INTRODUCTION: Abdominoplasty is one of the most common aesthetic procedures performed in hospital operating rooms, ambulatory surgery centers and office-based facilities. Frequently, abdominoplasty is combined with other cosmetic procedures. Few studies have investigated the complications and outcomes after abdominoplasty. The purpose of this study was to determine the outcomes as well as complication rates of abdominoplasty in office-based surgery alone and in combination with another cosmetic procedure.

METHODS: A retrospective chart review using a database was performed on 2618 consecutive patients who underwent cosmetic procedures by a single group during a 5-year period (November 2000-December 2005). Formal abdominoplasties, and other cosmetic procedures (ultrasound assisted liposuction/suction assisted liposuction of abdomen, hips, flanks, knees and thigh, breast augmentation/mastopexy, bilateral implant exchange and capsulotomy , submental fat excision, facelift , brachioplasty/ medial thigh lift, endoscopic browlift, malar lift, lower blephorplasty, fat injection of lips lips, lower body lift, and umbilical hernia repair) were performed on 228 patients within this period. A database was reviewed for patient profile, types of procedures, multiple procedures, and complications. Two subgroups were evaluated. Group 1 included patients who underwent abdominoplasty and group 2 included those patients who had abdominoplasty in combination with other cosmetic procedures. Outcome measured included wound complications, hypertrophic scars, pulmonary embolism, deep venous thrombosis, deaths, seromas, and/or hematomas.

RESULTS: Patients included 96 (27.3 percent) females and 1 (.0003 percent) male for those who underwent abdominoplasty compared to 126 (20.8 percent) females and 7 (.002 percent) males who had abdominoplasty in combination with other cosmetic procedures. The mean age at the time of operation for each group was 40 years of age. The average amount of time it took for abdmoninoplasty was 119.4 minutes compared to 178 minutes for abdominoplasty in combination with other cosmetic procedures. The complication rate was (.013 percent) and (.022 percent) respectively. The most common complication was seroma formation, (9.7 percent) in patients with abdominoplasty alone, and (5.7 percent) in patients with abdominoplasty in combination with other procedures. The revision rates were not different significantly between the groups, (2.7 percent) and (3.9 percent) respectively. There were no deaths.

CONCLUSIONS: Abdominoplasty performed in an office-base setting can be safe and managed effectively by plastic surgeons. There is a low incidence of complications as well as re-operations for patients undergoing abdominoplasty alone or in conjunction with another cosmetic procedure.