I want them asap ?

23 minutes ago, questin said:

This is really encouraging for me, since I'm wanting to jump the gun a bit on breasts and arms only/specifically! I kind of hoped that those two areas don't change as fast as other parts with loss and gain and so wouldn't be as affected if I go a little before my body is totally settled. I can wait however long I need to for tummy and thighs, that's what Spanx are for... but boobs and arms I am so so so anxious to have the way I want them asap ?

I was the same way about my arms! I wanted them GONE. Even when I was "normal" sized pre-obesity.

When I was bigger, I wanted the fat gone so I wouldn't feel self-conscious when I wore sleeveless stuff. When I got smaller, I wanted the skin gone, so I wouldn't feel self-conscious when i wore sleeveless stuff. Now I practically live in tank tops. Love it.

Aaaaaand because of the boob lift, I can live in these tank tops BRA-LESS. Oh, the freedom! LOL.

It's funny because I only wanted to get the boob lift because of the side boob skin that oozed out of my sleeveless armholes. Now it is actually my fave of all my procedures not just in looks, but in overall quality of life improvement. Front button tops fit like a glove, I don't need to strap the girls down when I run (which affected my breathing), no more under-boob sweat, no under-bra-band itch, no danger of nip-slips even in the tiniest of string bikini tops. I do sometimes miss my giant boobs when I see them in pictures, but then I remember all the aforementioned, and I'm good.

Hope you get your dream arms and dream boobs in good time!

Edited March 29, 20215 yr by ms.sss

Lots of solid advice here.

I am very grateful that I waited for breast work until I was at a stable weight. When I was at what I thought was my goal weight I was a solid C. I dropped 15 lbs below goal, and went from a C to an A in a month. So my breasts were drastically affected by relatively minor weight loss.

On the other hand I am 10-15 lbs above my lowest weight, and my lower body lift has help up perfectly. So my experience also says weight loss is more detrimental that (small to moderate) weight gain.