Childhood obesity and liposuction

Tuesday November 14, 2006 ins: Body Contouring Tag(s):

Technorati Tags: liposuction, cosmetic surgery

When reports of a 12-year old girl getting liposuction were all over the World Wide Web, medical experts were worried. The American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) announced that large-volume lipoplasty for weight loss in obese children is not scientifically proven to be safe and effective. Moreover, the Society stressed that liposuction is not an effective treatment for obesity in any patient, adult or not.

Earth Times presents the details:

Clinical studies have demonstrated that (lipoplasty) does not have the same health benefits (e.g., reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes or benefits to metabolism) as diet and exercise. It does not address the important lifestyle and diet issues necessary for long term weight loss success. The best liposuction candidates are close to their ideal body weight and have discrete fat deposits that, when treated, will result in a positive change in contour, not obese patients looking for weight loss

"This treatment plan sends a dangerous message to our young people, that plastic surgery is a cure for being overweight. That is simply not the case," said J. Peter Rubin, MD, of the Aesthetic Society's Body Contouring Committee and Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery at University of Pittsburgh. "I would question the ability of a 12 year old girl to fully appreciate the scope of possible complications and make a reasonable decision about an elective cosmetic procedure."

Though the girl’s liposuction surgery went well, experts could still not swallow the thought of using liposuction as a quick fix for obese patients. The procedure is just not designed for that purpose.

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