Obesity Surgery in Australia is on a Rise
October 3, 2005
Obesity surgery in Australia has risen more than 10-fold in the past decade. Lap-band and gastric bypass procedures in Australia skyrocketed from 300 in 1993 to 3,700 in 2004, resulting in a corresponding hike in patients wanting plastic surgery to get rid of excess skin folds.
Brisbane-based plastic surgeon Dan Kennedy said although surgery related to weight loss was successful in helping many people lose weight; they were frequently left with loose folds of skin. Such patients, usually aged between 30 and 50, often consulted a plastic surgeon to have the excess skin removed, which regularly involves more operations.
Dr Kennedy said that the obesity epidemic was partly driving the increase in cosmetic procedures. People have disposable income that they're prepared to spend on it. There's an acknowledgement in the community that these procedures are reasonable to have, whereas, certainly 20 years ago, people frowned on you going along to have a plastic-surgery operation if it wasn't absolutely necessary. Dr Kennedy said the techniques used by plastic surgeons to remove excess skin had also improved in safety and in terms of scarring.
"We can't avoid it altogether but, certainly, the scars from these procedures have improved through better suture material, better techniques, better placement of the scars and better understanding of how much tension the body can take," Dr. Kennedy said.
"Diet solutions are not substitutes for medicine. What is good for North America is not good for Kerala. You cannot have a blanket diet solution for everyone."
Source:http://www.smh.com.au
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