Weight reduction following abdominoplasty: a retrospective case review pilot study.

BACKGROUND

The question of whether or not abdominoplasty is associated with permanent weight reduction remains controversial. In coalition, should abdominoplasty be used as an adjunct for weight reduction in the overweight/obese patient?

METHODS

This retrospective patient case series attempts to determine the most important factors associated with weight reduction.

RESULTS

All patients undergoing abdominoplasty had weight loss beyond that of their resected pannus, with a minimum body mass index reached 11.6 ± 1.7 weeks after surgery. Weight loss is attributed to an increase in satiety by 75 percent (n = 15) of patients. Preoperative body mass index greater than or equal to 24.5 kg/m can be used to predict long-term weight loss with a sensitivity and specificity of 92.9 percent and 83.3 percent, respectively. Patients above this threshold achieved significantly more weight loss (-4.5 ± 1.4 percent body mass index) at 1 year compared with their lower body mass index counterparts (p = 0.014), as did those with pannus resections weighing greater than 4.5 lb (p = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Abdominoplasty performed on patients with a body mass index greater than 24.5 kg/m appears to be linked to sustained weight loss at 1 year. Satiety appears to be a prominent contributing factor, as does the amount of fat resected. Possible neurocrine mechanisms are discussed.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.