Research

Hormonal

GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy (semaglutide/tirzepatide) is increasingly driving referrals for post-weight-loss body contouring, with referral volumes growing faster than those from lifestyle modification or bariatric surgery.

If you are using GLP-1 medications like Ozempic or Mounjaro, be aware that rapid weight loss often leads to excess skin. You may need to consult a plastic surgeon for body contouring procedures. This is a common and expected outcome of significant weight loss via these medications.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Referral volumes increased across all pathways, with a positive but nonsignificant trend toward GLP-1–associated referrals (slope = +2.7 patients per interval; R² = 0.75; P = 0.14).
Armein Rahimpour et al. · Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Global Open · 2026

Why this rating

Retrospective observational study with small sample size (n=134) and non-significant p-values for trends.

Source

The Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Era and Its Influence on Body-Contouring Referrals After Weight Loss in Appalachia

Armein Rahimpour et al. · Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Global Open · 2026

DOI 10.1097/gox.0000000000007620

cohort · n=134
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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