skin removal surgery cost?

This sounds harsh and maybe it is but the saddest part to me is that anyone allows their body to get so overweight and stretched that you need to have pounds of skin removed. Maybe put pictures on chip and soda cans of naked people with saggy skin like they do pictures on cigarette packages. I can understand insurance not paying for something you intentionally did to yourself.

I have to agree that this is harsh, however, you make an excellent point about comparing anti-smoking to anti-obesity campaigns.....not enough is done to deter us from picking up that can of soda.

I also want to add that it's not exactly something we did intentionally to ourselves. I grew up in a house that always had huge portions, you always got seconds, and always had a dessert after and then a snack before bed. We were also made to finish all our meals before we were allowed to leave the table. This created lifelong habits that are extremely difficult to break through.

Some people gain due to depression

Some people gain due to medication

Some people gain due to injuries

There are so many factors and I don't believe for one minute that we made ourselves fat intentionally.

To the op, I have been fat my entire life and so I will have excess skin but I'm going to start lifting weights to burn as much fat as possible and see what happens in about 2 years time. Most NHS hospitals won't cover the surgery here either but it can be upsetting to see so many patients having a GB and then regaining the weight. I made a choice to get healthy by tracking in MFP and working out like crazy and there is a part of me that feels I'm owed a tummy tuck but then I see the bigger picture....I don't care about the skin anymore, I feel amazing for losing all this weight and I'm going to live longer for it.

This sounds harsh and maybe it is but the saddest part to me is that anyone allows their body to get so overweight and stretched that you need to have pounds of skin removed. Maybe put pictures on chip and soda cans of naked people with saggy skin like they do pictures on cigarette packages. I can understand insurance not paying for something you intentionally did to yourself.

It saddens me to read such insensitive and indelicate words. Obesity is not as simple as this poster claims it to be. There are often other issues surrounding the person's condition. Most people who post on here want and receive encouragement. I'm sorry to say but posts like these contribute nothing of value to anyone else in the community. Sometimes opinions such as these are best kept to yourself.

Thank you Cherrypie for posting the pictures, that is very encouraging.

And if anyone is able to help out a burn victum, that would be a really nice thing to do.


Do you know why they like to use the underarm skin (bat wings) as opposed to say 'abdominal tissue)?


Oh, just thought too. Cherrypie, when they removed the excess, did they tell you how much it weighted, if you don't mind me asking, I'm just curious, thinking that if someone has excess skin after loosing a lot of weight, how much it is adding to their overall weight? Is it a very substantial amount (not that it matters, once down, I assume we are healthy weight-wise, with or without the excess.

The skin plus the liposuction that they do totaled about 7 pounds.

Jen

jenhudsonmosher.blogspot.com

The UK NHS only pays for plastic surgery if you say not having big boobs prevents you from realizing your dream of becoming a model even if your face is a train wreck.

Medical insurance should never cover anything that is not medically necessary. The fact that so many non-medically necessary medications and procedures are now mandated has only only driven up costs for everyone.

A lot of people live with various degrees of dissatisfaction with their appearance. In the free market one can shop around and choose options which suit their needs and budget or adapt to the hand your are dealt.

If someone wants to start a charity that earmarks those who have lost a lot of weight, great. But this is not something that we should all be forced to pay for through higher taxes or higher insurance premiums.

I don't expect anyone else to pay what I did to my body through my own choices. Nobody forced me to down Doritos a bag at a time. I did that on my own.

BTW, if insurance ever did start covering this type of surgery the cost would skyrocket as it always does when somebody else pays.

I agree

One of my clients lost a lot of weight and she said she was having her skin removed for free at a local burn center hospital. Not sure if you have a burn center hospital near you but she went to the Shriners Burn Center hospital in Galveston , Texas.

Im not sure if she went through with it but it maybe an option and a way to help a burn victim.

Yes SOME burn centers will do this for you as long as you are donating that skin to burn victims. I don't know how good you'll look afterwards or how much they will remove. They can not take skin from areas that get infected often. Typically they like to take the fleshy under arm area..."bat wings" as us women call it. But contact a burn center and ask. Worst that could happen is they say no.

this is pretty much what i was going to say. check with burn clinics, it's not like you're going to need the skin removed, and there are ppl who are in srs need.

Medical insurance should never cover anything that is not medically necessary. The fact that so many non-medically necessary medications and procedures are now mandated has only only driven up costs for everyone.

A lot of people live with various degrees of dissatisfaction with their appearance. In the free market one can shop around and choose options which suit their needs and budget or adapt to the hand your are dealt.

If someone wants to start a charity that earmarks those who have lost a lot of weight, great. But this is not something that we should all be forced to pay for through higher taxes or higher insurance premiums.

I don't expect anyone else to pay what I did to my body through my own choices. Nobody forced me to down Doritos a bag at a time. I did that on my own.

BTW, if insurance ever did start covering this type of surgery the cost would skyrocket as it always does when somebody else pays.

This is kind of short sighted IMO.

