Overweight and obesity are amongst the burning issues of our age. This is not only because of the continually increasing prevalence in all age groups but also due to the many concomitant and secondary diseases. The desire to improve body shape is becoming increasingly common in our modern society. In addition to social pressure, a growing body awareness and the knowledge about the secondary diseases arising from significant obesity are all key factors in this trend.
In fighting obesity and adiposity, bariatric surgery is one of the most effective methods. The results of bariatric surgery range from massive weight loss, a reduction of the secondary diseases associated with obesity and an improvement in general well-being to an improvement in the over all psychological situation of the patient.
One unwanted side-effect of bariatric surgery is the large proportion of excess, sagging skin which is left. The removal of this excess skin by means of lifting operations is  traditionally the task of the plastic surgeon. These corrective measures include both major surgical interventions e.g. correction of the abdominal contours (abdominoplasty) as well as minimally invasive techniques (liposuction) to correct localised problem areas (local adiposity).