[Abdominoplasty without closed-suction drains: a randomised controlled trial].

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Surgical Oncology

Background:

• Limited evidence exists from randomized controlled trials regarding the routine use of closed-suction drains in body contouring procedures.
• Abdominoplasty is a common body contouring procedure where drain use is debated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare cumulative seroma volume, hospital stay, and complication rates in abdominoplasty patients with and without closed-suction drains.
• To evaluate the necessity of routine drain placement in specific abdominoplasty patient cohorts.

Main Methods:

• Prospective randomized trial comparing abdominoplasty with drains (MD) versus without drains (OD).
• Included patients with BMI ≤ 30 kg/m² undergoing specific abdominoplasty incisions; excluded those with simultaneous liposuction or coagulation disorders.
• Primary outcome: cumulative seroma volume over four weeks. Secondary outcomes: complications and length of hospital stay.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference in cumulative seroma volume between the drain (MD) and no-drain (OD) groups (p=0.812).
• Significantly shorter average hospital stay observed in the no-drain (OD) group compared to the drain (MD) group (p=0.023).
• Equal complication rates were noted in both study groups (1 in each).

Conclusions:

• Routine placement of closed-suction drains is not justified for abdominoplasty in pre-obese patients (BMI ≤ 30 kg/m²).
• Drain placement decisions should be individualized based on patient-specific factors.
• This finding contributes to evidence-based practice in abdominoplasty.