Can bariatric surgery alone lead to that svelte look? Slim chance

Main Category: Cosmetic Medicine / Plastic Surgery
Article Date: 04 Apr 2005 - 0:00 PDT

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As more Americans opt for bariatric surgery to help achieve massive weight loss, the number of follow-up plastic surgery procedures to rid patients of excess skin left after the initial surgery also is increasing.

Body contouring surgeries needed for patients to attain optimal weights and body shapes after bariatric surgery usually number at least two, and often three or four. These procedures are considered major, invasive surgeries - unlike the image often painted by reality television, says Dr. Jeffrey Kenkel, vice chairman of plastic surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

"I don't think people always realize that they will have all that extra skin left," he says. "They've lost the weight, but they still look in the mirror and feel like they're fat.

"Patients who are obese and considering bariatric surgery need to be aware that this is not a one-operation cure-all, but typically involves three to five years of multiple procedures," explains Dr. Kenkel, who recently served as chair of the first educational seminar for plastic surgeons on the topic. "The first stage is to lose weight. The second is to make the patient look as good as they feel."

Media Contact: Donna Steph Hansard

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