Plastic Surgery after Bariatric Surgery- helps long term weight control?

Posted on December 3, 2013

This is a journal article out of the October 2013 issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal“Plastic Surgery Improves Long Term Weight Control after Bariatric Surgery.”

This was a study out of Switzerland.  They were looking at Roux en Y gastic bypass surgery.  They state ,”we all know the positive impact of bypass on weight and health realted issues and quality of life.  But 50% of patients regain some of the weight lost after 2 years, with a mean weight regain of 10-15%.”   The authors propose maybe those who have body contouring surgery would have less weight regain.

orange scaleStudy:

Findings:

Yes, I know how this sounds.  Plastic surgeons saying plastic surgery is good.  But in their discussion I thought they brought up some interesting points.  They state of the patients who seek bariatric surgery, 66% want to do so for psychosocial issues, with only 10% indicated a medically motivated desire for plastic surgery.  They discuss how the rapid weight loss causes excess skin, which impairs health related quality of life after bariatric surgery.  75% of bariatric patients want body contouring after the weight loss from bypass, but in most cases the contouring is not covered by health insurance, so 80% of them do not undergo plastic surgery because they can not afford it. 

Insurance companies do not consider excess skin to be a disease, so body contouring is not viewed as cost effective treatment.  This study hopes to show those who have plastic surgery show better long term results in terms of weight.  This leads to better quality of life. 

The author’s hope is bariatric surgeons will refer patients to a plastic surgeon, forming a multidisciplinary team for bariatric surgery, and that insurance companies will see from their study the improvement in quality of life and maintenance of weight loss in those with body contouring surgery.

I have seen for years how removing the excess skin helps.  Hanging skin can cause skin breakdown, rashes, and infections.  It impairs the ability to exercise.  For many, after the weight loss they still see the “fat” version of themselves.  It isn’t until their body is recontoured and the skin is removed that they see how small they have become.  The improvement in their confidence, outlook, and self esteem can be enormous.