Ozempic - How it is Impacting Plastic Surgery

While the idea of experiencing a large amount of weight loss seems like it would be enjoyable, there is a side effect that sends people to the office of a plastic surgeon. These patients are looking to have procedures to tighten the skin after undergoing a large weight loss. The recent trend of weight loss is not due to a traditional diet or bariatric surgery. Instead, the medication known as Ozempic is being used by people of all ages to lose weight which is being followed by a desire to tighten loose skin from the weight loss.

Ozempic – What is It?

Ozempic is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medication and it is primarily used to treat diabetes. An additional benefit to the medication is weight loss as GLP-1 agonists are drugs that have the ability to mimic GLP-1 which is a natural hormone in the body that works to help regulate blood sugar and reduce the appetite of a person. The medication can lead to a large amount of weight loss thanks to enhancing the response of the body to insulin.

Ozempic – How Has it Changed the Field of Plastic Surgery?

As mentioned earlier, patients are seeing large amounts of weight loss by using Ozempic and the effects of the weight loss can lead people to see a plastic surgeon. Because of the excess amount of weight loss being experienced by some Ozempic users, they are starting to see the formation of excess skin on their body. This condition can trouble some people to the point that they decide to have surgical help after they achieve their desired weight loss. A plastic surgeon creates a customized treatment plan to tighten the skin of a person after their weight loss.

The extra skin on the body can appear in various places including the arms, thighs, abdomen, and additional areas. Even though the person might be happy with the amount of weight they have lost, they might not be happy with their new shape and body image. This is the moment when plastic surgery can play an important part in the transformation of the body by tightening the skin through a body lift.

Body Lift – What is It?

In the world of plastic surgery, a body lift is a single procedure or a combination of procedures that are performed to remove excess fat and skin that has emerged on the body after a significant amount of weight loss. A body lift can also tighten the underlying tissues for an improved contour to the impacted area. In addition, a body lift can be performed as an upper body lift or a lower body lift.

During an upper body lift, the cosmetic procedures that are performed include treatments that improve the look of the back, chest, and sides of the body. These cosmetic procedures can include a breast lift (mastopexy) or an arm lift (brachioplasty). 

During a lower body lift, the plastic surgeon addresses sagging, and loose skin located in the lower and middle parts of the body such as the abdomen, butt, waist, thighs, and hips. A lower body lift can involve an incision that goes around the circumference of the body so an apron of excess skin and fat can be removed, and the targeted tissues can be tightened and repositioned.

In order to have an upper body lift or lower body lift, the patient needs to be at a stable weight and also have realistic expectations about the final results that can be achieved.

Depending on the types of results desired by the patient, the plastic surgeon might perform one treatment or multiple procedures to address more than one area at the same time. The decision about how many procedures to perform depends on the amount of sagging skin and the individual desires of the patient.

Ozempic – Highlights the Connection Between Weight Loss and Body Contouring

As Ozempic continues to grow in popularity among the public, it is also becoming a widely accepted method of weight loss. This also means that the relationship between weight loss and improving the contour of the body is still connected for patients. Plastic surgeons play an active role in collaborating with patients to help them reach the outcome they want to see when it comes to weight loss and the overall look of their body.

Patients do need to know that they should not plan to take Ozempic without the advice and supervision of an experienced doctor. The patent will have to be examined by a doctor to make sure they are healthy enough to take Ozempic and that they realize the pros and cons of the medication regarding the changes it can make to the appearance of the body.

- MA