Determining the Impact of Liposuction on Patient Satisfaction of Quality of Life and Body Image: a Prospective Study in Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

Background: The need to be considered physically attractive and the urge to match the conventional beauty model is continually gaining importance in our modern society. This is further worsened by the unrealistic ideals that are depicted in the media which for the majority of the people are unattainable in an ordinary manner. The ensuing discontent with an individual’s body semblance has led to low self-esteem, social isolation, sex life impairment, anxiety as well as feelings of rejection from which negatively impacts quality of life. As a result, liposuction as an aesthetic procedure has got the highest demand to help in weight redistribution according to a patient’s ideal. Broad objective: To establish the impact of liposuction on the quality of life of a patient and the image of the body in a sample Kenyan population. Study design: Prospective observational study Research and methods: The study was a multicenter study that was materialized in the surgical departments of Da Vinci Hospital, Platinum Surgery Centre (PSC) and Coptic Mission Hospital. A sum of 50 patients above 18 years undergoing liposuction were subjected to a validated questionnaire; BODY-Q, pre-operatively and 6 months post-operatively. Data collected through the questionnaire included: patients’ demographics, body semblance evaluation as well as health-associated life quality measures, complications postoperatively and technique of surgery used. Data methods and handling: Data collected was coded and input into SPSS (IBM version 25). Scores on Body image, Quality of life, and Patient satisfaction were calculated. Differences between the pre-and post-op scores were assessed using a paired t-test, while a repeated measure mixed ANOVA was used to assess the differences between the scores and characteristics of the patients. At a 95% confidence interval, a p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically important. Results: The study included 50 patients, mostly females (98%), with a mean age of 35.4 (SD 6.8) years and a BMI of 28.0 (SD 4.1) kg/m2. Most procedures (60%) were VASER, and the mean suctioned volume was 4744.4mls (SD 1606.1). Postoperative complications occurred in 30% of patients, mostly seromas. Age had no effect on most BODY-Q domains, except for social function (p-value = 0.019) and appraisal of excess skin (p-value = 0.041). BMI had no effect on most domains except satisfaction with the back (p-value = 0.049). The surgical procedure had no effect on most domains except for physical function (p-value = 0.034) and satisfaction with the abdomen (p-value = 0.008). Postoperative complications affected expectations (p-value = 0.049) and satisfaction with the abdomen (p-value = 0.004), chest (p- value = 0.041), and upper arms (p value < 0.001). Quality of life improved after surgery, except for satisfaction with the chest (p-value = 0.089) and appraisal of body contouring scars (p-value = 0.058). Conclusion: The findings in this study serve to emphasize the positive effect that liposuction has on patients’ quality of life, self-esteem, body image, and satisfaction with their body. Thus, this study has provided local data that will aid healthcare providers during the provision of liposuction. Further, it will help improve public awareness of the benefits of liposuction apart from aesthetic concerns.