Physicians are reportedly seeing an increasing number of patients who have used anti-obesity drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy request procedures to remove sagging, excess skin via plastic surgery, KDVR reported Feb. 23.
In 2012, 14,794 bariatric surgeries performed in the U.S. But that quickly rose and in 2019 grew to 25,053 procedures, before dipping in 2020 due to the pandemic, according to data from a December 2023 study published in the Annals of Surgery.
Now, physicians say the patients who once sought out the procedure to fix sagging skin post-surgery, are coming post-medication to change the way certain areas appear after losing the weight, Eric Humble, MD, a well-known plastic surgeon told KDVR.
Dr. Humble described the number of patients now seeking the procedure as an influx, according to the outlet.
Correcting sagging skin after losing weight is something the drugs cannot address, he said, and only surgical procedures can fix. Lifestyle adjustments like exercise can also help to tighten skin, he told the outlet.