Post Weight Loss Surgery

Consultations offered at our four convenient locations in Marin County, San Francisco, Davis and Petaluma, CA

Post-weight-loss surgery is a way to contour and enhance your new body shape. Significant weight loss can dramatically improve your life, but it often leaves excess, sagging skin or stubborn fat deposits. (1) Surgery allows you to boost your confidence with a smoother, tighter silhouette through a custom combination of treatments.

Dr. Kimberly Henry combines decades of experience with compassionate warmth to expertly support patients through their body transformations. Dr. Henry values aesthetic harmony and using reliable techniques to enhance genuine, natural beauty. To begin your body renewal, schedule your consultation at one of Dr. Henry’s conveniently located offices in Marin County, San Francisco, Davis, and Petaluma. Schedule by calling (415) 924-1313 or filling out our contact form.

About Post-Weight-Loss Surgery

Those who lose significant weight are often left with excess skin, tissue, and stubborn fat that may be both uncomfortable and unsightly. With Dr. Henry’s expertise, you can refine your new physique and make sure your outside matches your inner beauty with a customized body contouring procedure plan.

Rather than undergoing several individual procedures, which require separate appointments and recovery periods that could stretch over months or years, post-weight-loss patients can undergo one comprehensive procedure, with a unified recovery period, and live with a beautiful new body shape as soon as possible.

An integrated body contouring treatment plan can incorporate liposuction, tummy tucks, arm lifts, thigh and buttock lifts, and body lifts procedures. Dr. Henry will provide you with customized treatment options to achieve your aesthetic goals.

  • Liposuction: After losing weight, there are sometimes stubborn fat deposits that resist diet and exercise changes. Liposuction targets these areas and refines the body’s contours.
  • Tummy Tuck: Abdominoplasty (also called a tummy tuck) allows Dr. Henry to remove excess skin and tissue, sculpting a flatter, better-defined abdomen.
  • Arm Lift: After losing weight, many people find that they are left with undesirable and uncomfortable swinging folds of skin on the upper arms (often called “bat wings”). Brachioplasty (known as an arm lift) eliminates hanging tissue and skin, creating more toned arms and smoother contours into the shoulders.
  • Thigh and Buttock Lift: A thigh and buttock lift tones and remove excess skin, making the legs and buttocks firmer and better-defined.
  • Body Lift: A total body lift, including abdomen, arm, thigh, and buttock lift procedures and liposuction, is a comprehensive way to address uncomfortable excess skin and tissue in many different areas of the body simultaneously. It will restore an overall tighter and more toned appearance. A body lift addresses residual problem areas at once.

Benefits

Post-weight-loss surgery can bring improvements to your quality of life and alignment to your inner and outer selves. The many benefits include:

  • A smoother, more contoured silhouette
  • Boosted self-confidence and improved self-image
  • Improved body shape and muscle tone
  • Better fitting clothes
  • Removal of unwanted bumps and bulges
  • Reduction of excess skin
  • Improved movement and physical comfort
  • Restored skin tone and texture creating a more youthful appearance

Candidates

Good candidates for post-weight-loss surgery have lost significant weight and are left with excess, sagging skin or stubborn fat deposits that are resistant to diet and exercise. It is important to have realistic expectations regarding the possible outcomes of the procedure. Candidates should have achieved and maintain a stable weight, as fluctuations can compromise results. Candidates should also be in good general health and be non-smokers (or willing to stop).

Schedule your consultation with Dr. Henry to discuss if you are a good candidate for post-weight-loss surgery by calling (415) 924-1313 or filling out our contact form.

Personal Consultation

Dr. Henry will work with you to emphasize your natural beauty and contour your new, smaller body. During your consultation, she will discuss your medical history, lifestyle, and aesthetic goals. Based on your desires, she will provide a personalized treatment plan and recommend effective treatment options.

Preparation

Dr. Henry will provide you with a detailed set of pre-operation instructions. These will cover details in your treatment, recovery process, and recommendations specific to your treatment plan. For additional information, Dr. Henry shares tummy tuck preparation tips on her TikTok. In general, preparation guidelines include:

  • Adjusting your medications or filling prescriptions
  • Preparing your recovery space with: an optimized sleep setup, advanced meal prep, a medication station, compression garments, ice packs
  • Organizing transportation
  • Stopping nicotine or alcohol use (if applicable)
  • Scheduling time away from work or school

Procedure

Post-weight-loss surgery begins with a final check-in. Dr. Henry will review the treatment plan, recovery steps, and precisely mark the body to prepare for surgery. Next, anesthesia is administered to ensure patient comfort throughout the procedure. The overall duration of the treatment will vary depending on how many procedures and the techniques Dr. Henry applies. Incision placement will also vary, but Dr. Henry will optimize location to minimize the visibility of scars after healing. The overall contouring treatment will occur in stages according to your personalized plan. (2)

