Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2006 Sep 15;118(4):1026-1031.
doi: 10.1097/01.prs.0000232417.05081.db.

An outcomes analysis of patients undergoing body contouring surgery after massive weight loss

Michele A Shermak  1 , David Chang, Thomas H Magnuson, Michael A Schweitzer
Affiliations

An outcomes analysis of patients undergoing body contouring surgery after massive weight loss

Michele A Shermak et al. Plast Reconstr Surg. .

Abstract

Background: Although published reports about technical management of massive weight loss patients are beginning to appear, risk factors for complications following body contouring operations are not known.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of massive weight loss patients who had body contouring operations between March of 1998 and October of 2004 was performed. Demographic and surgical factors were analyzed. Outcome measures included seroma, wound dehiscence, thromboembolic complications, blood transfusion after surgery, and extended lengths of stay (>2 days).

Results: A total of 139 patients were analyzed; 82.7 percent of them were female; mean age was 41 years. On multiple logistic regression, male gender was associated with significant risks for wound dehiscence (odds ratio, 6.4; p = 0.01). There were also trends toward increased risk for wound dehiscence with hypothyroidism (odds ratio, 4.3; p = 0.06) and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (odds ratio, 18.7; p = 0.05). In terms of risk of blood transfusion, asthma and having three or more procedures were the two variables that emerged with significant association (odds ratio, 16.8 and 13.7, respectively; both p < 0.01). Increased length of stay to greater than 2 days was also significantly associated with having three or more procedures (odds ratio, 4.72; p < 0.01).

Conclusions: Male gender, hypothyroidism, and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome may be risk factors for wound dehiscence following body contour operations for massive weight loss. Asthma may be a marker of poor general health status, and asthmatic patients are at increased risk for requiring blood transfusions. Having three or more procedures is associated with an increased risk of blood transfusion and increased length of stay.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Aly, A. S., Cram, A. E., Chao, M., Pang, J., and McKeon, M. Belt lipectomy for circumferential truncal excess: The University of Iowa experience. Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 111: 398, 2003.
    1. Hurwitz, D. J., Rubin, J. P., Risin, M., Sajjadian, A., and Sereika, S. Correcting the saddlebag deformity in the massive weight loss patient. Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 114: 1313, 2004.
    1. Hurwitz, D. J. Single-staged total body lift after massive weight loss. Ann. Plast. Surg.. 52: 435, 2004.
    1. Strauch, B., Greenspun, D., Levine, J., and Baum, T. A technique of brachioplasty. Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 113: 1044, 2004.
    1. Taylor, J., and Shermak, M. Body contouring following massive weight loss. Obes. Surg. 14: 1080, 2004.