Obese and nonobese patients: complications of abdominoplasty

We analyzed 80 patients who underwent abdominoplasty at the University of Tor Vergata "Policlinico Casilino", Rome to determine the effect of obesity on the incidence of complications after this surgery. The study patients were divided into 3 groups, obese, overweight, and normal weight, based on the degree to which their preoperative weights varied from their ideal body weight. A history of previous bariatric surgery was also analyzed to determine what impact that might have on subsequent abdominoplasty. Results showed that the records of 80 patients who underwent an abdominoplasty at University of Tor Vergata Policlinico indicated that 76% of obese patients had complications compared with the overweight and normal-weight patients, who had complication rates of 35% and 33%, respectively. Previous gastric bypass surgery had no significant effect on the incidence of postabdominoplasty complications. Based on these findings, the authors conclude that obesity at the time of abdominoplasty has a profound influence on the wound complication rate following surgery, regardless of any previous weight-reduction surgery.