Shedding the Skin: The Body Contouring Boom

In recent years, there has been a surge of bariatric procedures for obesity — a projected 177,600 surgeries in 2006, according to the American Society for Bariatric Surgery. With it has come another wave, a substantial rise in body contouring procedures to address the huge amounts of skin and remaining pockets of fat associated with massive weight loss. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports a total of more than 68,000 of these procedures in 2005, including thigh, arm and breast lifts and extended abdominoplasties and lower body lifts. Reflecting the trend, some patients are consulting with plastic surgeons before weight-loss surgery to discuss contouring options.
Procedures include:

• Extended abdominoplasty/lower body lift: 20,630, up 22 percent (from 2004)
• Thigh lift: 7,486, up 20 percent
• Upper arm lift: 8,741, up 16 percent
• Breast lift/reduction: 31,277, up 24 percent
• Total body contouring procedures: 68,134, up 22 percent
  • Source: American Society of Plastic Surgeons

(Read an article about TX woman and her Body Contouring experience here)