A story about a 12 year old undergoing high-volume liposuction continues to draw fire. ABC's Diane Sawyer profiles this in a televised segment you can see here.
I first read about this on Tony Youn's delightful Celebrity Plastic Surgery Blog a few weeks ago. It's been touched on as well in John Disaia's popular "Truth in Cosmetic Surgery Blog", and Plasticized which are the only Plastic Surgery themed blogs I've found worth reading (most blog searches pull up trash which are essentially marketing vehicles with no content)
In a syndicated piece on mynippon.com the ASAPS has commented, including a quote from Peter Rubin, one of the real thoughtful Plastic Surgeons doing both clinical & basic science research on treating obesity after massive weight loss.
The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) announced today that there is no scientific evidence to support the safety or efficacy of large-volume lipoplasty (liposuction) for weight loss in obese children. Further, the Society noted that liposuction is not an effective treatment for obesity in any patient - adult or child. The statement was issued in response to recent media reports of an obese 12-year old American female who underwent large-volume lipoplasty.
Clinical studies have demonstrated that (lipoplasty) does not have the same health benefits (e.g., reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes or benefits to metabolism) as diet and exercise. It does not address the important lifestyle and diet issues necessary for long term weight loss success. The best liposuction candidates are close to their ideal body weight and have discrete fat deposits that, when treated, will result in a positive change in contour, not obese patients looking for weight loss.
“This treatment plan sends a dangerous message to our young people, that plastic surgery is a cure for being overweight. That is simply not the case,” said J. Peter Rubin, MD, of the Aesthetic Society’s Body Contouring Committee and Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery at University of Pittsburgh. “I would question the ability of a 12 year old girl to fully appreciate the scope of possible complications and make a reasonable decision about an elective cosmetic procedure.”
The treatment offered to this 12 year old seems wrong on so many levels.
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