Outpatient-Based Massive Weight Loss Body Contouring: A Review of 260 Consecutive Cases

Abstract

Massive weight loss (MWL), whether from bariatric surgery or self-directed efforts, has become an increasingly-frequent reason for which patients present for body-contouring procedures. As the incidence of post-MWL surgery has increased, there has also been an increase in the frequency of outpatient ambulatory techniques for complex procedures. The author describes his experience with MWL body contouring in an outpatient setting. A retrospective review was performed of 260 consecutive patients who presented to the author's clinic for post-MWL body contouring in the author's accredited outpatient clinic. Many patients (n=150) underwent concurrent operations, for a total of 544 procedures. All patients received general anesthesia delivered by a board-certified anesthesiologist, received rigorous perioperative education, and were discharged on the day of operation. Of the 260 patients, 241 were women and 19 were men. The average patient age was 42 years (range, 19-70 years). Among the 544 procedures, the most common complication was minor wound separation. There were no wound infections and only one pulmonary embolism. There were no hospital readmissions and no deaths. With judicious patient selection, standardized perioperative teaching, and appropriate anesthesia, practitioners' advanced knowledge about complex MWL operations can allow them to perform these procedures safely and effectively in an accredited outpatient setting. 4.