Surge in Patients Seeking Plastic Surgery After Weight Loss
Disfigurement and Iill-effects following the use of slimming drug Ozempic
By [Your Name]
Top plastic surgeons are reporting a surge in patients seeking nip-and-tucks after rapidly losing weight on the slimming jab Ozempic – and they warn that without these operations many would be left disfigured or even disabled.
The pioneering injections can help dieters shed a fifth of their bodyweight in a year, yet the sudden fat loss also leads to a raft of body problems, with middle-aged and older users worst affected.
Unexpected Cosmetic Complications
Increasing numbers of Ozempic users on social media complain of being left with gaunt facial features, sagging ‘melted candle’ skin, ’empty’ breasts, and hair loss – which are not thought to be a direct side effect of the medication but a consequence of dramatic slimming.
While in some cases these complications are cosmetic, experts warn that they can often have a profound impact on health. People left with large folds of excess skin can have difficulties with basic hygiene, leading to fungal infections, sores, and immobility. Due to unhappiness about their bodies, shame, and embarrassment, they are also at an increased risk of mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
Sharon Osbourne’s Ozempic journey has left her finding it difficult to put weight back on. Right: Before treatment
The Rising Cost and the Call for Treatment
As the numbers on weight-loss jabs spiral – with the Government suggesting 35,000 Britons are currently eligible for treatment on the NHS – the cost of tackling these knock-on effects could run into more than £100 million per year, according to analysis. These complication costs have been shared exclusively with our news website.
Mani Ragbir, president of the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS), has urged health officials to consider offering operations to remove excess skin more widely. He states, “Excess skin is not simply a nuisance, it can result in severe and even life-threatening infections. These procedures are one of the most crucial elements in allowing patients to complete the process of becoming healthy. When considering the costs of treating skin infections, non-healing wounds, and the misery of being unable to exercise or wash properly, it makes financial sense to treat these patients with surgery – a one-off cost versus an ongoing burden.”
The Role of Ozempic in Increasing Demand for Surgery
Until recently, reconstructive surgery after weight loss was needed only following a major operation such as a gastric bypass. Due to the risks and costs involved, such options were typically seen as a last resort, with fewer than 7,000 being carried out on the NHS each year. However, plastic surgeons are now witnessing a surge in patients seeking body contouring surgeries following their use of Ozempic.
The remarkable effectiveness of injectable medications, which can help patients lose weight and reverse type 2 diabetes, has caused the demand for such procedures to skyrocket. Mark Soldin, a plastic surgeon at St George’s and Kingston Hospital in London and a specialist in reconstructive operations following massive weight loss, supports this claim. He states, “‘Injectable medications can in some cases be as good as surgery in helping patients lose weight. This is positive, as they are reversing type 2 diabetes, stopping high blood pressure, and reducing the numbers of heart attacks and strokes, which are all problems that cost the NHS billions every year.
A social media user posts the results of her drastic weight loss. Mani Ragbir, president of BAPRAS says: ‘Excess skin is not simply a nuisance, it can result in severe and even life-threatening infections’
Implications and Costs of Untreated Skin Complications
Due to the increasing number of people eligible for weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, the cost of treating weight-loss complications could be around £100 million per year, according to BAPRAS. Without surgical intervention, nearly a third of patients left with redundant skin folds develop infections or other serious skin conditions. Treating a non-healing wound can cost up to £7,886 per patient. Furthermore, patients are at risk of developing depression or anxiety, with severe cases costing around £5,000 per patient per year to treat.
Facial Changes and the Need for Corrective Procedures
Facial surgeons have observed that the appearance of post-Ozempic patients is distressingly older than before. Celebrities like Sharon Osbourne and Stephen Fry have shown visible gauntness in their faces after using the slimming jabs. Sagging skin, loss of firmness in the face, and deep lines are common problems faced by these patients due to accelerated fat loss in the face. Plastic surgeon Kshem Yapa, who operates at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, remarked, “‘Semaglutide is intended to treat obesity, but we’re seeing patients who just had a bit to lose and saw them as an easy fix. Instead, they’re being left underweight, and at this point, the fat pads in the face, which provide firmness and a youthful appearance, disappear. We see hollowing at the temples and under the eyes, and a general sunken or gaunt appearance. If patients are a bit older, we might see sagging and laxity in the skin, with deep nose-to-mouth lines and jowls appearing. The speed at which this happens on Ozempic is shocking. For these patients, the changes may be permanent, and the only option would be injections of fillers or a facelift.”
Stephen Fry’s slimmed-down frame after taking Ozempic and before taking the Ozempic weight-loss jab to slim down
