According to a new study by Henry Ford Hospital researchers, patients who have plastic surgery to reshape their bodies after bariatric procedures are able to maintain “significantly greater” weight loss than those who do not have surgery.
Many previously obese patients opt for plastic surgery. The types and extent of the surgeries can vary widely; but tummy tucks, arm lifts, breast and body lifts are very common. These procedures can be very effective in removing inelastic excess skin and tissue after substantial weight loss and to reshape or recontour bodies.
The results of the study are encouraging to the plastic surgery community. When improved body image translates into better long-term maintenance of a healthier weight it also translates into a better quality of life for these patients. This improved aesthetic combined with better health is the kind of end result that is very satisfying to both plastic surgeons and their patients.
The study followed patients who underwent bariatric surgery at Henry Ford Hospital. Study results were presented at the annual conference of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Of the patients studied 47 subsequently underwent body recontouring procedures.
The Henry Ford researchers recorded each patient’s Body Mass Index, or BMI – a weight-to-height ratio used to determine degrees of obesity – both before their bariatric surgery and 2.5 years after the procedure. Of the patients who underwent contouring surgery, the average decrease in BMI was 18.24 at 2.5 years, compared to 12.45 at 2.5 years for those who did not have further surgery.
These findings suggest that aesthetic procedures following bariatric surgeries may well contribute to improving the long-term results.
Bariatric surgery is used to help obese patients lose weight and includes several types of procedures that limit the amount of food the stomach can hold, including removal of a portion of the stomach or constricting it with a gastric band. Such weight loss can be significant, and result in a lower risk of diabetes and heart disease. This type of surgery can have a significant positive impact on obese patients, but long-term success still depends on patients changing their eating habits post-surgery. There is currently a high incidence of patients who regain weight after the surgery, so procedures that help incent patients to keep the weight off are a positive step in long-term maintenance.
