Long-Term Weight Loss with Body Contour Surgery After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Bariatric Surgery
• Obesity Medicine

Background:

• Bariatric surgery is a proven treatment for morbid obesity.
• Patients often seek body contouring surgery post-bariatric procedures to address deformities.
• The impact of body contouring on long-term weight loss requires further definition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of body contouring surgery on long-term weight loss in patients who have undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.
• To compare weight loss maintenance in patients who had both bariatric and body contouring surgery versus those who had bariatric surgery alone.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 78 patients who underwent body contouring surgery after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.
• Comparison with 221 matched control patients who only had Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.
• Data collection at least 7 years post-Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

Main Results:

• Patients with body contouring surgery maintained a mean weight loss of 58 kg.
• Control patients maintained a mean weight loss of 42 kg.
• The difference in weight loss was statistically significant (p = 0.005), as were changes in BMI and percent weight loss.

Conclusions:

• Body contouring surgery is associated with better long-term weight loss maintenance after bariatric surgery.
• Understanding the reasons for this association is crucial for patients considering body contouring.
• Further research into the etiology of this association is warranted.