PEER-REVIEW | LIPOSUCTION | LIPOSUCTION SATISFACTION RATES
Michael Gellis compares liposuction satisfaction rates between low and high body mass index patients under awake local tumescent anesthesia in 1,826 cases
ABSTRACT Historically, surgeons have been influenced to operate on lower body mass index (BMI) patients when performing liposuction because it was felt that those patients in the long run would be more satisfied than high BMI patients.
Objectives The author proposed to survey both low and high BMI patients to determine the satisfaction rates in these groups.
biased opinion. We thought and preached, often statistically undocumented, that patients were generally satisfied. During training, our chief Robert Pool, MD, often stated, ‘If a patient tells you she is pleased with her results, she means she likes you.’ There were also groups of patients plastic surgeons were
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told to avoid performing liposuction upon: the very low body mass index (BMI) and high BMI patients. The reason given, also without statistical support, was that these patients would never be satisfied. This begs the question, considering liposuction, whether or not there is a difference in the rates of satisfaction among patients with different BMIs? In 1997, the World Health Organization (WHO)
introduced today’s BMI standards, recognizing a BMI of 30 or more as obese. Soon after, in 1998, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) published the same criteria2
. Therefore, in this Methods
Unbiased electronic surveys were obtained from 1,826 patients in regards to their level of satisfaction 3 months after their liposuction procedure.
Results
The 1,826 patients surveyed ranged in BMI from 18 to 43, with a BMI greater than or equal to 30 considered obese, indicating a ‘high BMI patient’. Those with a BMI less than 30 are categorized as ‘low BMI patients’. Satisfaction scores were averaged in each group and
INCE LIPOSUCTION BEGAN IN THE UNITED States in the early 1980s, plastic surgeons have always been concerned with patient satisfaction1
. Somehow, even with the use of
large cannulas, now considered archaic, the results seemed to be reasonable in our
Conclusions
When comparing satisfaction rates of high and low BMI patients after liposuction, there is no statistically significant difference.
compared to the other groups. When comparing satisfaction rates of high and low BMI patients after liposuction, the null hypothesis, that satisfaction among high and low BMI patients is not statistically distinct, cannot be rejected.
consistently used to evaluate satisfaction and obtain data from patients since there were no suggestions from a medical provider to influence the answer. The patient could give accurate information as to what they believed to be factual of their experience and results. Most unbiased surveys were either conducted by mail or internet to provide identification privacy. This retrospective study was conducted to compare
post-operative liposuction satisfaction rates between low and high BMI patients ranging from 18 to 43 BMI.
MICHAEL GELLIS MD, CMO, Sono Bello, 8900 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Suite E200, Scottsdale, AZ 85255
email:
mgellis@sonobello.com When the surveys were returned, the data was divided
according to BMIs and satisfaction scores where a BMI of 29 and
below was considered normal or overweight, and a BMI of 30 or above was considered obese.
study, a BMI equal to or greater than 30 was considered obese, as opposed to a BMI less than 30 being considered normal or simply overweight. Unmonitored self-assessment surveys have been
KEYWORDS Liposuction, Body Mass Index, BMI, satisfaction scores
January/February 2016 |
prime-journal.com
Method A 3-month post-operative survey was collected from 1,826 patients, during the time period between 1/9/13 through 30/8/14. A total of 9,540 surveys were sent out and 1,826 were returned, giving a response rate of 19.14%. The survey was conducted online via email through a survey provider (SurveyGizmo, Boulder, CO). When the surveys were returned, the data
was divided according to BMIs and satisfaction scores where a BMI of 29 and below was considered normal or overweight, and a BMI of 30 or above was considered obese. Associated with those divisions, the number of patients and the average satisfaction score for each BMI
category were recorded. We also recorded the patient’s age, but did not consider satisfaction scores compared to age in this study.
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