Arlington Heights, Ill. — Patients who undergo cosmetic liposuction and/or abdominoplasty procedures experience significant improvements in self-esteem and quality of life, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports.
A study published in the April issue of the society’s journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery notes that outcomes are especially good with liposuction plus abdominoplasty, although patients have somewhat higher pain scores and longer recovery times.
The study, conducted by Eric Swanson, M.D., a Leawood, Kan., plastic surgeon, evaluated quality of life and other outcomes in 360 patients undergoing liposuction and/or abdominoplasty to remove excess abdominal fat. About 60 percent of patients had only liposuction, while 35 percent underwent a combination of liposuction and abdominoplasty. The rest underwent abdominoplasty only. Outcomes were assessed an average of four months after surgery.
Liposuction plus abdominoplasty produced the highest patient satisfaction rate — more than 99 percent — with no increase in pain compared to abdominoplasty alone. Patients who had undergone abdominoplasty rated their outcomes at 9 out of 10, compared with the 8 out of 10 score for patients who had had liposuction only.
Overall, 86 percent of patients reported an improved sense of self-esteem after surgery, while about 70 percent reported improved quality of life, more commonly after liposuction plus abdominoplasty.
“Liposuction and abdominoplasty, individually and in combination, produce high rates of patient satisfaction and reliably improve self-esteem,” Dr. Swanson concluded.
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