[Plastic reconstructive operations after weight loss through gastric banding].

The number of patients who desire reconstructive surgery after a huge weight loss through gastric banding is increasing. From 1999 to 2001, 40 reconstructive operations were performed on 25 patients after an average decrease in weight of 58 kg. Six months later, a follow-up examination was done. A questionnaire was handed out and the aesthetic results were judged by five independent plastic surgeons. The department of psychology judged the patient's attitude towards their body, the presentation of their body for attractiveness, satisfaction with life, anxiety and depression, and changes in experience and behavior. The results showed a discrepancy between the subjective satisfaction of the patients and the judgment of the plastic surgeons; the preference for long scars instead of remaining surplus tissue, the necessity of a strict indication for transplantation of one's own tissue, the importance of detailed preoperative information using pictures, advantages and disadvantages of simultaneous operations in different anatomical regions, the need for exact planning and postoperative care as well as the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork. These results will influence the indication for a reconstructive operation in the future.