Increasing abdominal wall thickness predicts complications in abdominally based breast reconstruction: A review of 106 consecutive patients. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg 2020 Jul;73(7):1277-1284
Date
05/22/2020Pubmed ID
32434696DOI
10.1016/j.bjps.2019.11.012Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85084655068 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 7 CitationsAbstract
BACKGROUND: Body mass index (BMI) has long been the proxy for patient selection in obese patients presenting for abdominally based breast reconstruction. BMI, however, fails to accurately reflect the distribution of abdominal adipose tissue. This study aims to quantify the effect of abdominal wall thickness on the incidence of post-operative complications and contrast abdominal wall thickness and BMI as predictors of post-operative morbidity.
METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of 106 consecutive patients who underwent abdominally based breast reconstruction. Abdominal wall thickness was quantified using preoperative CT angiograms. Primary outcomes included delayed wound healing (abdomen and/or breast), flap fat necrosis, return to OR in 30 days, infection, and flap loss.
RESULTS: Patients experiencing delayed abdominal wound healing (n=38), delayed breast wound healing (n=27), and flap fat necrosis (n=24) had significantly thicker abdominal wall measurements (p<0.0015). Of the 24 patients with palpable fat necrosis, 11 required excision. Increasing abdominal wall thickness significantly increased the odds of delayed abdominal wound healing (p=0.0005), delayed breast wound healing (p=0.0009), flap fat necrosis (p=0.0028), and infection (p=0.0198). Compared to BMI, abdominal wall thickness proved to be a more accurate predictor of delayed breast wound healing, any delayed wound healing, flap fat necrosis, and infection.
CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that as abdominal wall thickness increases, so does the risk of postoperative morbidity. Abdominal wall thickness outperformed BMI as a predictor of postoperative morbidity in several areas. This suggests that objective data obtained from preoperative CT scans may allow more accurate, individualized perioperative risk assessment.
Author List
Boehm LM, Hettinger P, LoGiudice J, Doren ELAuthors
Erin L. Doren MD Associate Professor in the Plastic Surgery department at Medical College of WisconsinJohn A. LoGiudice MD Professor in the Plastic Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin
MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Abdominal FatAbdominal Wall
Adult
Aged
Body Mass Index
Female
Humans
Mammaplasty
Middle Aged
Organ Size
Postoperative Complications
Prognosis
Retrospective Studies
Surgical Flaps
Young Adult
