Body Contouring After Weight Loss Fort Worth

Body contouring is a broad term referring to a variety of cosmetic procedures that help to shape your body. Whether you have recently lost a significant amount of weight from bariatric surgery or from an effective diet and exercise routine, or after pregnancy, body contouring effectively removes stretched skin and tightens muscles affected by your weight changes. Fort Worth plastic surgeon Dr. Emily J. Kirby has helped hundreds of patients feel confident and beautiful in their bodies with the help of body contouring procedures.

Am I a good candidate for body contouring?

If you have recently undergone weight loss (defined as 50% or more of your excess weight), you are committed to keeping your weight off, and you have excess skin and/or fat leftover, you may benefit from body contouring procedures.

Dr. Emily Kirby
  • Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon
  • Over 12 years of experience in private practice
  • Founder and Medical Director of Kirby Plastic Surgery, Kalos Medical Spa, and City Surgery Center—a Quad A-accredited, state-of-the-art facility located onsite
  • Specialist in breast surgery and body contouring, including postpartum
  • Castle Connolly Top Doctor since 2019
  • First female Chief of Plastic Surgery, Texas Health Resources Harris Methodist Hospital

Why should you consider body contouring after weight loss?

There are many reasons to consider body contouring after undergoing weight loss:

  • Tone. Body contouring procedures are meant to enhance your body’s natural features, not completely change your physique. By reducing extra skin and fat, body contouring can reveal your natural muscle tone and curves.
  • Hygiene. Removing excess skin can stop problems with rashes and infection in the folds of your skin that are caused by bacteria accumulating there.
  • Weight. Though body contouring cannot keep you from gaining weight, it allows you to see the continued benefits of your new diet and exercise routine. It is much easier to see results from weight loss and stay motivated to keep weight off when you are close to your ideal weight.
  • Shape. Once you have shed your extra weight, you can fully appreciate your enhanced look with a number of body contouring procedures. Body contouring can help you see the full results from your weight loss by removing excess skin and fat that may still be clinging to your body.
Before & After Gallery

*Individual results may vary.

Dr. Kirby's Fort Worth body contouring patient after major weight loss was left with sagging skin in the abdomen, hips, buttocks, and thighs. "After" photos show skin tightening results after surgery.
Before and After Post-Weight Loss Body Contouring

Body contouring procedures in Fort Worth

At Kirby Plastic Surgery in Fort Worth, Texas, we offer a variety of body contouring procedures to help you look and feel your best following your weight loss:

Arm Lift

Brachioplasty, also called an arm lift, removes excess skin and fat from your upper arm through an incision along your inner arm and/or armpit (“axillary”) area. Brachioplasty is recommended for patients with “flabby,” loose upper arm tissue, including the armpit region. If you have recently experienced weight loss and have stubborn arm skin (“bat wings”), an arm lift is an ideal procedure to smooth and shape your upper arms.

Recovery: You may return to work and light activity within a week following your arm lift procedure, and should be able to engage in full physical activity after about 6 weeks.

Thigh Lift

Thighplasty, also called a thigh lift, removes excess skin and fat in the thighs. Thighplasty provides a more proportional and contoured appearance to the thighs and lower body. A thigh lift can reduce the chafing and skin irritation patients often experience in their inner thighs following major weight loss. This procedure is performed under general anesthesia, and some scars can be hidden in your lower body’s natural creases.

Recovery: You can return to work and light activity within 7-10 days after your thigh lift, and can resume full physical activity after about 6 weeks.

Patients Love Dr. Kirby

“There are so many thank yous to be said. We are ever so thankful.”*

—DD

Liposuction

Lipoplasty, or liposuction, is extremely effective at getting rid of pesky fat that is unresponsive to exercise or diet. When fat cells are removed, they do not regenerate from where the liposuction was performed, making it a permanent fat loss solution (though your remaining fat cells around the liposuctioned area can still enlarge and shrink). Liposuction may be used on its own to target fat in certain areas of your body following your weight loss, or it may be utilized along with other body contouring procedures.

Recovery: You should expect to be able to return to work and light activity within days of your liposuction, and any soreness should dissipate after 2 weeks.

Tummy Tuck

After losing a significant amount of weight, you may still have skin and fat hanging over your groin, hips, or back, hiding your newly-slim waist. Abdominoplasty, also called a tummy tuck, tightens your abdominal muscles and removes excess skin in the belly and groin to slim your abdomen and restore the balance of your core. Tummy tucks can also remove stretch marks if they are located on skin that will be removed during your procedure.

To help patients get back to normal activities quickly, Dr. Kirby now offers tummy tuck surgery with a TAP block.

