Post-bariatric body contouring surgery: analysis of complications in 180 consecutive patients

Abstract

Introduction: bariatric surgery is the main treatment for cases of severe obesity and body contour surgery to correct body dysmorphia resulting from weight loss. However, these procedures are associated with a significant number of postoperative complications. Objective: this study aims to analyze complications in post-bariatric patients undergoing body contour surgeries and correlating them with the age and BMI of these patients. Methods: the current study is a retrospective study evaluating 180 consecutive patients undergoing body contour surgery after bariatric surgery within a period of three years (2014-2016). Data such as age, gender, Body Mass Index before bariatric and plastic surgeries, type of surgery performed and complications were collected, and correlated the age as well as the BMI of the patients in the pre-bariatric (PB) and pre-plastic (PP) periods with the complications presented. Results: of the 180 patients evaluated, 91.7% were females (n = 165), and the mean age was 46.3 ± 1.7 years. The most performed surgery was abdominoplasty (48.9%), followed by mammaplasty (21.1%). Some complications occurred in 26.1% of the patients with partial dehiscence (40.4%) and seroma (14.9%) being the most frequent. Patients who presented complications had a higher mean age (50.8 years) than those who presented with no complications, and major complications accounted for 2.7% of the sample. Conclusions: a statistically significant number of surgeries progressed without complications and, when they occurred, there were minor complications in most of the sample. Complications were more frequent in older patients with some of them having a BMI over 30 Kg/m2.

Access to reconstructive plastic surgery for patients undergoing bariatric surgery in the Unified Health System (SUS)

“…Among all surgeries offered by SUS, dermolipectomy had the highest prevalence, in agreement with other publications 4 , 13 , 18 . Excess skin on the abdomen is the most frequent complaint of patients, and this leads to discomfort, physical limitations, and dermatological problems.…”

“…Considered a functional and aesthetic procedure, it combines a range of surgeries, such as Mastopexy, Abdominoplasty, Brachioplasty, and Cruroplasty 3 . The incidence of these procedures has been increasing, making them safer and with a lower rate of complications 4 . These surgeries positively impact the quality of life and body image of such patients, reducing depression and improving weight maintenance.…”

Status of Body Contouring Following Metabolic Bariatric Surgery in a Tertiary Hospital of Greece—Still a Long Way to Go

“…In our study, both bariatric operations and body contouring proved to be safe, as there were no immediate and short-term postoperative complications documented except for one case of leak following MBS. This conforms with international reports and constitutes another important message for both bariatric and body contouring candidates [30][31][32][33].…”

Acesso à cirurgia plástica reparadora para pacientes submetidos à cirurgia bariátrica no Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS)

“…Dermolipectomia Entre todos as cirurgias oferecidas pelo SUS, dermolipectomia apresentou a maior prevalência, em concordância com outras publicações 4,13,18 . Deve ser considerado que o excesso cutâneo de pele no abdome é a queixa mais frequente dos pacientes, e isto leva a desconforto, limitações físicas e problemas dermatológicos.…”

“…Considerado um procedimento funcional e estético, combina uma gama de cirurgias, como Mastopexia, Abdominoplastia, Braquioplastia e Cruroplastia 3 . A incidência desses procedimentos vem aumentando, tornando-se mais seguro e com menor índice de complicações 4 . Essas cirurgias impactam positivamente a qualidade de vida e a imagem corporal desses pacientes, diminuindo a depressão e melhorando a manutenção do peso.…”