The Art of Body Contouring: After Massive Weight Loss is an excellent textbook comprising 10 chapters addressing reconstructive surgery in the weight loss patient.
The first chapter helpfully describes different techniques involved in bariatric surgery. The author talks about the ramifications that different bariatric techniques have when considering body contouring surgery in this population, including timings, trajectories to be aware of and certain things to avoid.
The rest of the chapters go on to describe certain techniques used to tackle the main problematic areas in weight loss patients including belt lipectomies, brachioplasties, thigh reductions, breast and buttock reshaping.
All these chapters are well written, informative and include a multitude of helpful pictures, which help to illustrate their points and techniques, showcasing some excellent results.
Two of the chapters are also accompanied with multiple instructive videos. They demonstrate the markings and step by step instructions in performing these techniques.
One of the things I like about this textbook is that it is not just an extensive list of procedures available for managing weight loss patients. It feels more like a personalised guide by the authors describing their own preferred techniques for managing these challenges. They offer explanation as to why certain techniques are favoured in their hands and utilised in their own practices, but they also mention other popular techniques and explain their rationale for not doing it that way.
With the rise of bariatric surgery and increasing use of GLP1 agonists, the demand for reconstruction after massive weight loss is likely to increase. This book is a great resource for any trainee or consultant who will be involved in managing this population of patients.