  • Liposuction: Through small, inconspicuous incisions, Dr. Henry will use a slim, hollow tube (called a “cannula”) to extract excess fat and sculpt the body. This removes and smooths stubborn bumps.
  • Tummy Tuck: Dr. Henry will make discreet incisions hidden as much as possible below the bathing suit line. She will trim the excess skin. Next, she will tighten the remaining skin and reposition the belly button. She will close the incision(s) and apply bandages. This will result in a flatter, firmer abdomen.
  • Arm Lift: Dr. Henry will make an incision along the underside of the arm where it will be least visible. The length and shape of this incision varies depending on how much skin must be removed. Next, Dr. Henry will remove excess skin, tissue, and fat. Finally, she will reposition the skin and close the incision, bandaging the arm for protection. An arm lift results in smoother, toned arms.
  • Thigh and Buttock Lift: Incision size and location varies depending on the individual, but Dr. Henry will carefully place incisions as discreetly as possible. Excess loose skin is removed from the thighs and/or buttocks to improve the overall contour. She may apply liposuction to smooth any stubborn fat deposits. Dr. Henry will reposition and tighten the remaining tissue. Finally, she will carefully close the incisions and apply bandages. This creates a firmer, more youthful lower-body appearance.
  • Body Lift: A total body lift combines tummy tuck, arm lift, and thigh and buttocks lift procedures with liposuction. After making the incisions, Dr. Henry will target the multiple treatment areas. She will trim excess skin and tissue, apply liposuction, tighten and smooth the treatment areas. Once Dr. Henry artistically sculpts the new body shape, she will close the incisions and apply bandages. Body lifts create an overall smoother, tighter silhouette.

Recovery

After your post-weight-loss surgery, you will need to take time to rest and recover. It may take several weeks to make a full recovery, during which time it is important to closely follow Dr. Henry’s post-operative instructions to optimize results.

Your exact recovery timeline will depend on the type of procedures performed and the extent of the corrections. Initially, you may experience swelling, bruising, and tenderness. This will abate over time.

Most patients feel better and will resume light activity after a couple of weeks. They then increase to moderate activity after a month. Dr. Henry will guide you through your recovery and specific movement plan.

Results

Following your procedure, you will see early improvements. Full, slimmer results will continue to appear as swelling declines over time. It may take several months before your body heals enough to see the total contouring effects. Scars will continue to mature and fade for up to a year or two.

Your exact results will depend on the combination of procedures, but in general, you can expect more defined body contours, smoother and tighter skin, and a sleeker silhouette. The overall aesthetic rejuvenation will be long-lasting with the continuation of a healthy lifestyle and the maintenance of a stable weight.

Corresponding Procedures

Balance body proportions by including a breast treatment with post-weight-loss surgery. Dr. Henry will advise the best way to improve sagging breasts to match your new contoured body. This may include a breast lift, breast reduction, breast augmentation or a combination of techniques.

Cost of Post-Weight-Loss Surgery in Northern California and the San Francisco Bay Area

Due to the highly customizable nature of the treatment, Dr. Henry will provide a detailed price quote after forming your treatment plan. Dr. Henry offers financing options to help make treatments more accessible to qualifying patients. We invite you to explore your post-weight-loss possibilities and learn more about payment options by calling (415) 924-1313 or filling out our contact form.

FAQ

Are the results of post-weight-loss surgery permanent?

When combined with a healthy lifestyle to maintain a stable weight, post-weight-loss surgery results will be long-lasting.

How soon after weight-loss can I have body contouring surgery?

A stable weight must be maintained ahead of treatment. This is important because fluctuations in weight can compromise the procedure and lead to poorer results.

What post-weight-loss techniques are right for me?

In your consultation, you will discuss your lifestyle, medical history, and desired outcomes. Dr. Henry will tailor your treatment plan to your specific needs. Most patients employ a combination of techniques for best results.

What areas does post-weight-loss surgery address?

Many areas of the body can be sculpted with post-weight-loss surgery, including the abdomen, arms, back, buttocks, and thighs. How much weight do I need to have lost for post-weight-loss surgery? The amount of weight “needed” to be lost is highly individual and depends on your body. Treatment smooths and tightens skin, so it is most successful if you have loose, sagging skin after weight-loss, no matter the exact number. Can post-weight-loss surgery remove fat for weight loss? Post-weight-loss surgery is for patients who are already at a stable goal weight. It will remove fat to contour the body and sculpt the silhouette, enhancing the overall appearance. It does not remove fat to reduce weight.

References

  1. Toma T, Harling L, Athanasiou T, Darzi A, Ashrafian H. Does Body Contouring After Bariatric Weight Loss Enhance Quality of Life? A Systematic Review of QOL Studies. Obesity Surgery. 2018;28(10):3333-3341. doi:10.1007/s11695-018-3323-8
  2. Shrivastava P, Aggarwal A, Kumar Khazanchi R. Body contouring surgery in a massive weight loss patient: An overview. Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery : Official Publication of the Association of Plastic Surgeons of India. 2008;41(Suppl):S114. Accessed August 19, 2026. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2825131/