Editor: Bishara Atiyeh

Body Contouring Following Bariatric Surgery and Massive Weight Loss: Post-Bariatric Body Contouring

eBook: US $34 Special Offer (PDF + Printed Copy): US $148
Printed Copy: US $131
Library License: US $136
ISBN: 978-1-60805-548-7 (Print)
ISBN: 978-1-60805-238-7 (Online)
Year of Publication: 2012
DOI: 10.2174/97816080523871120101

Introduction

Body contouring is a rapidly growing field within plastic surgery. Safe and effective techniques have been developed in recent times with increased patient satisfaction indicated by visual analogue scores.

This book brings together contributions from leading experts in bariatric surgery from all across the globe. The body contouring techniques and procedures described in the book have been developed specifically to treat massive weight loss patients in contrast to traditional methods that are normally unsuitable for such patients. These procedures focus on maximizing the removal of excess and unwanted skin whilst preserving volume and restoring contour. The key issue of patient safety is also addressed in the book.

Body Contouring Following Bariatric Surgery and Massive Weight Loss should be a useful resource for surgeons and clinicians interested in massive weight loss surgery and satisfactory visual analogue scores.

Indexed in: Book Citation Index, Science Edition, Web of Science, Scopus, EBSCO.

Preface

Morbid obesity is a chronic condition that is extremely difficult to treat. Unfortunately it is growing at an alarming rate in all age groups and is becoming a real epidemic in Europe and North America. Bariatric surgery is becoming the current standard treatment for severe obesity and its overall safety and effectiveness continues to improve. Even though success of bariatric surgery can be expressed by net reduction of BMI (Body Mass Index) global patient satisfaction does not usually exceed 6.2 on a visual analogue scale (VAS) of 10. Hand in hand with massive weight loss obtained with bariatric procedures comes the need to effectively and aesthetically manage the excess skin that remains as more patients are at present seeking the help of plastic surgeons to address the resulting aesthetic concerns.

Massive weight loss (MWL) patients present a very different profile than those who have not been obese. Their deformities are more severe and present with bi-dimensional skin excess which is usually poor in tone. Patients who experience massive weight loss are left looking “deflated” with disfiguring skin laxity circumferentially around the torso including the breasts in addition to redundant tissues on the upper arms, buttocks, and thighs leading to poor social acceptance and quality of life. To answer these problems, body contouring is mandatory. When expertly and effectively performed global satisfaction of patients increases to 8.5 VAS.

MWL patients present extremely diverse, disordered, and often complex and unpredictable contour deformities requiring lifts in areas previously rarely seen. Body contouring for these patients is unlike routine cosmetic surgery. It is evolving from traditional body contouring procedures, in particular from abdominoplasties, to a series of very specialized surgical procedures designed to aesthetically improve specific areas of the body. The subspecialty of body contouring surgery after massive weight loss is indeed a rapidly evolving field of plastic surgery and as an individual plastic surgeon continue to gain more experience with the massive weight loss patient and continues to refine their techniques, it is important that new learning and insights are shared within aesthetic surgical subspecialty.

Bishara S. Atiyeh, MD, FACS
Professor of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
American University of Beirut, Lebanon
General Secretary
Euro- Mediterranean Council for Burns and Fire Disasters – MBC
Beirut, Lebanon

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