Rectus Plication Does Not Increase Risk of Thromboembolic Events Following Abdominal Body Contouring: A Matched...

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Vascular Surgery
• General Surgery

Background:

• Rectus abdominis plication may increase intra-abdominal pressure and venous stasis, potentially raising venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk.
• Understanding the association between rectus plication and VTE is crucial for patient safety in abdominal contouring procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential association between VTE and rectus abdominis muscle plication during abdominal body contouring surgery.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 1198 patients undergoing abdominal body contouring (2010-2020).
• Matched case-control study (1:4) comparing patients with postoperative VTE to controls.
• Statistical analysis included parametric, nonparametric, and multivariable regression modeling.

Main Results:

• No significant association was found between rectus plication and VTE outcomes.
• VTE cases were more likely to receive intraoperative blood transfusions (OR=8.4, P=0.04).
• Concurrent complications like delayed wound healing and seroma formation were more frequent in VTE cases but not significant in multivariable analysis.

Conclusions:

• Rectus abdominis plication is not associated with an increased risk of VTE.
• Intraoperative blood transfusions are significantly associated with increased VTE odds.