Many people have posted about their difficulties getting insurance to pay for WLS. However, there hasn't been that much chatter about what happens after major weight loss (via WLS or otherwise). There was a post about how the body you're left with can be disappointing. Which brings me to the point of this post.
Cosmetic surgery after massive weight loss has become an active area of concentration for plastic surgeons. I goggled the topic and here are the images (warning graphic): www.google.com/search?q=plastic+sur...nms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ofIcU9azDYLooASJ24BA&ved
As can be seen the results of weight loss are not what a lot of people expect. The results can of course be improved by plastic surgery. However, even the best insurance plans only cover the basic reconstructive surgery. Panniculectomies are sometimes covered by insurance. http://surgery.med.umich.edu/plastic/patient/adult_procedures/panniculectomy/
However, many patients require full body lifts, breast, reconstruction, arm reductions, and thigh lifts to regain a semblance of a normal body. Here's a video of a full body lift -- its major major surgery -- and of course very expensive (warning graphic). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8x2I2sEj9ac
The purveyors of WLS seldom inform their patients that they will need to fork out tens of thousands of dollars for reconstructive surgery down the road. When down the road arrives people who have lost lots of weight will discover that their insurance company deems the lowest fold of their hanging tummy the only medical issue -- everything else will be considered cosmetic. Insurance will chip in a few thousand dollars and leave the patient responsible for the rest.
A full body lift costs 15-25K, breast reconstruction (not just implants) costs 8-12K, arm reduction costs 7-9K ...
So, unless they have a truly great insurance company or really extreme and unusual health issues, people who loose major amounts of weight are going to need to find a extra 40K or more to complete their transformation. Of course for a lot of people this will not be financially possible.
(Note: I'm posting this on the main board since the above also applies to people who lose weight through means other than WLS and because the focus in on the economics of weight loss not medical issues.)
Cosmetic surgery after massive weight loss has become an active area of concentration for plastic surgeons. I goggled the topic and here are the images (warning graphic): www.google.com/search?q=plastic+sur...nms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ofIcU9azDYLooASJ24BA&ved
As can be seen the results of weight loss are not what a lot of people expect. The results can of course be improved by plastic surgery. However, even the best insurance plans only cover the basic reconstructive surgery. Panniculectomies are sometimes covered by insurance. http://surgery.med.umich.edu/plastic/patient/adult_procedures/panniculectomy/
However, many patients require full body lifts, breast, reconstruction, arm reductions, and thigh lifts to regain a semblance of a normal body. Here's a video of a full body lift -- its major major surgery -- and of course very expensive (warning graphic). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8x2I2sEj9ac
The purveyors of WLS seldom inform their patients that they will need to fork out tens of thousands of dollars for reconstructive surgery down the road. When down the road arrives people who have lost lots of weight will discover that their insurance company deems the lowest fold of their hanging tummy the only medical issue -- everything else will be considered cosmetic. Insurance will chip in a few thousand dollars and leave the patient responsible for the rest.
A full body lift costs 15-25K, breast reconstruction (not just implants) costs 8-12K, arm reduction costs 7-9K ...
So, unless they have a truly great insurance company or really extreme and unusual health issues, people who loose major amounts of weight are going to need to find a extra 40K or more to complete their transformation. Of course for a lot of people this will not be financially possible.
(Note: I'm posting this on the main board since the above also applies to people who lose weight through means other than WLS and because the focus in on the economics of weight loss not medical issues.)
