After achieving significant weight loss through Massive Weight Loss (MWL), while subcutaneous fat decreases, the skin and soft tissues may not fully return to their original state, potentially resulting in excess skin and sagging in various areas of the body.
These issues often go beyond mere cosmetic changes, frequently involving functional problems that affect daily life and quality of life (QOL), such as dermatitis, sweating, difficulty walking or exercising, and problems wearing clothes.
Therefore, for excess skin following MWL, surgical treatment may be considered not only for cosmetic purposes but also as part of a medical evaluation.
Surgical treatment is not always necessary, but it is considered one option when symptoms significantly impact daily life.
Surgical treatment for MWL requires special considerations distinct from standard cosmetic surgery.
In cases of severe obesity, the thickness of subcutaneous fat may stretch the blood vessels supplying the skin and subcutaneous tissue (such as muscular perforating branches), potentially causing histological damage.
Even if weight loss occurs afterward, the condition of blood vessels and tissues may not fully return to normal, and potential blood flow reduction may persist.
Against this background, patients undergoing MWL are generally considered to have a higher risk of complications as follows, compared to those undergoing standard cosmetic surgery without MWL