Plastic surgery has always been an exciting journey for patients as it is an opportunity to transform your body and reach your aesthetic goals. However, plastic surgery has never been a weight loss treatment. Typically, when patients come in for plastic surgery procedures, they undergo counseling to discuss reaching their ideal weight before their surgical treatments.
Ideally, patients would begin their weight loss journey well in advance of their procedure. The Skinny Shot is a generic term for some of the new weight loss medications such as Semaglutide, Mounjaro, Ozempic, or Wegovy. These injections have been shown to help patients lose between 15-20% of their body weight over a period of time. The amount of weight that a patient loses often dictates how long a patient will need to wait prior to having surgery. Patients that lose over 30 lbs should typically wait about three months before undergoing surgery to make sure they have a smooth recovery.
Patients that can get to their ideal weight prior to having plastic surgery are at a lower risk for complications, and more likely to achieve an overall better aesthetic result. Intra-abdominal or visceral fat can only be treated with weight reduction using lifestyle modification with or without the help of medications like the skinny shot. There are several other areas of the body, like the legs, that are difficult to treat with surgical intervention and also do much better with overall lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise.
The semaglutide medications have been revolutionary to weight loss, and have become an integral part of the plastic surgery experience. It is important to start these medications at the appropriate time when considering your plastic surgery procedures. Typically we want patients to reach an ideal weight several months prior to their surgery. Ideally, patients should reach their ideal weight three months before their surgical procedure. This gives the body a chance to reach a steady state at a new weight, and gives the patient the best chance to heal and recover well from the procedure.
Patients can also use semaglutide and other weight loss medication, such as Mounjaro, Wegovy, or Ozempic as part of their weight loss journey after their surgical procedures. Typically patients will want to wait till they have completely healed from their surgical procedure prior to starting these medications, as your body needs more calories than one would imagine when recovering. Patients can continue to improve their appearance with the addition of these medications after their surgery, as it can treat fat in non-surgical areas such as visceral fat.
It is important to consult your plastic surgeon when starting any of these weight loss medications, such as the skinny shot- Semaglutide, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Ozempic. Your plastic surgeon will help you decide on the ideal timing so that you can be prepared for your surgery. Call today to learn more from our team.
