Risks of Plastic Surgery in the Obese

Posted July 06, 2011 in Health & Fitness, Plastic Surgery News

If you have spoken to a doctor about whether or not you are a candidate for an elective plastic surgery procedure and have been told that you are not due to your weight, you may have felt discriminated against. This is not the reality. Doctors do not choose to operate on you based on appearance – any decision about candidacy is based on your overall health.

The medical profession has been careful about operating on obese individuals for years. More recently, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine has provided research that proves there is risk involved with operating on the obese.

Obesity and Surgical Risks

According to the report, individuals who are obese face a risk of complications that are 12 times greater than the average plastic surgery patient. The reasons for this include:

• Surgeries often take a longer duration to complete which increases the risks
• Operations are more invasive since the fields are deeper
• Blood flow in fat tissue is lower in obese patients

Determining Your Candidacy for Plastic Surgery

It is important that all individuals familiarize themselves with the risks of any procedure before moving forward. If you would like to learn more about your candidacy for a plastic surgery procedure, contact us.