BACKGROUND:
In light of the scarce literature published regarding seroma formation following abdominoplasty when performed with or without liposuction, the objective of this study was to determine whether abdominoplasty performed in conjunction with flank liposuction confers an increased risk for SF compared to abdominoplasty alone.
METHODS:
This was a retrospective cohort study of 200 patients who underwent abdominoplasty procedures between the years 2004-2007 by eleven surgeons of a private plastic surgery group. Medical records were reviewed to collect data regarding age, BMI, co-morbidities, concurrent surgeries, and other peri-operative complications. Seroma formation was determined by physical exam at postoperative visits by the attending physician. Stepwise multiple logistic regression was used to determine independent predictors of SF. Results were considered significant at p < 0.05.
RESULTS:
In our study 124 patients underwent abdominoplasty with liposuction and 76 patients underwent abdominoplasty alone. The mean age was 43.1 ± 10.2 years and the mean BMI was 27.3 ± 5.4 kg/m². There was no difference in baseline demographics with the exception of hypertension, which was higher in the abdominoplasty only group. The incidence of SF was 16.0% and 31.4%, p<0.02 in the abdominoplasty alone group versus the abdominoplasty with liposuction group, respectively. After multivariate analysis, increasing BMI (OR 1.1, 95% CI 1.02-1.17) and liposuction (OR 3.3, 95% CI 1.37-7.97) were independent and significant predictors of seroma formation.
CONCLUSIONS:
Patients should be counseled regarding a three-fold higher risk of seroma formation following abdominoplasty when combined with flank liposuction. Consequently, the presence of a seroma may necessitate frequent visits back to the office for aspiration. Setting realistic expectations preoperatively may optimize overall patient satisfaction.