Dramatic Weight Loss Leads to Ultimate Extreme Makeover

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As people battle to lose weight this year, many Oklahomans are already celebrating a victory in the battle of the bulge. For some, though, this dramatic weight loss can lead to another problem – sagging, excess skin.

Enid resident Rita Janousek weighed 385 pounds before losing an impressive 180 pounds. Still, she was unhappy with the folds of skin that remained. “Naked wasn't pretty,” she quipped.

So, Janousek sought advice and treatment with Dr. Juan Brou, a board certified plastic surgeon in Oklahoma City. They decided the best course of treatment would be a body lift, a procedure that removes an apron of excess skin and fat, and repositions and tightens tissues.

Brou said he has seen an increase in the number of patients seeking this type of procedure over the years. He now performs two or three body lifts each month. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons also reports that more than 8,500 lower body lift procedures were performed in the U.S. last year alone.

“This is one of the surgeries I do that I get the most satisfaction out of,” Brou said. “These patients have worked so hard to lose weight, but sometimes there are obstacles even diet and exercise cannot erase. To give them their dream end-result is very rewarding.”

Brou describes the body lift as similar to a tummy tuck, except that is goes all the way around the body through the buttocks, abdomen, waist, hips and thighs. The surgery is long – often taking from five to nine hours, Brou said.

Patient dress sizes can drop dramatically. Brou has seen patients drop from size 14 to size eight just by having the procedure.

Janousek shed 20 additional pounds by having the body lift and eliminating all of her excess skin. She said she spent years being held back by her weight. She didn’t enjoy shopping and she rarely traveled by airplane because she needed to purchase an additional ticket. With her weight loss success and subsequent body lift procedure, it’s a whole new world for Janousek now.

“Now, I can do anything I want to,” Janousek said. “It was the best thing I ever did.”

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