Prevalence of body contouring surgery in post-bariatric patients at a university hospital

Abstract

Introduction: The growing number of patients with massive weight loss after bariatric surgery is correlated with the demand for body contouring surgery. Such procedures reduce physical and psychological complaints, positively influencing the quality of life of these people. However, there is little data on the response of services that offer surgical treatment for morbid obesity to this need. The study aims to measure the prevalence of body contouring surgery between 2015 and 2018, in patients previously underwent on a bariatric surgery, in 2014 and 2015, at a University Hospital. Methods: Research in the hospital information system and medical records in order to assess the institutional prevalence of post-bariatric body contouring surgery. Patients who did not undergo both surgeries in our Service, those who underwent these surgical procedures in other years, as well as those with incomplete medical records were excluded. Results: Bariatric surgeries were performed in 208 patients. Of these, 11% (n=23) underwent 27 body contouring surgeries, with abdominal dermolipectomy (n=16) being the most frequently performed. The performance of more than one procedure to correct body deformity occurred in 13% (n=3) of patients. The mean age of patients undergoing body contouring surgery was 37 years, the majority was female (96%, n=22). Conclusion: Body contouring surgery is an important step in the treatment of morbid obesity and has a restorative feature. There is a huge lack of this therapy, which irreparably compromises the results obtained by bariatric surgery.

Keywords

• bariatric surgery
• reconstructive surgical procedures
• body contouring
• effective access to health services.