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Open research questions in Body Contouring and Surgery

140 gap statements mined from Body Contouring and Surgery papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 508 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • The role of GLP-1 receptor agonists in aesthetic surgery remains unexplored. There is a need to investigate the effect of GLP-1 receptor agonists on thromboinflammatory markers and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing abdominoplasty.

    Preoperative GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Thromboinflammatory Markers in Patients Undergoing Abdominoplasty: A Prospective Monocentric Study · 2026 · DOI

  • One challenge is the potential for postoperative complications linked to GLP-1 therapy, particularly when continued up to the time of surgery. Another challenge is the need to optimize surgical outcomes for patients undergoing lipoabdominoplasty who have used semaglutide for weight loss.

    Impact of Preoperative Semaglutide Discontinuation Timing on Postoperative Outcomes in Aesthetic Abdominoplasty: A Retrospective Comparative Study · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of understanding about the optimal timing of preoperative semaglutide discontinuation in patients undergoing aesthetic lipoabdominoplasty. The current study aims to address this gap by evaluating the impact of different semaglutide discontinuation timings on postoperative outcomes.

    Impact of Preoperative Semaglutide Discontinuation Timing on Postoperative Outcomes in Aesthetic Abdominoplasty: A Retrospective Comparative Study · 2026 · DOI

  • The authors note that the lack of patient blinding and the absence of a placebo comparison are limitations of the trial.

    Comment on “Analgesic Effect of Vibratory Devices Associated with Carboxytherapy for Cellulite: Randomized Controlled Trial” · 2026 · DOI

  • Limited prospective data on patient-reported outcomes under standardized protocols for intravenous anesthesia in office-based aesthetic surgery. Limited understanding of predictors of high satisfaction and continuous recall in this context. Need for further study on the safety and effectiveness of depth-adjusted intravenous anesthesia in office-based aesthetic surgery.

    Safety of Depth-Adjusted Intravenous Anesthesia in Office-Based Aesthetic Surgery: A One-Month Prospective Study of 135 Consecutive Cases · 2026 · DOI

  • The limited effectiveness of current treatments for vascular embolism poses a challenge in managing this complication.

    Case Report and Literature Review: Fat Embolism Following Temporal Autologous Fat Grafting · 2026 · DOI

  • The impact of menstrual cycle phase on perioperative bleeding in lipoabdominoplasty is unclear. Prior studies have not investigated the effect of menstrual cycle phase on blood loss in high-energy lipoabdominoplasty.

    Menstrual Cycle Phase Does Not Affect Blood Loss in High-Energy Lipoabdominoplasty: A Prospective Controlled Study · 2026 · DOI

  • Current techniques for abdominoplasty may not address midline abdominal wall defects. There is a need for a surgical technique that combines abdominoplasty with midline fascial repair. The long-term outcomes of such a procedure are not well established.

    Concomitant Abdominoplasty and Repair of Midline Abdominal Wall Defects · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies a need for evaluating the safety and efficacy of SMAS plication facelift and platysmaplasty under tumescent local anesthesia. There is a lack of data on the use of tumescent local anesthesia in facial rejuvenation procedures. The study aims to fill this gap by providing a 10-year retrospective evaluation of the procedure.

    SMAS Plication Facelift and Platysmaplasty Under Tumescent Local Anesthesia: A 10-Year Retrospective Evaluation of Safety, Efficacy, and Patient Satisfaction in an Outpatient Setting · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of understanding of the causes and nature of complaints from patients about autologous fat transfer procedures. The need for a standardized approach to classifying and analyzing complaints.

    Seven Years of Complaints from Patients in Plastic Surgery Hospitals About Autologous Fat Transfer Procedures · 2026 · DOI

  • High resorption rates remain a challenge in fat grafting. Mechanical trauma to adipocytes during harvesting is a significant challenge. Preserving adipocyte integrity is essential for graft survival.

    Effect of Cannula Fenestration Area on Fat Graft Architecture and Histology: A Double-Blind, Split-Body Clinical Trial · 2026 · DOI

  • The need to minimize blood loss during surgery. The lack of standardization in the dose and route of administration of tranexamic acid in liposuction.

    Safety and Efficacy of Tranexamic Acid in Liposuction: A Review of Current Literature · 2026 · DOI

  • The role of tranexamic acid in abdominoplasty remains underexplored. There is a need for improved surgical techniques to optimize patient outcomes and ensure overall safety during abdominoplasty. The study aims to address the gap in knowledge regarding the effectiveness of combined tranexamic acid administration in abdominoplasty.

    The Impact of Combined Intravenous and Topical Tranexamic Acid in Abdominoplasty with Scarpa Fascia Preservation: A Pilot Study · 2026 · DOI

  • The criteria for patient selection for scarless abdominoplasty in the umbilical region remain poorly defined. Systematic indications and contraindications for such methods, as well as objective evaluation of their advantages, are lacking.

