Body contouring. Introduction.

Body contouring has been the primary thrust of the author's entire professional career. The foremost priority was the prevention of complication, which was brought to light in the Grazer Goldwyn Survey of Abdominoplasty, which was published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in 1977. These same complications and problems exist today, but at least surgeons are aware of them. This article is a compendium of problems that have perplexed the author from the beginning, including unsightly scars, pigmented and hypertrophic, and keloids. The ever present loose thighs around the knees and the author's attempts to improve them and make the contouring scars more acceptable are discussed.