Recovery: You will need to keep a slightly flexed position at the waist (walking slightly hunched over) for 2 weeks after your surgery and avoid lifting anything over 10 pounds for 4-6 weeks. Depending on the extent of skin and fat removed, it may take a few months to fully recover from your abdominoplasty.

Fleur-de-lis abdominoplasty

A fleur-de-lis abdominoplasty is performed similarly to the traditional tummy tuck, but with an added vertical incision down the abdomen, allowing Dr. Kirby to remove more tissue from the trunk. The relaxed abdominal muscles are still tightened using this approach. This option is ideal for someone who already has a midline abdominal scar or for someone who has significant excess tissue and does not desire a 360 body lift.

Recovery: Recovery is the same as a tummy tuck.

Circumferential Body Lift

A circumferential body lift combines a lower body lift and a 360 body lift to remove excess skin, fat, and soft tissue from the abdomen, flanks, and back. It is commonly performed in patients who have lost a great deal of weight but lack adequate skin elasticity.

Recovery: You should resume light walking as soon as possible following your surgery to minimize the potential for blood clotting and to increase blood flow to your tissues. You may resume normal exercises 6-8 weeks following your surgery. Most patients return to work in 2 weeks.

Will I need to wear drains or a compression garment following my procedure?

You will likely have surgical drains and post-surgical compression garments following your body contouring procedures to help your body heal properly and to achieve optimal results.

  • Drains help your body discharge the fluids that naturally build up following surgery and are used for many body contouring surgeries. Drains are placed during your surgery. They are usually needed for the first week or 2 of your recovery.
  • Compression garments minimize swelling and ensure that your skin and muscles are supported during healing. Compression garments are typically made of spandex and are very breathable. They can be worn under your normal clothing. Patients often enjoy the sense of comfort and support compression garments provide following their surgery. All of the above body contouring procedures may require you to wear a compression garment for the first few weeks of your recovery.
Five Star Kirby Plastic Surgery Review

Dr. Kirby did my tummy tuck and breast augmentation. AMAZING! She is very approachable and the consultation was great.

Read more Patient Reviews*

What kind of anesthesia will I have?

Dr. Kirby uses general anesthesia for most body contouring procedures to provide maximum comfort for her patients during surgery. You will be fully asleep for the entire procedure. This also allows your muscles to fully relax, making recovery smoother and more comfortable.

Will I have scars after body contouring surgery?

Most of these procedures require long incisions to remove excess skin and fat, thus scars are expected. Whenever possible, Dr. Kirby conceals scars within your body’s natural creases or below your bikini line.

To help with scar healing, Dr. Kirby offers Embrace® scar therapy, an FDA-cleared treatment that is clinically proven to improve scar formation. Embrace strips are flexible, comfortable, and breathable clear silicone tape strips that gently contract around your incision to dramatically reduce tension, protect your healing incision, and create the optimal environment for healing.

Expect Minimal Downtime, Thanks to ERAS

Dr. Emily Kirby uses Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols, also known as “multimodal analgesia,” to minimize recovery time, and we see real results: our patients experience less nausea and feel more alert, mobile, and comfortable after their procedures.

“I had very hard recoveries in the past…it took me weeks to get back to caring for my family. With Dr. Kirby, I had a wonderful recovery and was back to my activities surprisingly quickly. Don’t tell the doctor, but I was at my child’s sporting event the day after my surgery, and I felt great!”

—Real patient of Dr. Kirby

What are the risks of body contouring?

As with any major surgery, body contouring procedures carry inherent risks, including seromas, blood clots, and infection. Dr. Kirby adheres to strict sanitation guidelines in her state-of-the-art Quad A-accredited surgical facility, uses advanced surgical practices, and carefully monitors patients before, during, and after surgery. Dr. Kirby will also prescribe a gentle physical regimen following your surgery to help prevent blood clots. Patients who exercise regularly, follow a healthy diet, do not smoke, and follow their after-care instructions typically heal quickly and optimally.

Since body contouring surgery requires healthy blood flow for your body to heal properly, you must refrain from using any nicotine products for at least 6 weeks before and after your surgery. If you currently use nicotine, be sure to discuss this with Dr. Kirby during your consultation.

Operating room with bright LED overhead lights, fully equipped and Quad A certified to facilitate safe cosmetic surgery.

City Surgery Center

Instead of heading to a hospital or other public surgical facility for your procedure, you can enjoy the privacy and luxury of our on-site operating room, designed to facilitate safe, top-quality care in a spa-like setting.

Call today to book your consultation with Dr. Emily J. Kirby

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Portrait of plastic surgeon, Dr. Emily J. Kirby, smiling

Medically reviewed by Dr. Emily J. Kirby — Updated on Mar 25, 2024

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