Factors affecting weight loss after abdominoplasty identified

(HealthDay)—For patients undergoing abdominoplasty, weight loss is associated with having a preoperative body mass index ≥24.5 kg/m² and is attributed to increased satiety in most patients, according to a study published in the February issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Jennifer C. Fuller, from Alameda Hospital in Los Angeles, and colleagues conducted a retrospective patient case series to examine the most important factors associated with weight reduction in 60 patients undergoing abdominoplasty. Twenty patients who were followed for an average of 29 months were included in the analysis.

The researchers found that, for 75 percent of patients, weight loss was attributed to an increase in satiety. Long-term weight loss could be predicted by a preoperative body mass index of ≥24.5 kg/m² with a sensitivity of 92.9 percent and specificity of 83.3 percent. At one year, patients above this threshold achieved significantly more weight loss than their counterparts with a lower body mass index. Those with pannus resections weighing more than 4.5 lb also had significantly more weight loss.

"Further studies will clarify the mechanisms of appetite regulation and may lead to the creation of an injectable appetite suppressant drug," the authors write. "With the increasing global prevalence of obesity and its ensuing physiologic, psychological, and economic implications, the need to understand appetite control is imperative."