Body contouring surgery following massive weight loss positively affects a patient's quality of life. However, the procedure is prone to complications. Herein, we stratified complications timewise. Furthermore, we examined whether the weight loss method -bariatric surgery or lifestyle changes -affected the frequency or severity of complications. In this single-centre retrospective analysis, we included 158 patients with massive weight loss undergoing body contouring surgery between 2009 and 2015. We recorded 96 complications in 80 patients, with an overall rate of 51%. Most complications (80.2%) were minor (Clavien-Dindo grades 1 and 2) and superficial wound infections. Immediate complications (0-24 hours postoperation) affected 8.3% of patients, with early complications (1-7 post-operative days) affecting 16.7% of them and late complications (8-30 post-operative days) affecting 58.3% of them. We found no statistical difference in complication rates when comparing bariatric and nonbariatric patients. Older age (p = 0.042) at operation is associated with an increased risk for immediate haematoma or bleeding requiring surgery. Among early complications, a high maximum weight (p = 0.035) and a high preoperative weight (p = 0.0053) significantly correlated with a haematoma or bleeding requiring surgery. For late complications, seroma correlated with older age (p = 0.0061). Complications are primarily minor and non-life threatening after body contouring surgery because of frequent massive weight loss. Here, no particular subgroup of massive weight loss patients appeared more prone to complications. Thus, for each patient, the risks associated with body contouring surgery following massive weight loss should be considered individually.

Clinical examination is still the gold standard of postoperative free flap monitoring, but with intraorally situated and/or buried flaps, it can be difficult or impossible. Microdialysis is a sampling technique which offers the possibility to monitor the metabolism of a flap continuously. Ischemia can be detected by monitoring the changes in glucose, lactate, and pyruvate levels in interstitial fluid of the specific tissue. Our aim was to use microdialysis to monitor the metabolism of free flaps used for reconstructions inside the oral cavity/oropharynx and to evaluate the reliability and usefulness of this new monitoring method.Twenty-five consecutive patients who underwent oral cavity/oropharynx cancer resection and immediate reconstruction with free flap were included in the study. A microdialysis catheter was placed into the subcutaneous adipose tissue of the flap in the end of the surgical procedure. Dialysate samples were taken on an hourly basis for 72 hours postoperatively. Routine clinical monitoring was carried out by experienced nursing staff. Clinical findings were recorded and later compared with microdialysis values. Two flaps out of 25 failed in spite of reoperations. In both problem cases, microdialysis indicated ischemia 1 to 2 hours before it became clinically evident. During flap ischemia, the lactate/pyruvate ratio increased, glucose concentrations reduced, whereas lactate level increased when compared with normal values. Our results indicate that microdialysis is safe for the patient and the flap. It can reliably detect flap ischemia at an early stage. This is especially useful in buried flaps when clinical monitoring is difficult. Microdialysis may also reduce the patient discomfort caused by repeated clinical examination of the flap.

Massive weight loss might lead to excess skin folds causing functional, physical, and psychosocial discomfort. Following bariatric procedures, an increasing number of patients are seeking lower body contouring surgery (LBCS). The proportion of bariatric patients who undergo LBCS is largely unknown. The aim of this current study was to analyse the incidence and realization of LBCS in bariatric patients in Finland. National retrospective register linkage study including all adult patients who received bariatric surgery in Finland during 1998-2016. The data were obtained from the Finnish national health registers maintained by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. Altogether 1089 (14.1%) of 7703 bariatric patients underwent LBCS during the study period. The majority of the LBCS procedures were abdominoplasty (89%). Median latency between bariatric surgery and LBCS was 31 months. The patients with LBCS were younger (p < 0.001) and received sleeve gastrectomy (p < 0.001). We revealed an annual correlation between LBCS and bariatric procedures (r ¼ 0.683). With a two-year latency between the bariatric and post-bariatric operations, the correlation co-efficiency was strong (r ¼ 0.927). LBCS operations ranged from 5 to 215 per hospital district. Most LBCSs (97.3%) were performed in public hospitals, and some (41%) were performed in university hospitals. This study shows that only 14.1% of bariatric patients undergo LBCS. There is a correlation between bariatric procedures and succeeding plastic surgical reconstructive procedures.