    Scarless Abdominoplasty in the Umbilical Region: Indications and Contraindications · 2026 · DOI

  • The authors note that it was not realistic to blind the participants to the intervention. The authors identify the lack of patient blinding and the absence of a placebo comparison as limitations. The authors suggest that future studies should systematically explore device parameters to improve the chance of detecting clinically meaningful effects.

    Comment on “Analgesic Effect of Vibratory Devices Associated with Carboxytherapy for Cellulite: Randomized Controlled Trial” · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of standardised evaluation methods limits firm conclusions on the efficacy of bioactive compounds for cellulite treatment. Heterogeneity in study design limits the ability to draw firm conclusions. Further studies are needed to validate efficacy and optimise delivery of bioactive compounds for cellulite treatment.

    Bioactive Compounds for Topical and Minimally Invasive Cellulite Treatment and Skin Rejuvenation · 2026 · DOI

  • Because the demand for body-contouring surgery has increased following the widespread adoption of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, the impact of different weight-loss methods on patient selection, operative techniques, and postoperative outcomes remains unclear.

    Post Weight Loss Body Contouring Surgery: Complication Rates Following Bariatric Surgery, Injectable Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Pharmacotherapy, Combination Therapy, and Lifestyle Modification · 2026 · DOI

  • The risk of complications when combining abdominoplasty with extensive liposuction is high due to compromised blood supply. Traditional abdominoplasty has an overall complication rate of 10-20%. Combining abdominoplasty with liposuction without preserving perforator vessels has a complication rate of around 40%.

    VASER-Assisted Perforator-Preserving Liposuction in Full Abdominoplasty: A Prospective Study of 100 Cases · 2026 · DOI

  • Retrospective study, - Limited to 200 consecutive male patients, - No control…

    Defining the Serratus Triangle: A Major Pillar for Male High-Definition Liposculpture · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies are needed to confirm the safety and efficacy of this technique, - Investigation of the long-term outcomes of serratus triangle definition in male HD…

    Defining the Serratus Triangle: A Major Pillar for Male High-Definition Liposculpture · 2026 · DOI

  • Multicenter validation of the UMEDA protocol, - Comparison of the UMEDA protocol with other anesthesia protocols, - Investigation of the effects of depth-adjusted anesthesia on patient outcomes in different…

    Safety of Depth-Adjusted Intravenous Anesthesia in Office-Based Aesthetic Surgery: A One-Month Prospective Study of 135 Consecutive Cases · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigating the pathogenesis of vascular embolism in autologous fat grafting, - Developing more effective prevention and treatment strategies for vascular embolism, - Studying the long-term outcomes of patients with vascular embolism following autologous fat…

    Case Report and Literature Review: Fat Embolism Following Temporal Autologous Fat Grafting · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigate the effects of menstrual cycle phase on other surgical procedures, - Examine the relationship between hormonal fluctuations and hemostasis in different patient…

    Menstrual Cycle Phase Does Not Affect Blood Loss in High-Energy Lipoabdominoplasty: A Prospective Controlled Study · 2026 · DOI

  • The study had a retrospective design, - The sample size was limited to 52 patients, - Informed consent was waived due to the retrospective design, - The study did not fully capture all perioperative variables present in complex hybrid body contouring…

    Body Feminization Surgery 4.0: Do We Need a Safety Update? · 2026 · DOI

  • Comparison of this technique to other methods, - Investigation of long-term outcomes in a larger…

    Concomitant Abdominoplasty and Repair of Midline Abdominal Wall Defects · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Body Contouring and Surgery

Most recent work

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) The role of GLP-1 receptor agonists in aesthetic surgery remains unexplored (“Preoperative GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Thromboinflammatory Markers in…”, 2026); (2) There is a lack of understanding about the optimal timing of preoperative semaglutide discontinuation in patients undergoing aesthetic lipoabdominoplasty (“Impact of Preoperative Semaglutide Discontinuation Timing on Postoperative…”, 2026); (3) The authors note that the lack of patient blinding and the absence of a placebo comparison are limitations of the trial (“Comment on “Analgesic Effect of Vibratory Devices Associated with…”, 2026); (4) The impact of menstrual cycle phase on perioperative bleeding in lipoabdominoplasty is unclear (“Menstrual Cycle Phase Does Not Affect Blood Loss in High-Energy…”, 2026); (5) There is a need for a surgical technique that combines abdominoplasty with midline fascial repair (“Concomitant Abdominoplasty and Repair of Midline Abdominal Wall Defects”, 2026). 140 gap statements have been mined from Body Contouring and Surgery papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 508 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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