Rise in surgery to remove excess skin after huge weight loss

OVERWEIGHT Aussies are taking drastic measures to lose weight fast. But what happens to the excess skin that remains? Warning: Graphic images

Tracey Searle lost 100kg in 18 months and had three surgeries to remove her excess skin.

IN 2011, at 170kg and aged 26, Tracey Searle was one of the 63 per cent of Australians who are overweight or obese.

She could just fit into size 26 clothes, developed sleep apnoea and was close to becoming diabetic.

“I had a lot of medical issues and I was told to lose weight very quickly, otherwise it would impact my long-term health,” Tracey, now 29, told news.com.au.

In 2012, she underwent gastric sleeve surgery, where 70 per cent of the stomach is removed, and hired a personal trainer. She lost 100kg in 18 months.

“The surgeon who performed my gastric sleeve surgery did warn me that I could have excess skin. He said I was young enough that it might not be such a big deal, so I went in thinking it might not be too bad. But as the weight kept dropping the skin just stayed,” she said.

Like many people who lose a lot of weight over a short period, Tracey had handfuls of excess skin on her stomach, under her arms and between her thighs.

“I felt like a melted candle. After all the effort I put in, it felt like there was no gain,” she said. “I couldn’t run, because it was so uncomfortable. Clothes didn’t fit right.

“I wore tops that were either really tight or very loose. I would wear long sleeves even in summer and a long flowy skirt or jeans that would compress my legs.”

After reading online that the excess skin could cause her problems later on, Tracey decided to have it surgically removed. She had three surgeries: The first in November last year, was a “360 body lift” to remove the skin on her stomach, back and thighs. In March, she had the skin underneath her arms removed, breast implants inserted and an inner thigh lift. In October she had follow-up surgery to improve the look of her stomach.

“Weight loss skin is like a balloon full of fat,” said Tracey’s surgeon Dr Jeremy Hunt, a Sydney plastic and cosmetic surgeon and spokesman for the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons.

“When you lose the weight the balloon will become looser. Our job is to tighten the balloon so it can sit underneath underwear.”

According to data from the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, there were 680,000 abdominoplasty or tummy tuck surgeries and 98,000 upper arm lifts conducted worldwide in 2014.

There is no specific data for Australia, but the American Society of Plastic Surgeons claims there was a 3658 per cent jump in patients having lower body lifts from 2000 to 2014. Dr Hunt said he had seen a “similar increase” at his practice.

Costs vary, but most patients find themselves paying between $20,000 and $60,000, usually for multiple surgeries.

Surgeons aim to sew stitches in a line that can be covered by underwear and a bra or bikini. Patients who have skin removed on their arms have a scar running underneath their upper arm.

“Some people will come in with photos of models or gym instructors and we have to match their expectations with what’s technically possible,” Dr Hunt said.

Reality shows like The Biggest Loser and Embarrassing Bodies don’t show the uncomfortable truth about losing a large amount of weight. When TBL contestants are weighed in episode one, they strip down to their underwear, revealing every lump and bump. As they start to lose weight, the contestants step on the scales for their weekly weigh-in fully clothed.

Ashley Johnston lost 83kg, almost half her body weight, on season nine of the US TBL series.

The fan favourite met her husband Koli Palu on the show, but she says the excess skin she acquired prevented her from feeling good about her weight loss.

“I worked so hard to get to 191 [pounds, or 86kg], and I still didn’t look good naked,” she told The Huffington Post in 2012.

“I still wear undergarments to make sure everything stays in. I still felt like I was 374 pounds [170kg] sometimes. If I was walking past a mirror, I really wouldn’t recognise myself at times. It takes a little bit for your mind to catch up with your body.”

New Zealand make-up artist Simone Pretscherer has documented her weight-loss transformation online. Last year she weighed 169kg. She’s now lost half her body weight and clocks up 77kg on the scales.

Ten weeks ago she had an abdominoplasty, breast argumentation and a back lift to remove her excess skin. She’s been updating her 100,000 Instagram followers and 7000 YouTube subscribers with photos and videos of her body as it heals.

“Yes I have stretch marks, still a bit of loose skin and wobbly bits, but … it’s better than I ever could have dreamed!” she wrote, alongside photos of her pre- and post-surgery bodies. “This is my body that I have transformed from unhealthy and morbidly obese to ‘healthy’ — hells yes!”

Like Simone, Tracey expected to have scarring. “They’re part of my battle wounds,” she said. “I put my body through hell, This is a penance to pay; I’m lucky to be like this.”

All her hospital costs were covered by private health insurance and she received some money back from Medicare, because her breast implant surgery was deemed medically necessary to avoid developing tuberous breast syndrome. She paid $9000 for her body lift and got an early release on her superannuation to pay for her remaining $29,000 out-of-pocket costs.

Tracey now weighs 71kg and fits into a size 8 or 10. “I don’t recognise myself. I have collarbones now!” she said.

“I still automatically go to the plus-size section of the store because, mentally, I still think I’m going to fit into those clothes.

“I’m quite happy, I’ll be honest. It’s been a long time coming. I was overweight my entire life and it just catches my breath. I can’t believe this is what I look like.”

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