I see where you are coming from but if this issue truly comes down to dollars and cents - then the price of this surgery will be more than offset by the lack of obesity fuelled medical problems down the road.

Encouraging people to lose weight and get healthy, even if that includes paying for these type of surgeries is actually a long term money saver.

Also from looking into this, Canada does cover it - only if you have kept the weight off for 2 years + .

So when you consider that the person has to be big enough to have significant loose skin, then they have to attain a healthy weight and maintain it for over 2 years, there probably isn't enough of these surgeries even being done to cause a significant health care cost rise.

I'd be interested to look at the Canadian stats on how many of those surgeries are even done in a year....

I have lost 188 pounds and do have excess skin. I have no medical conditions tho with it and apart from cosmetics causes me know hinderance. I live in australia and a body lift here is about $15000 even with private health insurance. But i dress well and its not really obvious (i dont think) so while surgery may not be doable dont let it put you off...you can still lose weight and look good even with excess skin

I am a patient care coordinator for a Plastic Surgeon. I can chat with you about this further, if you'd like.

jenny@royalcentreofplasticsurgery.com

Best,

Jenny

What about teaching hospitals? Is this a procedure that could be pro bono ???

I have very mixed feelings on whether or not insurance should cover it. I understand completely why they should, and I understand completely why they shouldn't. I don't really consider it the same as say medical care for lung cancer, since one is needed to attempt to save a life, where the other isn't. (You could argue if the weight wasn't lost then it could have ultimately been the same thing)....

I'm actually a bit torn on this issue... It's such a great accomplishment, and such an inspiring act to lose that much weight, it just sucks that the skin of the body doesn't return. I understand that once something is stretched enough, it simply can't get back down to its original size, the elasticity simply doesn't work like that. It just sucks!

I sincerely hope, that NO ONE reading this thread gets discouraged, it's more important in my eyes to lose that weight!

I think that for those who lose a lot of weight and keep it off should get it for FREE!!!!!!
That's just my opinion
Great job on your loss Sorry I'm not helpful

I agree!!! After all, how much money are you saving them by living healthier!

Agree and agree!!!!

Agreee
and
Agree
and
Agree!

It depends on if how much you get done. As low as 4k as high as 15-20k. My insurance said that if the doctor said the loose skin was a health risk then they'd cover it. If you can convince your doctor to say it is such, or they agree it is then you'll get a lot less fight from most insurance companies.

Years ago I did a diet called "THE CARE-LA-WAY DIET" and went to meetings and all. It was strongly encouraged to drink a cup of
buttermilk every day to help keep the elasticity in the skin. I was only 19 then so everything then was fine so I couldn't really tell, but I'm 52 now but trying to drink my buttermilk everyday I figure it won't hurt.to work it in to my calories. The older ones there swore by it so I'm going for it.

This sounds harsh and maybe it is but the saddest part to me is that anyone allows their body to get so overweight and stretched that you need to have pounds of skin removed. Maybe put pictures on chip and soda cans of naked people with saggy skin like they do pictures on cigarette packages. I can understand insurance not paying for something you intentionally did to yourself.

Well, insurance pays for cancer treatments when people have been lifelong smokers... they did that to theirselves also..

^^ yep, exactly!

to the other poster that was quoted first, I can't see your post, so I'm assuming that you have no weight to lose, correct?

Get over yourself (again, can't see, so I'm assuming you're a man and has never witnessed a pregnancy)

Honestly, I have no problem with people seeking skin removal surgery after weight loss and insurance paying for it. The aspect everyone seems to be missing is the depression that can set in - people who have saggy skin after weight loss and maintain their weight for two years are at risk for a huge letdown depending on how much they have. I think I would not want to carry around 7 pounds of excess weight in skin, it sounds painful. Excess skin is different than excess fat - the person who has excess skin has done EVERYTHING they can do to get healthy. What's the difference between removing excess skin and a knee replacement???? Seriously, I own my weight. I own what I eat and how much I move. I don't want surgeries and it motivated me to get and maintain a healthy weight. But for people who will need surgery after weight loss, let's not leave them out of options and funding.

Sound medical and lifestyle practice before and after removal - yes. If we say obesity is a medical condition or disease, and the treatment is to lose weight, correcting the impact of the after effects of losing an obese lifestyle and demonstrating a healthy lifestyle change for two years (or whatever the correct amount of time is) and getting the necessary treatment to get a person whole again is no different than correct the impact of any other treatable medical condition.

I do hope anyone seeking excess skin removal looks into donating any healthy skin the burn centers will take. And for those who are on the path to loosing the fat and gaining excess skin that will need to be donated/removed, keep going. You are a role model to the rest of us.

Much thanks for the informative thread.

One of my clients lost a lot of weight and she said she was having her skin removed for free at a local burn center hospital. Not sure if you have a burn center hospital near you but she went to the Shriners Burn Center hospital in Galveston , Texas.

Im not sure if she went through with it but it maybe an option and a way to help a burn victim.

I also have a friend who is reducing her surgery cost by donating her excess skin! I had NEVER heard of this practice before, but it's a great way to mitigate costs and to help someone out in the long run!