FORT MYERS, FL, April 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FORT MYERS, FL - April 23, 2026 - -
Exert BodySculpt, a body contouring practice led by Dr. Giselle Prado-Wright, has published clinical guidance on the growing link between GLP-1 weight loss medications and increased patient consultations for buffalo hump treatment.
Exert BodySculpt, a surgical body contouring practice based in Naples, Florida, has published an educational article addressing a documented uptick in patient consultations for buffalo hump treatment, a condition now increasingly presenting in patients using GLP-1 receptor agonist medications such as semaglutide and tirzepatide.
The practice's medical director, Dr. Giselle Prado-Wright, MD, identifies the trend as an underreported clinical reality, one with measurable implications for how body contouring providers approach post-weight-loss patient care.
GLP-1 medications, sold under brand names including Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound, have reshaped the weight management landscape in the United States. The percentage of overweight or obese adults prescribed a GLP-1 drug jumped from 0.3 percent in 2019 to 2.05 percent in 2024, nearly a sevenfold increase, according to an analysis of commercial claims by nonprofit Fair Health.
As adoption continues to climb, clinicians are now confronting a secondary effect that has received comparatively little clinical attention: the persistence or increased visual prominence of dorsal cervical fat pads, commonly known as buffalo humps, in patients who have otherwise achieved significant total-body weight reduction.
Read the published article here: https://exertbodysculpt.com/blog/buffalo-hump-treatment/
A buffalo hump treatment, or dorsal cervical fat pad, is a localized accumulation of adipose tissue at the base of the neck and upper back. It is distinct from structural spinal conditions such as a dowager's hump, which involves curvature of the thoracic spine and requires orthopedic intervention. The soft tissue nature of a true dorsal cervical fat pad makes it amenable to surgical removal through targeted liposuction, but accurate diagnosis is a prerequisite.
Patients presenting with rapid or substantial weight loss may find that fat redistribution from other areas of the body makes the cervical deposit more visually apparent, even as overall body weight decreases. According to Dr. Prado-Wright, this pattern appears with enough regularity in GLP-1 patients to warrant a formalized clinical pathway.
"I am seeing this condition more frequently in my practice, and I believe part of that is the dramatic rise of GLP-1 receptor agonist medications," said Dr. Giselle Prado-Wright, MD Medical Director of Exert BodySculpt. "Rapid, significant weight loss does not always redistribute body fat uniformly, and the dorsal cervical fat pad is one of the areas where this becomes visually apparent.
For some patients on GLP-1 medications, the buffalo hump either persists or becomes proportionally more prominent as the rest of the body slims down. Patients deserve a straightforward explanation of what is happening and what to do about it."
The broader body contouring market is tracking a parallel expansion. The global body contouring treatments market, valued at approximately $1.46 billion in 2024, is projected to reach $2.58 billion by 2029, growing at a compound annual rate of 10.0 percent, according to MarketsandMarkets.
Industry analysts attribute part of this growth to the same GLP-1 adoption curve, as patients completing weight loss programs seek targeted procedures to address areas unresponsive to medication-driven fat reduction. The dorsal cervical region is among the anatomical sites where liposuction remains the most clinically direct intervention.
Exert BodySculpt operates within the broader aesthetic surgery sector in Southwest Florida, serving patients locally and through an out-of-town consultation program for patients outside the region. The practice performs surgical body contouring procedures including its Xpress Liposuction procedure.
Dr. Prado-Wright's clinical work aligns with growing interest from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and related professional bodies in documenting post-GLP-1 surgical demand patterns. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, liposuction was the most commonly performed cosmetic surgical procedure in the United States in 2023, with 347,782 procedures reported, a 7 percent increase from the prior year.
The published article covers the clinical distinctions between buffalo hump treatment and structurally similar presentations, the primary causes including hormonal, metabolic, and medication-related factors, and the treatment pathway appropriate for confirmed cases of dorsal cervical fat accumulation. The article is available to patients and clinicians seeking clarity on a condition that is frequently misdiagnosed or directed toward inappropriate treatment channels, such as chiropractic or postural correction.
About Exert BodySculpt
Exert BodySculpt is a surgical body contouring practice based in Naples and The Villages, Florida, offering liposuction, skin tightening, and cosmetic body procedures under the medical direction of Dr. Giselle Prado-Wright, MD. The practice serves local and out-of-state patients through in-clinic and fly-in consultation programs.
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For more information about Exert BodySculpt, contact the company here:
Exert BodySculpt
Amy Saltmarsh
(239) 799-2029
replies@exertbodysculpt.com
12370 S Cleveland Ave, Fort Myers, FL 33907, United States
Amy Saltmarsh
