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Plastic and reconstructive surgeon Ash Patel enters an operating room at Duke University Hospital. Photo by Mark Dolejs
This is a summary of a story written by Shantell Kirkendoll onDuke University School of Medicine
Weight loss surgery has transformed lives for decades. Now, blockbuster GLP-1 drugs are accelerating that transformation and bringing a new challenge for plastic surgeons
New research from Duke University School of Medicine suggests that rapid weight loss, particularly when bariatric surgery is paired with GLP-1 medications, may increase risk of complications during body contouring procedures such as tummy tucks
The study, published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, found that patients who combined both treatments lost the most weight — and the fastest — and experienced the highest rates of surgical complications
As GLP-1 drugs make dramatic weight loss possible for a broader range of patients, plastic surgeons are seeing a surge in demand to remove or tighten skin left behind after shedding pounds
“We‘re seeing an explosion of patients coming in and asking, ‘What can you do for this extra skin?’” said senior study author Ash Patel, a professor of surgery and plastic surgeon at Duke Health
But rapid physical transformation can complicate recovery. Body contouring surgeries require extensive healing, and Patel says operating on bodies that have changed so quickly may make that process more difficult
“We’re operating on people whose bodies have undergone rapid, profound changes, and that affects healing,” he said
To learn more about weight loss and plastic surgery, go to Duke University School of Medicine
