Endocrine-Metabolic Response in Patients Undergoing Multiple Body Contouring Surgeries After Massive Weight Loss

The endocrine-metabolic response to trauma is directly related to its magnitude, but little is known about the adverse effects of combined surgical procedures on morbidity.

The authors sought to evaluate risk factors by measuring the endocrine-metabolic response in patients who underwent multiple body-contouring surgeries after massive weight loss.

This prospective, randomized, interventional study included 46 massive weight loss patients who experienced a weight loss >30% of their body mass index (BMI) and were referred for body contouring surgery. Patients were randomly allocated to the control group (n = 10) or intervention group (n = 36), which in turn was divided into 3 subgroups (n = 12, each) according to BMI, surgical time, and scar length values. Blood samples were collected from all patients at different time points to assess biological stress markers.

Levels of IL-6 in patients in the higher ranges of BMI and operating time and with more extensive scar length were significantly higher in the immediate postoperative period compared with baseline. Concentrations of noradrenaline were significantly higher 24 hours after surgery compared with baseline only in patients in the higher range of operating time. A higher level of IL-6 at 72 hours after surgery compared with baseline was associated with more extensive scar length. Levels of other biological stress markers did not significantly differ.

The combination of surgical procedures did not significantly affect the concentrations of most biological stress markers. The variable of operating time most influenced increase in plasma concentrations of stress markers.