Brody Whalen - Plastic Surgery
Gastric bypass is an increasingly common weight-loss surgery during which a small pouch is formed from the stomach directly connected to the small intestine. In doing so, the storage and absorption of food are limited, thereby decreasing the possibility of developing obesity-related comorbidities. While this procedure has proven to help decrease factors contributing to metabolic syndrome–specifically type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia–excess skin resulting from weight loss has been shown to decrease patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study explores the possibility of improving gastric bypass patients’ quality of life through body contouring.
To evaluate its potential, a group of researchers compared two different groups of gastric bypass patients, one of which had body contouring closely following their initial procedure while the other did not. Out of those who had body contouring, 57% noted a “much better” HRQoL, whereas only 22% of those without body contouring experienced a “much better” HRQoL. This improvement included but was not limited to, self-esteem, work capability, social life, sexual activity, and physical activity. Although this study does not take into account extraneous circumstances such as diet, exercise, or profession, it succeeds in highlighting plastic surgery’s role in improving postoperative patient satisfaction. Overall, this study demonstrates that treatments for obesity can increase in success if combined with some form of plastic surgery.
References:
Modarressi, A., Balagué, N., Huber, O. et al. Plastic Surgery After Gastric Bypass Improves Long-Term Quality of Life. OBES SURG 23, 24–30 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-012-0735-8
Edited By: Firas Batrash, Editor-in-Chief
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