Hip Asymmetry: Implications in Body Contouring Surgery

Asymmetry of the hips and its implication in body contouring procedures has not yet been reported. Hip asymmetry is common in the general population and may account for uneven abdominoplasty scar and the apparent discrepancies in volume following liposuction of the hips and flanks. The goal of this study was to determine the presence of hip asymmetry in women presenting for abdominal contouring surgery.

Analysis of preoperative photographs of 100 female patients was performed by three independent plastic surgeons. They were asked to evaluate for hip asymmetry and, when present, determine which side was higher. Adobe Photoshop was also used to objectively measure hip asymmetry. Patients were women with no known history of hip abnormalities; age ranged from 17 to 64 years and the body mass index ranged from 16 to 47 kg/m(2).

All three plastic surgeon reviewers found that the majority of patients had hip asymmetry, with raters 1, 2, and 3 documenting discrepancies in hip height in 88, 60, and 76 percent of patients, respectively. The interrater reliability was 0.713. Chi-square statistical analysis suggested that the raters were not statistically different from one another (p = 0.086). The objective analysis found asymmetry in 82 percent of patients.

The results showed that the majority of patients who present for abdominal contouring surgery have asymmetric hips. Patients are usually unaware of the unevenness of their own hips; however, they often notice postoperative discrepancies in scar height after abdominoplasty or volume differences after liposuction.