Should Plastic Surgery Play a Role in Your Weight Loss Efforts?

For centuries, the standard advice for those seeking to shed excess pounds has been simple: eat less, exercise more. In fact, most diet gurus make this same basic recommendation today. But the reality is that we are living in a brave new world of medical technology, and the shortest path to a slimmer figure may pass through the plastic surgeon's office.

Recent surveys have shown that fat-reducing plastic surgeries are more popular than ever before. Furthermore, the technical advances that have been made in recent years have significantly improved the safety and efficacy of these treatments.

However, in spite of the growing popularity and safety of cosmetic surgery procedures designed to trim and slim the figure, these procedures remain controversial. Some weight loss advocates claim that simply removing fat doesn't have the same overall health impact as losing it through calorie restriction and exercise.

This week, we'll consider both sides in the cosmetic surgery controversy by looking at the results of a few recent studies on the subject.

Liposuction Patients May be More Prone to Weight Gain

Experts have long recommended that patients who opt to use plastic surgery as a means to trim down should follow up their surgeries with a sensible program of diet and exercise. The results of a recent study conducted by researches at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas indicate that a failure to follow this advice may result in unwanted weight gain.

The researchers distributed a questionnaire to a group of 200+ patients who had undergone liposuction in the period from 1999-2003. According to the results, it was found that nearly half of all respondents had gained weight after the procedure. Of the liposuction patients who reported post-procedure weight gains, fewer than 20% had made the recommended lifestyle changes following their surgery.

Overall, the study found that the liposuction patients were three times more likely to gain weight without a modified diet, and four times more likely to gain weight without a consistent schedule of regular exercise. The authors noted that these results confirm the importance of lasting lifestyle changes regardless of whether weight is lost through plastic surgery or more conventional methods.

Plastic Surgery Doesn't Offer Health Benefits of Traditional Weight Loss

Patients who opt for plastic surgery to shed excess pounds are often looking for the kind of immediate results that diet and exercise can't deliver. However, according to the results of a recent study, the health benefits of traditional weight loss methods far exceed those seen in liposuction patients.

The study, which was conducted by researchers at the Center for Human Nutrition at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, sought to measure the effect of large-scale liposuction on obese women. The scientists carefully assessed the health profiles of the patients both before and after the procedure.

According to the findings, the women did not achieve the same health benefits displayed by those who lost weight through diet and/or exercise. Despite the fact that the women had lost an average of twenty pounds of body fat through the procedure, many key health measures -- including blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, and insulin -- showed no positive impact from the surgery.

The researchers urged patients who choose to undergo liposuction and other weight-reducing plastic surgeries to incorporate healthier eating and exercise patterns into their post-surgery lifestyles.

New Liposuction Technique Offers Significant Safety Improvements

The possibility of complications or other adverse outcomes has long been a factor when people are deciding whether to undergo plastic surgery for weight loss. However, a newly-developed procedure for liposuction may reduce the prevalence of complications related to general anesthesia during the procedure.

The new technique, known as tumescent liposuction, requires local, rather than general, anesthetics. In addition to reducing the risk of anesthetic complications, the new procedure has numerous other safety benefits as well. A study conducted by an international team of researchers found that the surgery results in less blood loss and rapid drainage of the tissue, both of which significantly reduce the risk of complications. The new procedure may make the process of choosing plastic surgery for weight loss a much easier decision for many patients who were once held back by safety concerns.

If you're considering plastic surgery for weight loss, talk to your doctor to determine if these procedures would be right for you. Please check back each week for the breaking research news you need to succeed in your weight loss journey.